How does Luke 20:31 illustrate the concept of earthly relationships ending at death? The Setting in Luke 20:27-33 • The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, present Jesus with a hypothetical involving seven brothers who successively marry the same woman. • Their goal is to ridicule belief in life after death. • Luke 20:31 summarizes the crux of their story: “and likewise the third married her, and in the same way, all seven married and died, leaving no children.” What Luke 20:31 Shows • Death breaks each marriage bond. Every brother’s relationship to the woman ceases when he dies. • By repeating “all seven married…and died,” the verse underscores the finality of death for earthly unions. • The Sadducees assume marriage must continue beyond the grave; Jesus will correct that assumption (vv. 34-36). Key Observations • Marriage is explicitly an “age of this world” institution (v. 34). • Once a spouse dies, the covenant dissolves; there is no overlapping of marital claims in the next life. • Luke 20:31 sets up the Lord’s declaration that the resurrected “will neither marry nor be given in marriage” (v. 35). Supporting Scriptures • Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25—parallel statements that resurrected saints “are like the angels in heaven.” • Romans 7:2 - 3—“a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.” • 1 Corinthians 7:39—“A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is free to marry whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” • Ecclesiastes 9:6—“their love, their hate and their envy have long since vanished” once people die. Why Earthly Marriage Ends at Death • Death ends earthly life; resurrection ushers in a transformed existence (Luke 20:36). • Marriage’s purposes—procreation (Genesis 1:28) and companionship amid mortality (Genesis 2:18)—are fulfilled; no death means no need to propagate the race. • Our primary relationship in eternity is with the Lord Himself (Revelation 21:3). Practical Takeaways • Love and honor your spouse now; the opportunity is temporary. • Remember that eternal hope rests not in human ties but in union with Christ. • Let the certainty of resurrection encourage faithfulness in present relationships, knowing they point to a greater, everlasting fellowship with God. |
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