Matthew 22: 15-46  The religious leaders wanted to trap Jesus into saying something that they could use to convict Him.  So they sent their followers to ask what they thought were hard questions.. 

First came the Herodians to ask about paying taxes.  Jesus answered them by asking to see the coins used to pay these poll taxes to the Romans.. and of course it was a Roman coin.  "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"  Jesus asked them.  "Caesar's" they answered.  " Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." Jesus told them.  They went away marveling at His answer.  

Next came the Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection, but their question was about what would happen if there was life after death.  They might have used this argument to defend their own belief about the resurrection.. this would be an impossible situation, therefore it couldn't happen...in their opinion.   A woman married and before she had any children her husband died. Her husband's brothers .. 7 of them.. each married her and then died before any children were born. Finally, she died.  The question was about what would happen with her if there was a resurrection.. who would she be married to? Jesus told them clearly.. "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God."

First of all, Jesus explained.. Marriage is a covenant established for this mortal life.  It is not a part of the resurrection.  "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."  That.. is something that we don't necessarily like when we think about our husbands or wives that we love so much.. but we also know that we will have to wait and see how much more God has for us in eternity!  Secondly, Jesus corrects the Sadducees by telling them that God is the God of the living.. ".. have you not read that which was spoken by God, saying I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."  These were astonishing words to all those who heard them... causing the Sadducees to be "silenced". 

So the Pharisees decided to send an expert in the Law to question Jesus.  His question was about which Law was the greatest. "And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."  Note that neither of these laws were listed in the 10 commandments which were written on the stone tablets.. but they reach far deeper and cover far more than all of them together.  To obey these two commandments is to obey them all.. 

Now Jesus turns the tables and asks the Pharisees His own question. " What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?"  It was a no-brainer.. they knew the answer.. "The son of David".  What they did not understand was Psalm 110:1 "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand...."  Who was David calling "Lord"?  His son? Or someone greater than an earthly son?  The Pharisees had no answer. ".. nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question." 

Father in heaven, You are the God of the living and we are so thankful.  We thank You for the living hope that we have because of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are thankful that He came as the Son of David, the Son of man.. and the Son of God. He is our great Redeemer and coming King.  We watch and wait for that day when we will know the answers to all of our questions.. but meanwhile we trust You and rest in Your perfect plan.  Help us to love as You have commanded, Lord.. to love You with all of our being and to love others as we would ourselves. . Direct our hearts into Your love we pray. Amen.