For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.
θεος δε ουκ εστιν νεκρων αλλα ζωντων παντες γαρ αυτω ζωσιν
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 11 commentaries
Now that God has declared, ‘I am,’ He has revealed that He is the Sovereign and God of the living, not of those who have been entirely consumed. Although they have died, through the promise of the resurrection they possess life; similarly, Adam, while he was alive, was nevertheless mortal, and it is noted that he died the moment he partook of the forbidden fruit.
The depth of their ignorance is revealed by the Saviour as He cites Moses, the revered teacher, who was well aware of the resurrection. God is referenced in the divine proclamation: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Ex 3:6). If, as the Sadducees assert, these individuals are not alive, then whose God is He? Yet, He is indeed the God of the living. Thus, it is certain that they will be resurrected, as the Almighty hand will raise them, along with all who dwell on the earth. While such disbelief in this truth may stem from the Sadducees' ignorance, it is not shared by those who cherish Christ. For we trust in His promise: "I am the resurrection and the life" (Jn 11:25).
He will resurrect the dead instantly, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet; for it will sound, and the dead in Christ will rise incorruptible, while we ourselves will be transformed (1 Cor 15:52). When Christ, our Saviour, gathers us, we will be led into incorruption, glory, and everlasting life.
The Savior exposed the profound ignorance of the Sadducees by referencing their own teacher, Moses, who was well-informed about the resurrection of the dead. He presented a God who, as stated in the scriptures, declared from the burning bush, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ But how can He be the God of those who no longer exist, as the Sadducees claimed? He is indeed the God of the living, confirming that they will rise again when His mighty hand calls them forth; not only them, but all who inhabit the earth. While such disbelief may reflect the ignorance of the Sadducees, it is completely unfitting for those who follow Christ.
We hold firm in our faith in Him, who proclaims, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ He will awaken the dead ‘suddenly, in a moment, at the last trumpet.’ For it will sound, and the dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible, and we will be transformed. Our shared Savior, Christ, will lead us into incorruption, glory, and everlasting life: to whom, along with the Holy Spirit, be honor and reign, unto God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
"Whoever places their faith in me will live, even after death; and anyone who is alive and has faith in me will never experience death” (John 11:25-26). What does this signify? The one who trusts in Me, though he may face physical death (similar to Lazarus’s situation), will indeed receive life again, for He is not the deity of the deceased but of the living. This revelation was provided to the Jews concerning their ancestors who had passed away, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Nonetheless, God is a God of the living, for in His presence all are alive (see Matt. 22:32; Luke 20:37-38). Have faith: even in death, you will be restored to life. Conversely, lack of belief results in spiritual death, even when one appears to live.
If they are living, let us strive to conduct our lives in a manner that allows us to dwell with them after our own passing.
The resurrection of the dead is affirmed, as illustrated by Moses in the Scriptures regarding the burning bush. This is documented in the book of Exodus (Ex. 3:6), where the Lord identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. However, God is not a God of the dead, but of the living; in His presence, all are alive. This is further echoed in the Gospel of Matthew, where it is expounded, so refer there.
After the Pharisees were rendered speechless by His response, the Sadducees from the same Sanhedrin, delighting in their embarrassment, promptly posed a question regarding the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which they had dismissed due to the absurd conclusions they believed it led to. Just as the Lord had confronted the Pharisees, He addressed the Sadducees, cutting at the very foundation of their mistaken beliefs. They cited the case of a woman who had been married to seven brothers, as prescribed by human law. The Lord revealed to the Sadducees that their error arose from two main points: first, their failure to grasp the Scriptures, and second, their lack of understanding of God's omnipotence.
Had they accurately comprehended even those texts they accepted—not just in their literal sense but also in their deeper meaning—they would have recognized the essential link between the sacred teachings within and the belief in the everlasting personal existence of humanity. Moreover, if they truly understood the omnipotence of God, they would not envision human existence in the afterlife as merely mirroring the present one but would acknowledge that God can transform human existence into a glorified and transfigured state. He then illustrated that eternal life must align with the existence of higher spiritual beings. To support His argument, He referred to the frequent declarations in the books of Moses, where God is described as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How could the Almighty have such an intimate relationship with these patriarchs, bestowing upon them immense significance and dignity, declaring Himself as their God, if they were nothing more than fleeting entities and not beings destined for eternity?
The collaboration between the Sadducees and Pharisees in this instance is not clearly shown in the Gospel narratives. It is possible that, witnessing how Jesus Christ had embarrassed the Pharisees and finding joy in it, they sought to have Him join them in deriding the Pharisees' belief in the resurrection of the dead. This belief holds that with the arrival of the Messiah, all Israelites would rise and continue to dwell in the Holy Land. Moreover, Jesus’ response appeared to delight the scribes, as indicated in Luke 20:39, while the Sadducees' defeat through His words bolstered the confidence of the Pharisees, as noted in Matthew 22:34.
The Sadducees believed that the law of marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-6), which allows a woman to have multiple husbands during her lifetime, made the Pharisaic concept of resurrection life difficult to comprehend. They felt compelled to either dismiss the law as absurd or deny the feasibility of resurrection; however, since divine law cannot be regarded as unreasonable, they concluded that it indicates there is no resurrection of the dead. Their objection stemmed from the Pharisees' overly physical interpretation of life after resurrection. In response, Christ asserts that the Sadducees, like the Pharisees, "do not know the Scriptures," and clarifies that in resurrection, individuals "neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven" (Matthew 22:30).
Given that the Sadducees' argument rested on the belief that a decayed human body cannot rise, the Lord pointed out their ignorance of "the power of God" and demonstrated through Scripture (Exodus 3:6) that life exists beyond the grave, affirming the reality of the resurrection of the dead.
Regarding your belief that the writings of Moses do not mention the resurrection of the dead, you are mistaken. Have you not read about God's encounter with Moses? Are you unaware of how He identified Himself? He proclaimed to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Mark 12:26). He made this statement at a time when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were no longer alive on the earth, as they had died in the physical realm. If God referred to Himself as their God, this implies that they remain alive in His presence, for He cannot be the God of what no longer exists. Indeed, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matt. 22:32).
Concerning the resurrection, the belief that Moses does not address this matter is clearly incorrect. He refers to God as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This implies that God cannot be associated with those who no longer exist; thus, although the patriarchs' physical forms were dead, they were undeniably alive in the afterlife, anticipating resurrection. For God, all the deceased remain alive, making it simple for Him to bring them back to life.
The narrative provided by Luke regarding the inquiry of the Sadducees and the Lord's response is strikingly similar to that found in the accounts of the first two Evangelists, with only minor variations in language. For further reference, see Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27. In this context, one should note that when it mentions that "Moses showed when he called," the term "showed" can indeed be interpreted as "proclaimed," indicating that he inscribed the words of the Lord, communicated to him at the Tabernacle, where God identifies Himself as the God of the patriarchs of Israel. Moses, who received the commandments after a divine revelation, specifically regarded God as the deity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Regarding the mention of "some of the scribes," it is likely that these individuals were not from the Sadducee sect since their pride would prevent them from openly acknowledging the Lord's wise response. They were probably Pharisees, who, despite having colluded with the Sadducees to test the Lord, found satisfaction in witnessing the embarrassment of their rivals (see Matthew 22:34 ff.). Mark notes that a scribe, who initially posed a question to Jesus, recognized that the Lord had skillfully addressed the Sadducees (Mark 12:23) and later expressed his agreement openly (Mark 12:32). This very scribe, along with like-minded peers, is referenced by Luke, who notes that after Jesus' rebuttal to the Sadducees, they acknowledged, “Master, you have spoken well.” The Lord, through His profound interpretation of Scripture, compellingly demonstrated the truth of the resurrection, earning admiration even from His adversaries (Luke 20:40-44).
As for the Lord's inquiry about the Messiah—concerning the identity of His Son—this is presented in Luke's account similarly to that in Matthew and Mark. Consult Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37. It is noteworthy that, according to both Matthew and Mark, following the Sadducees’ discomfiture, a scribe approached Him regarding the greatest commandment in the law (Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34). It is during this exchange that Mark states no one thereafter dared to question Him, a sentiment echoed by Matthew following the Lord's discussion about His lineage. While Luke omits the dialogue concerning the greater commandment, he emphasizes that the Lord’s question regarding the Christ was self-initiated and not prompted by any questions from others, highlighting their reluctance to challenge Him further after His response to the Sadducees. The question, “How then is He His Son?” is raised, and although Luke does not capture the reaction of the listeners at that moment, his account is supplemented by Matthew and Mark; the former notes that no one was able to respond, and the latter states that the crowd listened to Him with great pleasure.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS