Luk 20:20-44 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Luke 20:20-26: 20:20-26 The religious leaders’ question was meant to trap Jesus, but he once again outwitted them.

Summary for Luke 20:20-26: 20:20-26 ^a The religious leaders’ question was meant to trap Jesus, but he once again outwitted them.
20:21 ^b we know that you speak and teach what is right: This flattery was meant to throw Jesus off guard (see Pss 5:9 ^c; 12:2-3 ^d; 78:36 ^e; Prov 26:28 ^f; 28:23 ^g; 29:5 ^h; Ezek 12:24 ⁱ).
20:22 ^j is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? If Jesus said yes, he would make the people angry, because they hated the burden of Roman taxation. If he said no, he would be accused of rebellion against the Roman authorities.
20:24 ^k a Roman coin: This coin had the picture and title of the emperor Tiberius Caesar (see 3:1 ^l) stamped on it.
20:25 ^m give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: Jesus’ brilliant answer could be taken in two ways. On the face of it, he said that this was Caesar’s money that should properly be paid to Caesar. Jesus’ Jewish listeners also knew that what belongs to Caesar was actually nothing, since everything in the universe belongs to God.
20:27 ⁿ Sadducees ... who say there is no resurrection from the dead: See profile for The Sadducees at end of chapter.
20:28 ^o Moses gave us a law: A dead man’s brother would marry the widow to produce children who would maintain the dead man’s name and property (Deut 25:5-6 ^p; see also Gen 38:8-10 ^q; Ruth 4:1-12 ^r).
Summary for Luke 20:29-33: 20:29-33 ^s Well, suppose there were seven brothers: A similar story of a woman married to seven husbands appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha (Tobit 3:7-17; 6:10–8:18 ^t).
20:33 ^u whose wife will she be in the resurrection? The Sadducees used this hypothetical situation in an attempt to show that the idea of resurrection was absurd. This was probably a stock polemic that the Sadducees used in debating the Pharisees.
20:35 ^v will neither marry nor be given in marriage: Jesus emphasized that marriage is an institution for this life, not for the resurrection.
20:36 ^w In this respect they will be like angels: Angels are not married, and they are immortal. The Bible never teaches that people become angels (cp. Heb 1:5–2:18 ^x), but that we will be like them.
20:37 ^y Having refuted the Sadducees’ argument about marriage, Jesus turned to the larger question concerning the resurrection.

• even Moses proved this: Jesus used the books of Moses (Genesis—Deuteronomy)—the only Scripture the Sadducees recognized as authoritative—to prove the resurrection.

• the God of Abraham ... Jacob: God identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob long after these patriarchs had died. Since he was still their God, they must have had a continuing existence after death.
20:39 ^z Well said, Teacher! Most teachers of religious law were Pharisees, so they agreed with Jesus on the resurrection and were pleased that he refuted the Sadducees.
20:40 ^aa Jesus’ wise answers confounded his opponents, thwarting their attempts to trap him.
Summary for Luke 20:41-44: 20:41-44 ^ab Having silenced his opponents, Jesus took the offensive in challenging the religious leaders’ concept of the Messiah. 20:41 ^ac The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be a descendant of David (see study note on 18:38).
Summary for Luke 20:42-43: 20:42-43 ^ad Jesus quotes Ps 110:1 ^ae, which indicates that the Messiah is David’s Lord.
20:44 ^af Jesus asked why David addressed his son (i.e., his descendant) as his Lord. The implied answer was that the Messiah was more than just a human king descended from David. He is Lord of all (see 2:11 ^ag; Acts 10:36 ^ah). Psalm 110:1 ^ai became an important text for the apostles, confirming Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (see Mark 14:62 ^aj; Acts 2:34 ^ak; 7:56 ^al; Rom 8:34 ^am; 1 Cor 15:25 ^an; Eph 1:20 ^ao; Col 3:1 ^ap; Heb 1:3 ^aq, 13 ^ar; 8:1 ^as; 10:12-13 ^at; 1 Pet 3:22 ^au; Rev 3:21 ^av).