Luke 20:27

Luke 20:27, in plain English

Next up: the Sadducees, who don't believe in resurrection at all. They have a question they think makes the idea of resurrection look ridiculous.

Why it's here

After the political trap failed, here comes a theological one. Different group, same goal: make Jesus look foolish. Different result too: they'll be the ones looking foolish.

Who's speaking

Luke introduces a new set of challengers with their own theological agenda.

Where it sits in the story

The Sadducees step up with their best 'gotcha' question. They've been using it to stump believers in resurrection for years. But they've never used it on Jesus.

The scholarly reading

Sadducees — who deny the resurrection (anastasis) — now approach Jesus with their own challenge. This introduces a new opposition group with a theological rather than political agenda.

Language and setting

The Sadducees were the priestly aristocracy who accepted only the Torah (Pentateuch) as authoritative and rejected later doctrines like resurrection, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). Their question targets resurrection belief using Torah-based logic.

Voice

Luke introduces the Sadducees and their distinctive theological position as they approach Jesus with a question.

Significance

A new challenger enters: the Sadducees, who don't believe in resurrection at all. They think they have a logical puzzle that makes resurrection absurd. They're about to learn they've underestimated both Scripture and Jesus.

25So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

26And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people. And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.

27Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.

28“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.

29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless.

Read all of Luke 20 — The religious leaders challenge Jesus' authority. He answers with a parable about murderous tenants that leaves them furious and afraid.