Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Matthew 22:23-33.
In Matthew
22:23-33 we find the record of Christ’s conflict with the Sadducees in the week
leading up to the cross.
Christ
rebukes the priestly Sadducees who denied the final resurrection, “Ye do err,
not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (v. 29). This is the Lord’s
answer to all cults, to all false teachers and false religions. And it is his
answer to us when we stray from what it true and right and Biblical.
How
and why did they err? Christ continues, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power [dynamin—miraculous or wonder-working power] of God.”
Having
given this negative rebuke, Christ then turns to offer positive instruction in
v. 30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but are as the angels of God in heaven.”
Note three
key points:
First, Christ teaches that there will be a future time
during which all men shall experience the resurrection at the end of the ages. This
was taught in the OT in places like Daniel 12:1-2, Job 19:25-27, and Psalm 16:10-11.
Christ
also explicitly taught this in his earthly ministry (see John 5:28-29 in which
Christ spoke of how those in the graves who would hear the Lord’s voice and be
raised either “unto the resurrection of life” or “unto the resurrection of
damnation”).
This
is what the apostles taught. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 declared, “We shall
not all sleep, but we shall be changed.... for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Second,
Christ teaches that life in the glorified state will be different than our
lives in this present age. One of the chief differences will be the ways in
which our former relationships will be changed. Marriage was instituted by God
at creation to be a sign of Christ’s relationship with the church (see Gen
2:24; Eph 5:32), but in the resurrection, the bridegroom (Christ) will be
joined to his bride (the church) and the temporary institution of marriage will
be eclipsed by our being without sin in the presence of God. This does not mean
that we will not know each other. I believe we will, but our focus and
attention will be upon the Lord and not each other.
This coheres with John’s description of life in the New Jerusalem
in Revelation 22:3-5, as he declares, “his servants shall serve him” and “they
shall see his face.” Our gaze will be always upon the Lamb.
Third, Christ
says we will be like the angels. Notice that he does not say we will become
angels. But we will be like the angels. We will have a resurrection existence
that exceeds our present earthly existence, and we will not be able to sin, and
we will pursue without hindrance the worship and service of the Lord. That’s
how the elect angels live.
Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life might be an
entertaining film, but it has terrible angelology. In that film Clarence is a
man who became an angel and has to earn his wings. We do not become angels at
death, and we have no post-mortem purgatorial work to do to attain higher
standing before God. Instead, like the angels we will glory forever in God’s
magnificent presence.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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