Matthew 22:23
The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Sadducees are introduced not just as a group who deny the resurrection, but as the ones who say there is no resurrection. This phrasing subtly highlights that their disbelief isn't a private thought, but a defining characteristic of their entire sect, setting the stage for their challenge to Jesus' teachings.
The Sadducees, a religious sect who denied the resurrection, approached Jesus on the same day He had already dealt with other challenging groups. They presented a hypothetical scenario based on the Mosaic Law's requirement for a brother to marry a deceased man's childless widow, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection to trap Jesus into contradicting Himself or Scripture. Their aim was to discredit Jesus' teachings, particularly the concept of resurrection, which they vehemently rejected.
Ever met someone who questions everything, even the afterlife? The Sadducees were like that, but with serious theological weight.
The Sadducees were a prominent religious group in Jesus' time, often associated with the ruling elite. Unlike the Pharisees, they held a very different view of religious doctrine. Their core belief, and the reason they confronted Jesus, was a rejection of the resurrection and any notion of angels, spirits, or a future existence beyond death. They focused strictly on the Law of Moses and found no explicit mention of a resurrection there, which led them to dismiss it entirely. This wasn't just a minor disagreement; it was a fundamental denial of a cornerstone of Jewish hope.
How can you use someone's own sacred text against them? The Sadducees tried this, hoping to expose Jesus.
The Sadducees weren't just randomly picking a fight; they had a specific strategy. They posed a hypothetical situation based on a law found in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 25:5) concerning levirate marriage – where a brother would marry a deceased childless widow to continue his brother's line. They constructed an elaborate scenario with seven brothers, all of whom died childless after marrying the same woman. Their 'gotcha' question was: in the resurrection, whose wife would she be? They believed this riddle would make the resurrection doctrine look absurd and unworkable, especially since they only accepted the Law of Moses as authoritative.
Understand the original words
Saddoukaioi · Greek Noun
A religious/political party in first-century Judaism, composed largely of the priestly aristocracy. They rejected oral tradition and strictly adhered to the written Law, famously denying the reality of the afterlife and the resurrection of the dead.
anastasis · Greek Noun
The act of being raised from the dead; the theological doctrine that believers will experience a bodily restoration to eternal life. It is a central tenet of Christian faith, signifying victory over death through Christ.
The Sadducees' challenge to Jesus about the resurrection wasn't just theological; it was a strategic move by a powerful sect attempting to undermine Jesus' growing influence by exposing what they saw as a logical flaw in his teachings, using the very Law they held sacred.
c. 150 BC - AD 70
Period of Sadducee Influence
The Sadducees, a prominent religious sect often from wealthy aristocratic families and the priesthood, held significant influence in Jerusalem. They rejected the oral traditions and the idea of a resurrection, angels, or spirits, focusing solely on the written Torah.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Public Ministry
During his public ministry, Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God, often challenging the established religious authorities and their interpretations of the Law. His teachings on resurrection and eternal life directly contrasted with Sadducean beliefs.
Tuesday of Passion Week, AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Final Week in Jerusalem
In the week leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus engaged in several public confrontations with Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, including the Pharisees and Sadducees, who sought to discredit him.
Tuesday of Passion Week, AD 30-33
Confrontation with the Sadducees
This passage directly states that the Sadducees denied the resurrection, angels, and spirits, providing the core belief system that motivated their question to Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19Paul forcefully argues for the necessity of the resurrection of the dead, highlighting that without it, Christian faith and hope are futile, which is the very issue Jesus is confronting.
Luke 20:27-38This parallel account of the same event provides further details on Jesus' response, emphasizing that the resurrection state is different from earthly life and directly uses the Old Testament to affirm God's relationship with the living.
John 11:23-27Jesus' interaction with Martha before raising Lazarus shows His authority over death and His affirmation of resurrection, contrasting sharply with the Sadducees' disbelief.
Exodus 3:6This is the very scripture Jesus uses to refute the Sadducees, proving from Moses himself that God is the God of the living, which implies a continued existence beyond death and thus a resurrection.
barnesMatthew 22:23: "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,"
Conversation of Jesus with the Sadducees respecting the resurrection - See also Mark 12:18-27 ; Luke 20:27-38 . Matthew 22:23 The same day came the Sadducees - For an account of the Sadducees, see the notes at Matthew 3:7. No resurrection - The word "resurrection" usually means the raising up the "body" to life after it is dead, John 11:24; John 5:29; 1 Corinthians 15:22. But the Sad…
calvinMatthew 22:23-33: "The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,"
- The same day came to him the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, and interrogated him, 24. Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, not having a child, [64] his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 25. Now there were amongst us seven brothers, and the first, having married a wife, died, and, having no seed, left his wife to his brother…
The Sadducees are introduced not just as a group who deny the resurrection, but as the ones who say there is no resurrection. This phrasing subtly highlights that their disbelief isn't a private thought, but a defining characteristic of their entire sect, setting the stage for their challenge to Jesus' teachings.
The Sadducees, a religious sect who denied the resurrection, approached Jesus on the same day He had already dealt with other challenging groups. They presented a hypothetical scenario based on the Mosaic Law's requirement for a brother to marry a deceased man's childless widow, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection to trap Jesus into contradicting Himself or Scripture. Their aim was to discredit Jesus' teachings, particularly the concept of resurrection, which they vehemently rejected.
The Sadducees, a religious sect who denied the resurrection, approached Jesus on the same day He had already dealt with other challenging groups. They presented a hypothetical scenario based on the Mosaic Law's requirement for a brother to marry a deceased man's childless widow, asking whose wife she would be in the resurrection to trap Jesus into contradicting Himself or Scripture. Their aim was to discredit Jesus' teachings, particularly the concept of resurrection, which they vehemently rejected.
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The Sadducees, hearing Jesus' teachings and perhaps already in conflict with the Pharisees, approached him with a complex hypothetical question based on the Law of levirate marriage, designed to trap him into contradicting himself or denying the resurrection.
Tuesday of Passion Week, AD 30-33
Jesus' Argument from Scripture
Jesus responded by drawing from the Torah, specifically God's words to Moses at the burning bush, to demonstrate that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a God of the living, thus affirming the resurrection.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem marked the end of the Sadducees' power and influence, as their authority was closely tied to the Temple's functions. This event significantly reshaped Jewish religious life.
"The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question," — The Sadducees are introduced not just as a group who deny the resurrection, but as the ones who say there is no resurrection. This phrasing subtly highlights that their disbelief isn't a private th…
