Please open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 22.
If you don't have a Bible, please raise your hand.
! We'd love to give you a copy that you can have.
My name is Sean, one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church.
My great joy and privilege to preach God's word to you this morning.
We've been going through a series through the Gospel of Matthew.
We're nearing the end of it now, chapter 22.
Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's word.
Heavenly Father,
we've gathered not to
hear the words of men,
but to incline our hearts and ears
toward the words of God.
So we open up your word together.
We ask that you speak to us as you always do.
Your word is living and active
and thereby demonstrate that you are
the living God.
Lord,
do that for everyone here who do not yet know you,
all those who doubt your power.
Reveal yourself.
Glorify your name.
Make those who are spiritually dead here this morning
awake and live
as they hear the voice
of the risen Lord
calling them.
In Jesus' name,
we pray.
Amen.
If you are able to stand,
please stand and join me
as I read Matthew 22,
23 to 33
to honor God
as we read from his word.
Amen.
The same day,
Sadducees came to him
who say that there is no resurrection.
And they asked him a question saying,
Teacher,
Moses said,
if a man dies having no children,
his brother must marry the widow
and raise up offspring for his brother.
Now,
there were seven brothers among us.
The first married and died
and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
So two,
the second and third,
down to the seventh.
After them all,
the woman died.
In the resurrection,
therefore,
of the seven,
whose wife will she be?
For they all had her.
But Jesus answered them,
you are wrong
because you know neither the scriptures
nor the power of God.
For in the resurrection,
they neither marry
nor are given in marriage,
but are like angels in heaven.
And as for the resurrection of the dead,
have you not read
what was said to you by God?
I am the God of Abraham
and the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob.
He is not God of the dead,
but of the living.
And when the crowd heard it,
they were astonished at his teaching.
This is God's holy
and authoritative word.
Please be seated.
Every major religion in the world
seeks to answer
three overarching questions,
at least three overarching questions
regarding humanity.
One is,
where did we come from?
Another is,
how should we live?
And another is,
where are we going after we die?
What happens to us after we die?
Our origin,
our morality,
and our destiny.
This passage hones in
on the third question.
What happens after we die?
A famous atheist,
Christopher Hitchens,
was asked this question
whether he fears death or not.
And he answered,
I am not afraid of being dead
because there's nothing
to be afraid of.
I won't know it.
I fear dying.
It's something to be terrified of.
He believed that there's nothing after death.
He would simply cease to exist.
So then,
what is there to be afraid?
He won't be aware of anything.
He won't be alive to know it.
But he was afraid of how he might die,
what the dying process might entail.
But,
even if a quick,
painless death
could be guaranteed,
it would not completely dispel
the fear of mortality
and existential angst
that plague
everyone
who doesn't know God.
There's only one true solution
to the fear of death,
and that is
knowledge of the God
of the living.
And the main point
I want to drive home
to you this morning
is this,
our God is the God
of the living
who raises the dead.
First,
I'll talk about life.
Secondly,
I'll talk about the afterlife.
And thirdly,
I'll talk about resurrection life.
I'm going to spend
probably most of the time
in the first point.
Let's talk about life,
how our future death
affects the way we live
in the present moment.
In the preceding passage,
we saw how the Herodians
and the Pharisees
tried to team up
to trip Jesus up
and to get him
into trouble
with the authorities.
They failed.
And in our passage today,
the Sadducees
take a stab at it
themselves.
The Sadducees
were a rival
Jewish religious faction
to the Pharisees.
According to
first century
Jewish Roman historian
Josephus,
the Pharisees
were more popular
among the common people,
but the Sadducees
dominated the ruling classes,
the elites.
They made up
the majority
of the Sanhedrin,
which was the highest
Jewish religious,
political,
and legal council.
And Matthew explains
in verse 23
that the Sadducees
say there is
no resurrection.
This is an abbreviated
summary of the Sadducees'
theological position.
Luke tells us
in Acts 23, 8
that in fact,
the Sadducees say
that there is
no resurrection,
nor angel,
nor spirit,
but the Pharisees
acknowledged them all.
The idea of souls
or spirits
or angels
are intimately connected
to belief
in the resurrection.
These beliefs
go hand in hand.
They form an
interrelated
constellation
of beliefs.
Let me explain
to you what I mean.
Take Buddhism
and Hinduism,
for example.
They believe
that human life
consists of
an endless cycle
called samsara.
Every creature
that dies
is reincarnated
into another life form
and continues
that endless cycle.
And because
they believe in that,
they believe in
dharma
and karma.
If every creature
is reincarnated,
then what determines
the new form
that they take
in the new life,
in the next life?
If they follow
the dharma,
which they believe
is the universal duty
and order of nature,
and then karma,
which is the universal law
of cause and effect
or retribution,
will dictate
a higher form of life
if you follow
the dharma.
But if you did not
follow the dharma,
then karma will dictate
that you take on
a lower form of life
in your reincarnation.
And this belief
in reincarnation
requires that
the most consistent
and logical form
of Buddhism
and Hinduism
become vegetarian.
Most idealistic forms
of Buddhism
and Hinduism.
because the chicken
that you eat
can be a reincarnation
of your dead uncle.
You see,
one belief
depends on another.
And they form
this interrelated
constellation of beliefs.
It's the same
for the Sadducees.
So,
Pharisees,
if you can call them
dualists,
they believe
that the soul
and the body exist.
They are one
in a living person,
but they can be separated.
They're distinct.
Sadducees were monists,
meaning that they believed
that a person
was made up of
just only the body
and the soul
that's within the body,
they cannot ever
be separated.
They're not distinct.
And so,
when a person dies,
they simply cease
to exist.
Like Christopher Hitchens.
There can be
no disembodied soul
separate from the body
in the afterlife,
according to their belief.
And if there is
no soul
that continues
to live
after physical death,
then that makes
resurrection
all but impossible
in their worldview.
You can think of it
like a seed.
Even if,
like a dead body,
the seed is buried
deep into the ground,
as long as there's
still life in it,
when the rain falls on it
and the warmth of the sun
shines on it,
this seed will sprout
new life again
and grow a new body.
However,
if the seed itself
is dead,
not dormant,
but dead,
it will never sprout.
Similarly,
if there is
no living soul
after physical death,
then there is
no prospect
of resurrection life
in the Sadducees' belief.
This is why
they say
that there is
no resurrection,
nor angel,
nor spirit.
Their disbelief,
their materialistic belief,
lack of belief
in the spiritual realm
and spirits
leads to their disbelief
in the resurrection.
And so,
in this passage,
when they speak
of the resurrection,
they are actually speaking
of the afterlife
in general
and not specifically
about the bodily
resurrection
at the end of the age.
But wait a minute,
don't the Sadducees,
aren't they Jews?
Don't they believe
in the Old Testament?
What about Daniel
chapter 12,
verse 2?
It says explicitly,
and many of those
who sleep in the dust
of the earth
shall awake,
some to everlasting life
and some to shame
and everlasting contempt.
Clearly,
there is life after death
according to the Bible.
What about
Genesis 35, 18?
It says that while
Rachel was giving birth
to Benjamin,
her soul was departing.
They would just
dismiss that
as metaphor.
Or 1 Kings 17, 22,
when Elijah raises
the dead son
of the widow of Zarephath,
it says literally
that the soul
of the child
came into him again
and he revived.
Right?
In all of these instances,
the Old Testament
teaches clearly
that there is
a post-mortem existence
of the soul.
The soul exists
apart from the body
after physical death.
Or what about
1 Samuel 28,
the famous passage
where the witch
of Endor
calls up
the soul of Samuel
from the dead.
The Bible speaks
repeatedly and clearly
about the immortality
of the soul
in this sense
and resurrection
from the dead.
However,
the Sadducees
were fundamentalists.
They believe
that only the first
five books
of the Old Testament
were inspired by God.
The books written
by Moses,
the Pentateuch,
that Jews call
the Torah.
Genesis,
Exodus,
Leviticus,
Numbers,
Deuteronomy.
And because of this,
they were able
to dismiss
all of the main
Old Testament passages
that address
the resurrection.
And the Sadducees
were quite convinced
and snobby
in their beliefs.
They rejected
and ridiculed
the Pharisaic belief
in spirits
and the resurrection
as syncretistic
and as superstitious.
So it's no surprise
that when they come
to test Jesus,
they go to their
pet topic,
their favorite subject.
And I'm sure
they've asked
this question
many times
to other Jews
and to the Pharisees
in debate
and they did not
answer this question
satisfactorily
to their liking.
And so they go back
to their,
to the tools
that they know.
Ha, we know
what question
to ask Jesus.
The Pharisees
could never answer
this question
so let's pose
to him the same question.
Expose just
how silly
is this belief
in spirits
and the angels
and resurrection.
They say
in verse 24,
Teacher,
Moses said,
because they only
believe in the Moses books,
five books,
if a man dies
having no children,
his brother must
marry the widow
and raise up offspring
for his brother.
They're alluding here
to a passage
like Deuteronomy 25
which stipulate
levirate marriage.
If a man dies
without leaving children,
then it was his brother's
duty to continue
his name and line
by producing children
for him
by taking his brother's
surviving wife,
the widow,
as his own wife.
This was important
because the children
would,
not having children
would mean
that you would be
blotted out
permanently
from the nation
of Israel.
How so?
Because normally
inherent is passed
down through the male heir
and if there's no heir
to receive,
Numbers 27 specified,
God said,
if you don't have
a male heir,
you can pass it
on to your daughters
but if you have
neither sons
nor daughters,
then you have
no one to pass
your land to,
it goes to your brother
and then you don't
have anyone
to carry on
your name
and you don't
have any land
within the promised
land of God
in your name
and that means
you are excluded
from the covenant
of God.
So this is why
Le'Veeret marriage
was,
it existed
and it was important
for the Jews
to be cut off
from that generation,
the generations
of Israel
would have been
a catastrophic
outcome.
So taking this
practice of Le'Veeret
marriage,
the Sadducees
framed their question
this way in verses
25 to 28,
there were seven
brothers among us,
the first married
and died
and having no offspring
left his wife
to his brother.
So to the second
and third
down to the seventh
and after them all
the woman died
in the resurrection
therefore of the seven
whose wife will she be
for they all had her.
Their question
takes the logical
form of reductio
ad absurdum,
it takes a philosophical
premise to its
logical extreme
in order to show
that doing so
results in an absurdity
and therefore proving
the premise to be false.
If it is true
that the soul
lives on after death
then what happens
to a woman
who was widowed
six times
and therefore
seven men
had been her legal
husband during her
lifetime
through Le'Veeret marriage?
In the afterlife
which one of the
seven men
is the woman
married to
or is she married
to all seven?
That's absurd.
This would have been
unthinkable for the Jews
and that's their argument.
You see your belief
in the resurrection
your belief
in spirits
and afterlife
make no sense
but our position
if you die
and you cease to exist
well that's simple
and that's neat
and it makes
perfect logical sense.
We don't have to deal
with messy
afterlife
philosophical conundrums.
For people who
don't know much
about the afterlife
this could be
a serious question.
Over 20%
of US adults
have been married
at least twice.
What happens
after they die
if they have
more than one spouse
in the afterlife?
Ed brought it
to my attention
that there's actually
a romantic comedy
that came out
last year.
It's called
Eternity.
Have you guys seen it?
I haven't seen it
but the premise
of the movie
is shamelessly
ripped off
of this Bible passage.
In the movie
a couple that
has been married
for 65 years
Larry and Joanne
die and end up
in the afterlife
where they must
each choose
where they want
to spend eternity
and complicating
this decision
is the fact
that Joanne's
first husband
to whom she was
married for two years
before he died
in war
as a soldier
in war
is also there
and he had been
waiting for her
for 67 years
so they can choose
the same place
to spend eternity
with.
Now Joanne
how romantic
must choose
which of the two
husbands to spend
eternity with
or how unromantic
rather I don't know
how you look at that.
I know it's crazy
they should list
Matthew 22
in their credits.
The Sadducees
are surely smug
at this point
they're thinking
that they've asked
Jesus an airtight
unanswerable question
but Jesus
unexpectedly
challenges
one of their
presuppositions
in verses 29
to 30
you are wrong
because
you know
neither the scriptures
nor the power
of God
for in the resurrection
they neither marry
nor are given
in marriage
but are like
angels in heaven.
There is
no marriage
in the afterlife.
We become
like angels
in heaven
who do not marry.
By saying this
Jesus is also
challenging
the Sadducees
denial of angels.
He's saying
angels do exist.
This verse
has often been
misunderstood
to mean
that when Christians
die they become
angels.
Have you guys
heard of that?
Or maybe some
of you guys
think that
that's not okay.
You may have
heard that
some people say
that after
passing of a loved
one they say
oh heaven gained
another angel.
Or if you've
ever seen
a 1940
Christmas classic
It's a Wonderful Life
it's my favorite
Christmas movie.
The dead human
Clarence
has become
an angel
and now
he must
earn his wings
by saving
George Bailey.
This is
it's a good movie
but it's bad theology.
Hebrews 1.13
says angels
are all
ministering spirits
sent out
to serve
for the sake
of those
who are to
inherit salvation.
In other words
God created angels
to serve
and minister
to humans.
Humans do not
become angels.
Angels do not
become humans.
But when humans
die we become
like angels
in the sense
that we
do not marry.
But why
is there no
marriage in heaven?
In the parallel
passage in Luke
20.34-36
Jesus is fielding
this exact same
question
it's a parallel
passage
and we get
one extra
detail from Luke.
Jesus says
the sons
of this age
marry and
are given
in marriage
but those
who are
considered
worthy to
attain to
that age
and to
the resurrection
from the dead
neither marry
nor are given
in marriage
for they
cannot die
anymore
because they
are equal
to angels
and are sons
of God
being sons
of the
resurrection.
In the
afterlife
in heaven
there is
no more
marriage
because
Jesus says
we cannot
die
anymore.
let's
try to
follow
Jesus'
train
of
thought
why
does
no
more
death
mean
no
more
marriage
uninterrupted
by death
isn't that a
dream come true
why can't we
just be married
forever
live happily
ever after
no Jesus
says
marriage
is an
institution
that God
intended
only for
a world
where people
die
why
think of
what one of
the main
purposes
of marriage
is
God
creates
Eve
to be
a
help
meat
for
Adam
so
that
they
can
fulfill
the
cultural
mandate
to be
fruitful
and multiply
and fill
the earth
and subdue
it
in Malachi
2.15
the prophet
says that
God
brings
together
one man
and one
woman
in holy
matrimony
so that
they might
produce
godly
offspring
procreation
is not
the only
purpose
of marriage
but it
is
one of
marriage's
main
purposes
death
claims
people's
lives
every
single
day
and the
only
way to
sustain
humanity
on earth
is by
giving
birth
to
new
people
every
single
day
ten years
ago
when I
first
started
doing
premarital
counseling
it was
common
for people
in Cambridge
to worry
about
overpopulation
and minimizing
your carbon
footprint
and they
thought
it was
virtuous
to choose
not to
have
kids
this was
only ten
years ago
but that
has been
shown to
be
short
sighted
it's a
short
sighted
view
that forgets
how fragile
human life
is
in countries
like South
Korea
Taiwan
China
and Japan
the total
fertility
rates
are
perilously
low
around
one
or below
one
and that
means an
average
woman will
have one
kid
or less
which means
there are
twice as
many deaths
as there
are births
and the
total population
is halved
every generation
it's
crazy
in Japan
where the
population
has been
declining
since 2011
economists
at
Tohoku
University
established
a countdown
toward
national
extinction
estimating
that Japan
will only
have one
remaining
child
in 4,205
many of
the European
nations
are at
1.1
or 1.2
which is
not much
better
and even
here in
the US
we are
below
replacement
level
and we're
flirting
with the
first ever
population
decline
in our
history
in many
cases
falling
fertility
rates
are
directly
related
to
low
marriage
rates
because
that's
the
context
in which
most
people
have
children
more
and more
people
are
getting
married
late
and
many
are
not
getting
married
at
all
these
realities
demonstrate
the truth
of what
Jesus
is
saying
here
there
is
marriage
on
earth
because
people
die
!
procreation
is
necessary
for
humanity
survival
and
marriage
exists
in part
to ensure
that people
created in the image
of God
continue to
populate the
earth
and bring
glory
to him
but in
the absence
of death
there is
no more
need
for children
and parents
instead
there is
one
father
in heaven
God
the father
and all
of his
children
I
received
a
fundraising
letter
from
Plant
Parenthood
this
week
not
because
I've
ever
given
to
them
but
because
I
live
in
Cambridge
they
sent
to
everybody
assuming
that
it's
a
favorable
audience
in the
letter
they
boasted
that
they
have
guided
more
than
171
thousand
people
who
live
in
the
states
where
abortion
is
limited
to
out
of
state
abortion
services
since
the
landmark
Dobbs
decision
Supreme
court
decision
2022
they've
given
people
3.7
million
dollars
to
help
them
travel
to
get
an
abortion
they
boasted
that
they
completed
434
450
abortions
over
this
past
year
that's
a
half
a
million
babies
dead
and
we
live
in
a
culture
that
celebrates
that
what
is
this
but
a
culture
of
death
we
live
in
a
country
where
the
department
of
defense
posts
hype
videos
on
social
media
sharing
real
world
combat
footage
of
US
missile
strikes
in
Iran
overlaid
with
visuals
and
music
from
video
games
like
Call
of
Duty
our
doctors
talk
less
and less
about
the
sanctity
of
life
and
they
speak
more
and
more
about
quality
of
life
not
valuing
life
for
its
own
sake
but
commodifying
life
and seeing
it as
disposable
and
dispensable
when
it's
too
costly
or
burdensome
or
meaningless
this is
the mentality
that leads
to assisted
suicides
the devil
has so
deceived
us
that people
celebrate
death
sometimes
in our
culture
but
God
is
on
the
side
of
life
what
about
you
do
you
see
children
primarily
as
expenses
and
burdens
!
Or
do
you
see
them
as
blessings
as
the
Bible
does?
I'm
so
grateful
that
we
have
a
growing
number
of
children
in
our
church
with
several
more
expectant
mothers
some
of you
guys
are
very
do
there
is
no
marriage
in
the
afterlife
because
there
is
no
need
for
children
because
there
is
no
more
death
there
is
another
important
reason
it
says
in
Ephesians
531
that
a
man
and
a
woman
being
joined
together
in
marriage
through
self-giving
love
points
to
this
eternal
spiritual
union
that
we
have
between
Christ
and
the
church
as
the
book
of
Hosea
reveals
God's
intention
from
before
the
foundation
of
the
world
has
been
to
marry
off
his
son
to
his
people
the
people
of
God
to
envelop
us
by
doing
so
in
that
eternal
self-giving
trinitarian
love
and to
make
his
marriage
proposal
the
marriage
proposal
of
his
son
so
obvious
to
us
he
created
marriage
on
earth
to
be
a
picture
of
the
gospel
of
Christ
redeeming
love
for
his
people
for
his
bride
the
church
and
because
marriage
is a
picture
and a
foreshadowing
of that
greater
ultimate
reality
that we
have
in our
union
with
God
in our
marriage
to
Christ
in the
afterlife
there is
no
marriage
in the
afterlife
when
the
substance
arrives
the
shadow
fades
there is
no
need
for
shadows
there
will
no
longer
be
any
need
for
grooms
and
brides
in the
afterlife
because
Christ
will
be
our
sole
bride
groom
and
all
his
people
the
church
will
be
his
bride
perhaps
the
idea
that
there
is
no
marriage
between
man
and
woman
in
heaven
is
a
great
disappointment
to
some
of
you
!
If so
then you
need to
ask
yourself
whether
you
have
made
the
temporary
provision
of
marriage
an
ultimate
desire
in
your
heart
does
a
dream
of
being
married
to
a
certain
kind
of
man
or
a
certain
kind
of
woman
preoccupy
your
mind
more
than
the
thought
of
being
married
to
Christ
your
bride
groom
then
speak
the
truth
of
God
to
yourself
and
teach
your
heart
to sing
the
praises
of
Christ
there's
a
dear
sister
in
the
church
who
struggles
time
to
time
with
her
singleness
who
fights
for
faith
valiantly
by
reciting
to
herself
Psalm
45
verse
2
which
says
of
our
messianic
king
you
are
the
most
handsome
of
the
sons
of
men
grace
is
poured
upon
your
lips
therefore
God
has
blessed
you
forever
there
is
no
husband
more
handsome
!
more
powerful
more
generous
more
gracious
than
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
Jesus
continues
his
response
to the
Sadducees
in
verses
31
to
32
and
as
for
the
resurrection
of
the
dead
have
you
not
read
what
was
said
to
you
by
God
I
am
the
God
of
Abraham
the
God
of
Isaac
and
the
God
of
Jacob
he's
not
God
of
the
dead
but
of
the
living
Jesus
said
early
in
verse
29
that
they
are
wrong
the
Sadducees
because
they
do
not
know
the
scriptures
and
as
a
case
in
point
Jesus
takes
the
Sadducees
straight
to
scripture
have
you
not
read
what
was
said
to
you
by
God
and
knowing
that
the
Sadducees
only
believed
in
the
Torah
he
takes
them
straight
to
the
Torah
Exodus
3
verse
6
the
passage
where
Moses
encounters
God
in
the
burning
bush
the
Sadducees
when God
revealed
himself
to
Moses
he
said
I
am
the
God
of
Abraham
and
the
God
of
Isaac
and
the
God
of
Jacob
but
this
is
hundreds
of
years
after
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
have
passed
away
and
note
that
this
relationship
this
covenant
relationship
is still
ongoing
Jesus
quotes
God
speaking
in the
present
tense
I
am
the
God
of
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
the
original
Hebrew
in
Exodus
3
6
doesn't
have
an
explicit
verb
but
the
point
still
holds
if
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
cease
to
exist
like
the
Sadducees
believe
just
cease
to
exist
centuries
ago
if
they
have
no
consciousness
no
living
soul
why
would
God
who
specifically
reveals
himself
as
the
living
God
dozens
of
times
throughout
the
Bible
identify
himself
by
those
who
are
long
dead
that
makes
God
passe
outdated
irrelevant
that's
the
best
you
can
do
you
helped
some
dead
guy
400
years
ago
have
you
done
anything
to
show
for
yourself
for
the
last
400
years
moreover
Hebrews
11
tells
us
that
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
lived
in
the
land
of
promise
as
in
a
foreign
land
living
in
tents
because
they
were
looking
forward
to
the
city
that
has
foundations
whose
designer
and
builder
is
God
and
continuing
he says
that
these
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
they
all
died
in
faith
not
having
received
the
things
promised
but
having
seen
them
and
greeted
them
from
afar
having
acknowledged
that
they
were
strangers
and
exiles
on
the
earth
for
people
who
speak
thus
make
it
clear
that
they
are
seeking
a
!
land
they
desire
a
better
country
that
is
a
heavenly
one
Hebrews
tells us
that
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
did
not
get
what
was
promised
to
them
they
did
not
get
the
promised
land
they
instead
lived
as
sojourners
and
exiles
living
in tents
in the
promised
land
looking
forward
to the
promise
that
God
will
fulfill
!
So if
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
ceased
to
exist
after
they
died
never
received
their
promises
what
does
that
make
God?
An
impotent
promise
breaker
but that's
blasphemy
!
No
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
received
their
promises
in
heaven
the
land
they were
ultimately
referring
to
looking
forward
to
was
a
heavenly
one
they
received
a
better
country
that
is
a
heavenly
one
and
how
because
their
souls
are
still
living
as a
parallel
verse
in
Luke
20
38
says
now
he
is
not
God
of
the
dead
but
of
the
living
for
all
live
to
him
those
who
are
in
covenant
relationship
with
the
living
God
cannot
but
live
forever
this
is
what
the
!
God
the
intermediate
state
when
our
souls
leave
our
diseased
bodies
and
live
with
God
in
heaven
Paul
makes
that
very
clear
in
2nd
Corinthians
5
6
to
8
when
he
talks
about
how
if
he
dies
he'll
be
home
with
the
Lord
but
away
from
the
body
when
Christians
die
our
souls
are
with
God
in
heaven
not
on
earth
and
we
have
consciousness
we're
not
in
soul
sleep
in
some
kind
of
comatose
state
in
1882
Friedrich
Nietzsche
wrote
this book
called
The Gay
Science
or The
Happy
Science
and he
wrote
this
where
has
God
gone
we
have
killed
him
you
and
I
we
are
his
murderers
God
is
dead
God
remains
dead
and
we
have
killed
him
what
are
these
churches
now
if
they
are
not
the
tombs
and
sepulchers
of
God
his
blasphemy
was a
declaration
that
belief
in the
Christian
God
and
absolute
morality
and
moral
truths
is
no
longer
tenable
in
the
wake
of
the
enlightenment
and
the
scientific
revolution
they
thought
to
themselves
well
kids
believe
in
Santa
and
tooth
fairies
until
they
Christ
Nietzsche
believed
that
humanity
had
grown
up
and
therefore
they
can
no
longer
believe
in
God
but
Nietzsche
spoke
too
soon
in
1900
the
year
Nietzsche
died
there
were
558
million
Christians
in
the
world
today
there
are
2.5
billion
meaning
the
Christians
have
since
quadrupled
in
number
and
if
you
are
here
this
morning
and
you
are
not
yet
a
follower
of
Christ
and
are
you
a
materialist
do
you
subscribe
to
naturalism
do
you
believe
that
everything
in
the
world
can
be
explained
by
natural
causes
and
laws
do
you
reject
the
divine
and
the
supernatural
as
superstitions
of
age
old
traditions
don't
be
like
the
Sadducees
who
suffered
from
an
impoverished
imagination
because
they
did
not
know
the
power
of
God
the
only
kind
of
afterlife
the
Sadducees
could
imagine
was
one
that
was
exactly
like
the
present
life
where
people
marry
and
are
given
in
marriage
they
rejected
the
intermediate
state
where
souls
can
live
apart
from
their
bodies
because
they
could
not
imagine
a
disembodied
soul
but
don't
presume
that
what
you
cannot
observe
by
your
senses
do
not
exist
that's
like
a
little
girl
playing
hide
and seek
with
her
dad
and
as
he
gets
close
by
covering
her
eyes
because
she
can't
see
anything
she
assumes
that
means
dad
can't
see
me
if
I
can't
see
something
that
no
one
else
can
see
the
fact
that
you
can't
see
God
doesn't
mean
he
doesn't
exist
the
fact
that
you
can't
see
souls
doesn't
mean
that
they
do
not
exist
there's
time
to
get
into
this
but
my
burden
this
morning
is
not
only
for
the
people
who
don't
believe
in
God
but
also
for
people
who
do
believe
in
God
but
functionally
live
as
though
God
is
dead
do
you
live
with
the
reality
of
the
afterlife
in
you
or
do
you
live
as
if
you're
70
or
80
years
on
earth
is
all
there
is
the
Sadducees
did
not
prepare
for
the
afterlife
because
they
did
not
believe
in
it
because
they
lived
to
leave
a
legacy
here
on
earth
to
be
remembered
by
people
on
earth
after
their
death
because
they
believe
that
that's
the
only
way
to
continue
to
live
are
you
also
living
like
that
if
you
think
that
this
life
is
all
that
matters
then
you
will
cheat
take
shortcuts
step
over
others
and
or
wear
yourself
out
and
burn
yourself
out
trying
to
accomplish
your
goals
and
you
will
lose
yourself
in
the
process
trying
to
get
earth
to
produce
for
you
what
only
heaven
can
produce
and
then
you
will
die
and
whether
you
are
successful
or not
your
memory
will
be
forgotten
as
Ecclesiastes
1.11
says
instead
cultivate
a longer
term
perspective
keep
the
afterlife
in view
it's
okay
that
you
don't
have
a
house
it's
okay
that
you
never
got
to
travel
and
see
the
world
it's
okay
that
you
never
landed
your
dream
job
it's
okay
that
you
never
made
a lot
of
money
it's
okay
that
you
are
discounted
and
overlooked
by
the
world
if
your
legacy
is
in
the
things
of
God
and
you
trust
God
then
you
have
eternal
life
to look
forward
to
beloved
are you
living
as if
God
were
relevant
only
for
people
of
the
past
who
are
now
long
dead
do
you
live
as if
God
is
only
real
and
relevant
for
your
parents
but
not
for
you
yes
God
came
through
for
Abraham
Isaac
and
Jacob
long
time
ago
but
no
he
cannot
come
through
for
me
yes
God
used
Moses
a man
with
a speech
impediment
to lead
his people
but no
no
he
cannot
use
me
yes
God
took
Gideon
a fearful
and doubtful
man
to defeat
the Midianite
army
of
135
thousand
with
300
men
but no
no
God
can't
help
me
overcome
my
anxiety
yes
Jesus
turned
life
around
of a
broken
Samaritan
woman
who
has
had
five
husbands
but no
God
can't
turn
my
life
around
or
heal
me
from
my
sexual
brokenness
yes
Jesus
cast
out
seven
demons
from
Mary
Magdalene
but no
he
can't
cast
out
the
demons
that
I
struggle
with
in
my
life
yes
Jesus
forgave
and called
Paul
to be
his
servant
even though
he was
a
persecutor
of the
church
blasphemer
of God
but no
he can't
ever
forgive
me
of my
sins
you have
faith
in God
yes
but is
he
only
the
God
of the
past
is
your
faith
in
God
a
mere
monument
to
the
dead
don't
forget
brothers
and sisters
know
the
power
of
God
he
is
not
God
of
the
dead
but
of
the
living
finally
let's
talk about
resurrection
life
as I said
to you
earlier
it's
interesting
that
Jesus
and
the
Sadducees
speak
of
the
resurrection
repeatedly
in this
passage
when in
reality
they're
speaking
of
the
afterlife
the
intermediate
state
the
disembodied
souls
in
heaven
we
will
not
be
resurrected
immediately
after
death
according
to
revelation
20
that
doesn't
happen
until
Christ
returns
and
raises
us
in
a
bodily
resurrection
so
why
then
do
the
Sadducees
and
Jesus
here
speak
of
the
resurrection
the
first
reason
is
what
I
said
earlier
that
the
Sadducees
denial
of
spirits
and
angels
was
of
one
piece
with
their
denial
of
the
resurrection
their
interrelated
interdependent
doctrines
so
when
Jesus
proves
from
the
scripture
that
the
dead
patriarchs
are
somehow
still
living
after
physical
death
the
Sadducees
materialist
view
of
life
and
their
terminal
view
of
death
crumble
down
and
along
with
that
their
denial
of
the
resurrection
crumbles
down
so
if
there
is
a
post
mortem
life
of
the
soul
then
it
logically
anticipates
a future
bodily
resurrection
like
that
dormant
but
still
living
seed
that's
buried
in
the
ground
living
souls
will
be
raised
to
new
resurrection
bodies
and
that's
why
it's
fitting
for them
to speak
of
resurrection
here
and
secondly
I
think
it's
no
coincidence
that
the
resurrection
is
the
theme
of
Jesus'
debate
with
the
Sadducees
in
the
last
few
days
of
his
life
before
he
dies
on
the
cross
and
is
physically
raised
from
the
dead
the
Sadducees
say
that
there
is
no
resurrection
but
if
they
are
right
then
Christ
could
not
have
been
raised
from
the
dead
for
if
the
dead
are
not
raised
not
even
Christ
has
been
raised
and
if
Christ
has
not
been
raised
your
faith
is
futile
and
you
are
still
in
your
sins
then
those
who
also
have
fallen
asleep
in
Christ
have
perished
if
in
Christ
we
have
hope
in
this
life
only
we
are
of
all
people
most
to
be
pitied
our
very
salvation
depends
on the
reality
of the
resurrection
I read
a
Wall Street
Journal
article
this
past
week
entitled
Inside
Putin's
26
billion
quest
for
longevity
the
Russian
president
has
turned
anti-aging
and
longevity
research
into a
major
Russian
state
priority
and he
has
discussed
organ
transplants
as a
way of
achieving
a form
of
immortality
by
continually
replacing
aging
human
body
parts
it's
kind of
sickening
I wonder
where he'll
get the
body
parts
but he
is 73
years old
now
and I
guarantee
you
guarantee
you
that even
if he
creates
some
kind
of
Frankenstein's
monster
out of
his
own
body
he's
already
in the
twilight
years
of his
life
he's
gonna
die
soon
how
do I
know
that
because
the
ultimate
cause
of
death
is
spiritual
not
physical
the
ultimate
cause
of
death
is
not
diseases
and
disasters
but
sin
as
Romans
6
23
says
the
wages
of
sin
is
death
and
until
Christ
returns
to
judge
and
eradicate
sin
death
will
be
a
stubborn
reality
of
life
on
earth
and
this
is
why
Christ
Jesus
came
to
die
on
the
cross
the
sting
of
death
is
sin
it
says
in
1 Corinthians
15
the
sting
of
death
is
sin
and
the
power
of
sin
is
the
law
but
thanks
be
to
God
who
gives
us
the
victory
through
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
if
you
are
if
you
are
pierced
with
a
poison
sting
it's
not
enough
to
treat
the
fever
and
the
swelling
around
it
you
need
to
remove
the
poison
sting
or
death
will
take
its
inevitable
toll
the
sting
of
death
is
not
disease
it's
sin
and
Jesus
removes
that
sting
by
dying
on
the
cross
as
the
atoning
sacrifice
for
sin
and
if
you
confess
with
your
mouth
that
Jesus
is
Lord
and
you
believe
in
your
heart
that
Jesus
did
die
in
your
place
he
died
for
your
sins
and
that
he
was
raised
victoriously
from
the
dead
then
you
are
forgiven
of
all
your
sins
and
you
receive
!
life
the
sting
of
death
is
thus
removed
and
life
after
death
is
eternal
life
of
the
soul
in
heaven
with
God
and
the
life
after
life
after
death
is
bodily
resurrection
and
new
heavens
and
new
earth
to be
enjoyed
forever
in the
presence
of
God
when
Christ
returns
your
perishable
body
if you
are
a
believer
and
your
perishable
body
of
dishonor
and
weakness
will
be
resurrected
with
an
imperishable
body
of
glory
and
power
to
us
who
have
this
resurrection
hope
our
obituary
is not
the
conclusion
of
our
life
it's
the
introduction
of
the
rest
of
our
life
your
struggles
your
weaknesses
your
disappointments
in
this
life
are
not
the
story
of
your
life
but
rather
they
become
the
preface
of
momentary
affliction
that
gives
way
to
the
never
ending
story
of
the
eternal
way
of
glory
because
Jesus
died
and
because
Jesus
was
raised
and
because
Jesus
says
in
Revelation
1
17
to
18
fear
not
I
am
the
first
and
the
last
and
the
living
one
I
died
and
behold
I
am
alive
forever
more
and
I
have
the
keys
of
death
and
Hades
so
let us
remember
brothers
and
sisters
our
God
is
not
God
of
the
dead
he
is
the
God
of
the
!
let's
pray
oh
Lord
revive
us
so that
we all
have
a
living
faith
in
the
living
word
of
the
living
God
wherever
there
is
doubt
and
unbelief
Lord
strengthen
rejuvenate
my
brothers
and
sisters
in their
lives
so
so that
they
live
more
and
more
according
to
the
power
of
God
your
power
demonstrated
in
their
lives
revealed
to
them
in
the
death
and
resurrection
of
Christ
and
father
I
pray
for
those
who
do
not
yet
know
you
here
by
your
word
make
them
live
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen