Matthew 22:30
For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus isn't just saying there's no marriage in the afterlife; he's highlighting that the resurrection will bring a new kind of existence, completely free from the limitations and necessities of our current mortal life. This new state, where we'll be like angels, means a profound transformation beyond just altered relationships.
The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, challenge Jesus with a complex hypothetical about a woman who married seven brothers in succession, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife. Jesus rebukes their misunderstanding of Scripture and God's power, explaining that the resurrection is a reality fundamentally different from earthly existence. He then proceeds to demonstrate the resurrection's truth using a passage from Moses about God being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Sadducees thought they had Jesus trapped with a tricky question about marriage. But Jesus turned it into a profound revelation about God’s power and the reality of the life to come.
Jesus confronts the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, by showing them they misunderstand both the Scriptures and God’s power.
Addressing the Sadducees' Trap
The Sadducees posed a hypothetical scenario based on the Mosaic Law of levirate marriage (where a brother would marry a deceased brother's childless widow to continue his line). They asked whose wife the woman would be in the resurrection if seven brothers had successively married her. Their goal was to make the resurrection seem absurd and impossible.
Jesus's Counter-Argument
Jesus's response highlights two key errors in their thinking:
Marriage is a sacred earthly institution, but Jesus reveals it’s not the eternal state. What does that mean for our deepest relationships?
Jesus’s statement, 'they neither marry nor are given in marriage,' directly addresses the Sadducees' flawed premise that resurrection life would simply replicate earthly conditions.
The Purpose of Marriage on Earth
Understand the original words
angelos · Greek Noun
Celestial beings created by God to serve as messengers, ministering spirits, and agents of His will. They exist in a state distinct from humanity, not subject to earthly institutions like marriage.
Jesus' teaching directly addresses the Sadducees' disbelief in the resurrection by reinterpreting the Law of Moses. He shifts the focus from earthly, physical continuity to a heavenly, spiritual reality where the very conditions of human life, like marriage, are transformed, mirroring the eternal nature of angels.
c. 200 BC - AD 30— this verse
Dominant Sadducee Influence
The Sadducees, a priestly and aristocratic sect, held significant influence in the Sanhedrin and the Temple. They were known for their rejection of oral traditions and a strict adherence to the written Torah, notably denying the resurrection and the existence of angels.
c. 150 BC
Rise of the Sadducees
The Sadducees emerged as a distinct group, often seen as opposing the more popular Pharisaic movement. Their theological stances, particularly the denial of resurrection, set them apart and fueled conflict with other Jewish factions.
c. 4 BC - AD 30/33
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
During this period, Jesus engaged in public ministry, teaching and debating with various Jewish groups, including the Sadducees. His teachings on the Kingdom of God, resurrection, and divine authority directly challenged established doctrines.
AD 30/33
Jesus' Confrontation with the Sadducees
This passage describes the resurrected body as imperishable and glorious, contrasting it with our current mortal bodies, which directly supports Jesus' point that the resurrection life transcends earthly, physical needs like marriage.
Luke 20:34-36Luke's Gospel provides a fuller account of Jesus' answer, explicitly stating that those deemed worthy of the coming age 'neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are like the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.' This reinforces the idea of a completely transformed existence beyond earthly limitations.
Genesis 1:28This foundational verse speaks of God blessing humanity to 'be fruitful and multiply,' which is the purpose of marriage on earth; Jesus' teaching in Matthew 22:30 implies that in the resurrection, this mandate is fulfilled or superseded, as the conditions for procreation are no longer present.
Matthew 22:31-32Immediately following this, Jesus directly refutes the Sadducees by citing God's declaration to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' This proves the resurrection by establishing that God is the God of the living, connecting the heavenly state to the enduring reality of the patriarchs.
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…
ellicottMatthew 22:30: "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
(30) They neither marry, nor are given in marriage. —In St. Luke’s report ( Luke 20:34-35 ) our Lord emphasises the contrast in this respect between the children of this world and the children of the resurrection. His words teach absolutely the absence from the resurrection life of the definite relations on which marriage rests in this, and they suggest an answer to th…
Jesus isn't just saying there's no marriage in the afterlife; he's highlighting that the resurrection will bring a new kind of existence, completely free from the limitations and necessities of our current mortal life. This new state, where we'll be like angels, means a profound transformation beyond just altered relationships.
The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, challenge Jesus with a complex hypothetical about a woman who married seven brothers in succession, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife. Jesus rebukes their misunderstanding of Scripture and God's power, explaining that the resurrection is a reality fundamentally different from earthly existence. He then proceeds to demonstrate the resurrection's truth using a passage from Moses about God being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, challenge Jesus with a complex hypothetical about a woman who married seven brothers in succession, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife. Jesus rebukes their misunderstanding of Scripture and God's power, explaining that the resurrection is a reality fundamentally different from earthly existence. He then proceeds to demonstrate the resurrection's truth using a passage from Moses about God being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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On earth, marriage serves crucial purposes, including companionship, procreation, and the continuation of family lines. As Pulpit Commentary points out, 'On earth men are mortal, and marriage is necessary to perpetuate the race; no such necessity obtains in the other life, where men are immortal.'
The Nature of Resurrection Life
In the resurrection, believers will be 'like the angels of God in heaven.' This doesn't mean they become disembodied spirits, but rather their existence will be transformed. Bengel suggests this means they will be 'without wedlock, meat and drink, etc.'
This transformation means earthly relationships, while precious, will not exist in their current form. The focus shifts from perpetuating life through earthly means to a new, spiritual reality where God Himself is the source and sustenance of life. As Barnes states, they will be 'elevated above the circumstances of mortality, and live in a manner and in a kind of conversation similar to that of the angels.'
In the days leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus was repeatedly challenged by religious leaders. The Sadducees posed a specific question about the resurrection, using a hypothetical case based on the Law of Moses to try and trap him.
AD 30/33
Jesus' Resurrection Argument
Jesus responded to the Sadducees by citing God's declaration to Moses at the burning bush ('I am the God of Abraham...'). He argued that God being the God of the living proved the resurrection, and stated that in the resurrection state, people would be like angels, neither marrying nor being given in marriage.
c. AD 60-70
Writing of the Gospels
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were likely written during this period, recording Jesus' ministry, teachings, and confrontations. Matthew's Gospel includes this specific exchange with the Sadducees regarding the resurrection.
"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." — Jesus isn't just saying there's no marriage in the afterlife; he's highlighting that the resurrection will bring a new kind of existence, completely free from the limitations and necessities of our c…
