9.00am and 10.30am Sunday 7 March 2004
Rev Des Botting
Readings: Exodus 3:1-6; Luke 20:20-47
One of the best ways to learn is through asking questions, especially of an expert on the subject you want information about. This is how children learn. Although their constant questioning can be frustrating at times, its essential to their learning and development. Its the same for adults. Mel Gibson said he literally talked to thousands of learned and biblical scholars over the past twelve years asking for their input on the final hours of Jesus life, before producing his film, The Passion of The Christ. He wanted the film to depict as accurately as possible what actually happened. It was so encouraging for him when in the private screening with the Pope John Paul II he heard the Pope comment, It is as it was.[1]
We can be so grateful today that people asked Jesus questions, because much of his teaching arose out of answering the questions they asked. Some of His truly great statements came in this way. For example, Thomass question, How can we know the way? led to Jesus saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Without me, no one can go to the Father.[2]
In our reading from Luke this morning Jesus answered a number of questions. Well only have time to look at one of them, and so Ive chosen his answer to the question that the Sadducees asked him about life in the future world. This is something that every human being is interested in, especially as we get on in years, because were only too aware that were finite creatures. Every funeral we attend reminds us of this. Our physical bodies dont go on forever. Death, at some time or other, will lay claim to our lives. But what happens then? Is there a future life, and, if so, what will it be like? Does how we live now have a bearing on it? Is there any connection between the two?
As I said at the start, asking questions of an expert on a subject can be very helpful, and this is certainly the case here. Jesus is an expert on life in the future world because hes been there. Hes the eternal Son of God who came from the Father to live here on earth. Therefore, whatever he says deserves our undivided attention because hes an authority on this subject. No other human being can claim that.
Here in Luke he says some very significant things. First, note how in what he says he corrects
I. Some Common Misunderstandings about life in the future world. For example, there are some people who believe that
1. Theres NO afterlife. They believe that this life is all there is, and when we die, thats it, finito, were finished. We return to the dust from which we came. This was the obviously the viewpoint of the Sadducees of whom we read in Luke. Well find out more about this very influential group of people in the weeks ahead for they were the ones who were largely responsible for orchestrating the crucifixion of Jesus.
For the moment all we need to know is that they were the rationalists of their day. They didnt believe in the resurrection or an afterlife and denied the existence of angels and spirits. And also that they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament as authoritative, whats often referred to as the Law of Moses, and would have nothing to do with the oral tradition that the Pharisees put as much value on as they did the Scripture itself.
When they came to Jesus with their question, their purpose was to pour scorn on the whole idea of a resurrection. They told the story of seven brothers who all eventually marry the same woman. This was because the Jewish law stated, that if a husband died before his wife gave birth to a son, the brother of the dead man was required to marry his brothers widow. The first son of the womans second marriage would then become the legal heir of the husband who died. This law was given to prevent a mans name from dying out. In New Testament times this custom had fallen into disuse, so their question, When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be?[3] was really only an academic one.
Their story was far-fetched, and designed to make a mockery of the whole idea of an afterlife. Jesus, in his clear, firm and gracious way, puts them straight on a number of things. In doing so, he takes them to the only part of the Bible that they accepted as authoritative, and which they taught offered no proof of the resurrection, and shows them convincingly how the resurrection is implied in the Old Testament. This passage of scripture was special to every Jew, because when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he revealed his sacred name, Yahweh I AM WHO I AM[4]. He said, In the story of the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again the Lord isnt the God of the dead, but of the living.[5]
The Sadducees have their modern counterparts today, those who say that theres nothing after death. There are no grounds for such a belief here. Jesus speaks very definitely of a life in the future world. Others believe that after we die
2. We return to earth IN ANOTHER FORM, either as an animal or insect or as another person, depending on how weve lived this life. The technical term for this belief is Reincarnation, and several of the worlds great religions hold this view in their teaching of what happens when we die. Their hope is that through coming back many times they will eventually attain perfection and be rewarded. Jesus teaching on life in the future world provides no support for this view either. He speaks very specifically of this world and the future world. He said, The people of this world get married. But in the future world no one will either marry or die.[6] implying that there are only two very distinct places of being. This understanding is supported in many other places of scripture, such as when it says, We die only once, and then we are judged.[7] Still others believe that
3. We get ABSORBED into the universe when we die. We lose our individuality and become one with creation. But theres no support in what Jesus said for the view that we eventually become one with nature and lose our individuality. In the future life people retain their distinct individuality. Jesus said, quoting from Exodus, The Lord is the God worshipped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.[8] In the future world Abraham is still Abraham, Isaac is still Isaac, and Jacob is still Jacob. According to this understanding, you and I will still be who we are now after we die.
These are only three of the many misconceptions people have about life in the future world. Now if there is such a thing as a future world, and if how we live this life has an important bearing on what that may mean for us, its vital that we be informed about it. Luke 20 is a good place to start. Lets look at what Jesus did say about the afterlife. Much of what he says here is confirmed in many other places of Scripture as well. There are
II. Four truths about life in the future world spoken of here in Luke.
1. Its REAL. There is life after death. Death isnt the end. Jesus tells us this at least three times in this passage. First of all when he speaks of this world as compared to the future world. Secondly when he says, as we saw a few moments ago, In the story of the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. And again in his final statement, So the Lord isnt God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.[9] It has always fascinated me that on every occasion when Jesus raised someone from death, he spoke to the person. When he raised the widows son he said, Young man. Get up![10] When he raised the daughter of the man in charge of the Jewish meeting house, he said, Child, get up![11] When he raised Lazarus who had been dead for four days, he shouted, Lazarus, come out![12] In every case the response was immediate. The young man sat up and began to speak, the little girl got straight up, and Lazarus came out of the tomb, even although his hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth and a cloth covered his face. Life in the future world is real.
This brings us to the second point Jesus makes, and that is that
2. Its DIFFERENT. First, therell be no marriage in the future world. Because no one dies, there isnt any need to reproduce. The future world will be fully populated. So the question that the Sadducees asked Jesus was irrelevant to what life will be like beyond the grave. Secondly, those who are worthy of this future world will be like the angels. The nature of our bodies will be different. The Greek word literally means equal to angels. From what the scripture tells us, angels continuously worship and serve God. Their life is devoted to Him. Well find the same. And thirdly, Jesus says they will be Gods children. We know from Johns Gospel that those who accept Jesus and put their faith in him are given the right to be the children of God. It says, They were not Gods children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children.[13] And a little further on John says, only Gods Spirit can change you into a child of God.[14] This reminds us that its by Gods grace that were made worthy, not by anything we ourselves do. Jesus is saying that life in heaven will be significantly different from anything on earth.
3. Its FOREVER. Theres no death in the future world. The Book of Revelation describes it this way: Gods home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying or pain. These things are gone forever.[15] It will be as the best known of all the Psalms says, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.[16] Therell be no more goodbyes, no more parting from loved ones, no more until we meet again. Well be truly at home. Earth isnt our permanent home, because God has set eternity in our hearts.[17] We must always remember this, and be careful not to live as though we are at home here. Bob Gass says, The greatest calamity is not to feel far from home when you are; but to feel right at home when youre not.[18] We are as Paul reminds us, citizens of heaven.[19]
4. It will be WONDER FULL and WORSHIP FULL. Can you imagine what it will be like never to grow old, never to be tired, never to be sick, never to be hassled or irritated, but to experience everlasting peace and joy. As the Bible reminds us, What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds![20] But even more than this, can you imagine what it will be like to see the glory of God, to be forever in His presence, and what it will be like to see the Lord Jesus face to face. Our response will be as it has been for all who have had a vision of God, that is, to worship. Thats what Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and myriads of angels and people from every race, tribe, nation and language will be doing. Our reading said, The Lord is the God worshipped by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then we will know what it is to truly worship God in Spirit and in truth, because we will see him as he really is. Our prayer will be as Charles Wesley wrote,
Finish then your new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see your great salvation,
perfect in eternity:
changed from glory into glory
till in heaven we take our place,
there to cast our crowns before you,
lost in wonder, love and praise.
Do you want to be part of Gods forever family? You can as you receive Christ into your life and trust in him, because Scripture says, to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.[21]
[1] Quoted in the interview the Readers Digest had with Mel Gibson, March 2004 issue.
[2] John 14:5-6 (All Bible references are from the Contemporary English Version unless otherwise stated.)
[3] Luke 20:33
[4] Exodus 3:14 NIV
[5] Luke 20:37-38
[6] Luke 20:34-36
[7] Hebrews 9:27
[8] Luke 20:37
[9] Luke 20:34, 37, 38
[10] Luke 7:14
[11] Luke 8:54
[12] John 11:43
[13] John 1:12-13
[14] John 3:6
[15] Revelation 21:3-4
[16]Psalm 23:6 NIV
[17] Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV
[18] The Word for Today devtional, June 13, 2003
[19] Philippians 3:20
[20] 1 Corinthians 2:9
[21] John 1:12