Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus isn't just saying that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive someday; he's revealing that they are actively living to God right now. This means their relationship with Him, the very essence of their existence, continues unbroken, proving that death doesn't end our connection with the God who is eternally Life.
Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, by using God's own words to Moses from the burning bush. He quotes God saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Jesus then declares this proves He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were, and still are, living in God's presence.
The Sadducees thought death was the end of the story. But Jesus reveals a deeper truth about God's relationship with His people.
When Jesus says, 'He is not God of the dead, but of the living,' He's dismantling the Sadducees' entire worldview. They believed death erased everything, including a person's relationship with God. But Jesus argues that the very title 'God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob' proves this wrong.
A Living Relationship
God declared Himself the God of these patriarchs long after they had died physically. This means their relationship with God wasn't severed by death. For God, they are still living. This covenant relationship is so fundamental to God's nature that He wouldn't be known as the 'God of the dead.' It implies an active, ongoing connection.
The Promise Endures
This isn't just about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It points to a future reality. If God is the God of those who have passed from this life, it’s because He has prepared something for them – a continuation of life, a resurrection. Their existence isn't a dream; it's a certainty rooted in God's power and faithfulness to His promises.
What does it truly mean to 'live to God'? Jesus expands on the idea, showing that life with Him transcends our earthly existence.
The concluding phrase, 'for all live to him,' is crucial. It's not just that the patriarchs are alive in some abstract way, but that their life is directed towards and sustained by God.
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Life Beyond Our Perception
To us, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are dead. Their physical lives ended long ago. But Jesus is shifting our perspective. From God's vantage point, they are living. This implies a conscious existence, a continued relationship, and a life that death cannot terminate.
The Source of All Life
'All live to him' emphasizes that the ultimate reality of life, in its fullest and truest sense, is found in God. It’s a life that doesn't cease with physical death because its source and sustainer is eternal. This points toward the resurrection state where this life will be fully realized, body and soul, in God’s presence.
Jesus' powerful statement counters the Sadducees' literalist interpretation of the Law, grounding the doctrine of resurrection in God's eternal nature and His unbroken covenant relationship with His people, a truth deeply relevant in a time of political upheaval and religious questioning.
c. 20 BC - 10 BC
Herod the Great's Reign
Herod the Great, appointed by Rome, ruled Judea, maintaining a fragile peace while imposing Hellenistic culture and Roman influence, a context where religious and political tensions simmered.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
During this period, Jesus engaged in public ministry, teaching, healing, and debating religious leaders, including challenging the Sadducees' denial of the resurrection.
c. AD 33
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central event of Christianity: Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection, which directly affirmed the very doctrine the Sadducees denied and which Jesus defended.
c. AD 40s - 60s
Early Church Growth and Persecution
The followers of Jesus, now called Christians, spread the message of the resurrection across the Roman Empire, facing increasing opposition and persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman rulers.
c. AD 62
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman-Jewish War culminates in the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, a catastrophic event that profoundly impacted Jewish identity and religious practice, scattering many.
This is the very passage Jesus quotes in His argument, where God identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, forming the foundation of the 'living' God argument.
Matthew 22:32This is the parallel account in Matthew's Gospel, showing the same teaching and argument about God being the God of the living.
Romans 4:17This passage from Romans echoes the principle that God calls things that are not as though they were, aligning with the idea that the patriarchs, though 'dead' to human perception, 'live' to God.
Hebrews 11:16This verse speaks of believers desiring a heavenly country and God being prepared to call them 'their God,' implying a present reality of life with God beyond death.
1 Corinthians 15:20Paul argues that if Christ has been raised, then the resurrection is a certainty, reinforcing the idea that those who belong to Him are alive in Him, even after death.
clarkeLuke 20:38: "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him."
All live unto him - There is a remarkable passage in Josephus's account of the Maccabees, chap. xvi., which proves that the best informed Jews believed that the souls of righteous men were in the presence of God in a state of happiness. "They who lose their lives for the sake of God, Live unto God, as do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs." And one not less remarkable in Shemoth Rabba…
bengelLuke 20:38: "For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him."
Luke 20:38 . Πάντες , all ) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all of whom God is the God, but who are dead to men. To men they are dead; whereas to Him, αὐτῷ , viz. God, they live.— γὰρ , for ) This is the very kind of conclusion in which the particle therefore (inferential) might have been expected. But instead of it, for is put down, as in Romans 3:28 .[220] The for is used in this sense: Argumentation has b…
Jesus isn't just saying that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive someday; he's revealing that they are actively living to God right now. This means their relationship with Him, the very essence of their existence, continues unbroken, proving that death doesn't end our connection with the God who is eternally Life.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, by using God's own words to Moses from the burning bush. He quotes God saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Jesus then declares this proves He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were, and still are, living in God's presence.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, by using God's own words to Moses from the burning bush. He quotes God saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Jesus then declares this proves He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were, and still are, living in God's presence.
"Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”" — Jesus isn't just saying that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive someday; he's revealing that they are actively living to God right now. This means their relationship with Him, the very essence o…
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Last reviewed October 2026