Audio Download

Matthew 22:23–46 The Great Commandment

[Study Aired October 6, 2025]

Today’s study is focused on the Sadducees asking the Lord about the  resurrection. Other issues to be discussed entail the great commandment and finally, the issue about Jesus being the son of David.  

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

Mat 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 

The Sadducees were an aristocratic and priestly sect of Jews in the time of Jesus. They were known for their political power, focused on the written Law of Moses and were rivals to the Pharisees. They did not believe in the resurrection, the afterlife and angels. These Sadducees represent our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. When our focus is on the false doctrine of rapture, instead of the first resurrection of the Lord’s elect, then spiritually, we are like the Sadducees who did not believe in resurrection.  

The word “Rapture” is taken from the Latin Vulgate translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:16‐17, which says:

1 Thess 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord”

The verse above is the basis of the rapture doctrine which an English Protestant minister named John Nelson Darby began teaching to his followers in the 1830s. There was no scriptural basis for Darby’s “Rapture” Theology. Neither was there a basis for it in tradition since it had never been a teaching of the historic Christian Church. The idea that God’s people will be rescued on earth from earthly persecutions is completely anti‐Biblical. At no time in human history did God ever pull His people out of worldly danger. The early Christians suffered horribly at the hands of their persecutors. They were crucified, fed alive to wild animals, beheaded and set on fire for following Christ. The idea that Christians in the future will be spared persecution is wishful thinking.

Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 
Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 
Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. 

Mat 22:23  The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 
Mat 22:24  Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 
Mat 22:25  Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 
Mat 22:26  Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 
Mat 22:27  And last of all the woman died also. 
Mat 22:28  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 
Mat 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.  

Jesus’ response to this story about each of the brothers marrying the wife of the eldest to preserve posterity, not only affirmed the fact of resurrection but also explained that the Lord is God of the living, not of the dead. Jesus’ explanation shows us that what holds us back from knowing the truth is our false doctrines or the idols of our hearts. These Sadducees’ inability to know the scriptures is their false doctrines which is described as the stumbling block of iniquity, which causes us to be deceived according to these false doctrines in our hearts and minds. 

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

Not knowing the scriptures does not mean that we do not know the letter of the word. What it means is that we are not given to understand the spiritual interpretation of His word. 

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

Jesus’ answer in verse 29 also shows us that if we do not know the power of God, we end up erring from the truth. The question is, “What is the power of God?” According to the scriptures, the power of God refers to the word of God but specifically, the word of the Lord which deals with the cross we must bear or the judgment of our old man or flesh. 

2Co 6:7  By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

2Co 13:4  For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

It is through this judgment of our old man or flesh that we are able to hear the voice of the Lord. 

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. 

Jesus’ response in verse 30 shows us that the angels of God do not marry. This statement refutes the false doctrine of angels (sons of God) marrying human beings and producing giants. 

Gen 6:1  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 
Gen 6:2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 
Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 
Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

The sons of God in these verses represent the Lord’s elect, in those days before the flood, who ended up marrying pagan women instead of the Lord’s elect. In other words, the Lord’s elect are seduced by the harlot woman or Babylon in every generation.  

Mat 22:31  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 
Mat 22:32  I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

When the Lord revealed Himself to Moses in the wilderness to instruct him to rescue His people from captivity in Egypt, He had to introduce Himself in a powerful way for Moses to believe Him. He told Moses that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses responding to the Lord’s call to rescue His people from captivity means that Moses believed in a living God, since no one will follow a dead God. Here in verse 32, Jesus is showing us that He is indeed, the God of the living and not a dead one. In other words, He is a God who is actively working out His salvation plan through us. 

Exo 3:6  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 
Exo 3:7  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 
Exo 3:8  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 

We can know the Lord’s purpose and His ways through His dealings with our fathers – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. What we need to understand is that the patriarchs were three, and the number three spiritually means the process of spiritual maturity through judgment. This implies that the God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is showing us how He takes us from the pit of darkness to become spiritually mature sons through His judgment to accomplish His purpose. If we add together all the different aspects of the experiences of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob including Joseph, who was technically part of Jacob, we see a clear picture of the complete experience of the elect and our understanding of God’s eternal purpose and how His eternal purpose is being fulfilled through His elect.

Mat 22:33  And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. 

Jesus was the first to explain the spiritual aspect of the word of the Lord. Before Jesus came, all the prophets focused only on the letter and therefore did not understand what they were saying. To the multitude, who represent the church system of this world or Babylon, they were amazed or astonished because Jesus’ teaching was not according to what they had heard before. As Isaiah stated, when we are exposed to new things of the word of the Lord, we refuse to believe. That is why many in the churches of this world reject our message, simply because they have not heard before.

Isa 52:15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. 

Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?   

The Great Commandment

Mat 22:34  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 
Mat 22:35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 
Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

We can see that during the time approaching for the Lord to be sacrificed for our sins, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Herodians were all trying to find fault with the Lord so they could put Him to death. These represent all of humanity including us.  

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 
Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 

All of these attempts to entrap our Lord did not yield any result. It rather portrayed the wisdom of the Lord.

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

As indicated, the great commandment of the law is to love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. As we are aware, our love for the Lord is expressed through our obedience. We cannot say we love the Lord if we do not obey Him. On the other hand, our Lord expresses His love towards us by giving. 

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 
Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

The whole of the law of Moses hinges on our obedience to the Lord. We know from the word of the Lord that on our own, we do not have the capacity to love the Lord or to obey Him. This implies that the whole essence of the law is to show us our sinful state as we are not capable of obeying the Lord on our own. It is when we come to this realization that we are given the power through faith to obey the Lord.

Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 
Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 
Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

To love thy neighbor as thyself means to extend the mercy that we have received from the Lord to others. The story of the good Samaritan illustrates this point. 

Luk 10:25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 
Luk 10:26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 
Luk 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 
Luk 10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 
Luk 10:29  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 
Luk 10:30  And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 
Luk 10:31  And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 
Luk 10:32  And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 
Luk 10:33  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 
Luk 10:34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 
Luk 10:35  And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 
Luk 10:36  Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 
Luk 10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

As demonstrated in this story, being a neighbor means showing mercy to others. It is worth pointing out here that some in their quest to demonstrate their love for their neighbors, have focused on the physical needs of those around us and in so doing, have strayed from the faith. It is good to meet the needs of those around us, given the opportunity. However, our calling is not to save the world now. In the fullness of time, the mercy we have received shall be extended to the whole of the human race. That is when we become true neighbors.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

Currently, our focus as the Lord’s elect is on the house of faith, that is, the Lord’s elect. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. 

Whose Son is the Christ?

Mat 22:41  While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 
Mat 22:42  Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 

In these verses, Jesus was subtly telling the Pharisees that He is Lord over David and all of humanity and not just a physical descendant of David. As we are aware, the Pharisees represent us when we were in the church system of this world. During this period, the Lord spoke to us in parables.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

The Jews, through the scriptures, knew that a descendant of David will ascend on the throne of David. They therefore believed that this Messiah shall deliver the people of Israel from captivity to the Romans. However, they were not given to know that Jesus was not going to be a physical king sitting on the throne of David. Their expectation was based on the following verses:  

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

Psa 89:35  Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 
Psa 89:36 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. 

The Pharisees’ answer to Jesus in verse 42 that Christ is the son of David was therefore something that they had known through the letter of His word. 

Mat 22:43  He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 
Mat 22:44  The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 
Mat 22:45  If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 
Mat 22:46  And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. 

Here in these verses, Jesus was trying to point the Pharisees to the fact that this son of David is Jesus and has a higher pedigree than David. That is why David called Him Lord. The reason Jesus did not reveal Himself to them as the Lord is that they treasured the idols of their hearts more than the truth. It is these idols of the heart which were causing them to find means to murder Jesus. This is the problem with the church system of this world. They consider themselves as spiritually rich because of the false doctrines in their hearts and minds as they consider we, His elect, as spiritually dead in the street of Jerusalem. As a result, they remain in their ignorance. Their unbelief is our gain as we are being shown mercy at their expense. In the fulness of time, they will also be shown mercy. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 
Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 

On the other hand, if we look at Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well, she also had idols of the heart as she did not want to have anything with do with Christ because she was not only a Samaritan, but a woman. However, her willingness to know the truth about the living water made it easier for the Lord to reveal Himself to her. The difference was that the Pharisees did not want to know the truth, but this woman wanted the truth.  

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 
Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 
Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 
Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 
Joh 4:15  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Joh 4:16  Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 
Joh 4:17  The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 
Joh 4:18  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 
Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 
Joh 4:20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 
Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 

Are you hungry for the truth? When the word of the Lord says that blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, it means that it is those who thirst for the truth regarding righteousness, which entail the Lord’s judgment, who are the ones who are going to be filled. 

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

May the Lord be merciful to us as we seek for the truth of His word. Amen!!