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Matthew 22:23-46 ESV

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 children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too 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. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

I. ARE WE MARRIED IN HEAVEN (23-33)
A. Sadducees try to make Jesus look ignorant w/ question about marriage in Heaven.
B. No marriage in Heaven. Don’t need each other since we have Jesus.
C. Sadducees not interested in debate about Heaven but resurrection. Jesus proves resurrection from verb tense in Exodus 3:6.
D. Humans created to live forever because our souls are immortal.

II. POWER OF GOD TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE
A. Sadducees doubted power of God to do impossible. We doubt power of God to do the impossible & transform human hearts.
B. Only God alone, with no help from us, is powerful enough to fundamentally change who we are on the inside.

III. FRUIT OF CONVERSION; LOVE OF GOD! (34-38)
A. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.
B. The real proof of Gospel conversion is overflowing love of God and not just belief in Him. (James 2:19)
C. Our love of God is reciprocal. He has first loved us. (1 John 4:10, 19, Romans 5:8)

IV. THE FRUIT OF LOVING GOD; LOVING OTHERS! (39-40)
A. The next greatest command is to love others same we love ourselves.
B. Love of God will always show itself in selfless love of others. It is the love of God that fuels the Christian mission to love others.

V. JESUS, LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS (41-46)
A. Jesus loves the Pharisees by showing them the truth about Himself.
B. Best way we love others is to show them the truth about Jesus.

APPLICATION
1. Called to love ALL people, not just some, with the Gospel.
2. Can’t just throw money at people & say we love them.
3. Believe the Gospel and Love the Savior!