God of the Living

I was recently reading through Matthew and I came across an interesting account where the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, try to trap Jesus in his words. Jesus' reply is quite simple yet profound... "And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. – Matthew 22:31-33

The Sadducees believed that only the Pentateuch was Holy Scripture given by God, and that it never spoke of the resurrection of the dead or affirmed an afterlife. Jesus shows the intrinsic logic of the resurrection from the account of Moses and the burning bush. God calls himself throughout the Pentateuch and in this account the 'God of Abraham, and the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob.' He says I AM their God, not I was their God.

God is the God of the living, and proves that his covenant promises to these men are still present tense. One does not call on witnesses who are dead, but those who can attest to the truth and validity of a claim. By calling himself the God of Abramham, Issac, and Jacob, He is calling them to the witness stand to prove his faithfulness. He is the God of the living.

This gives us hope, as children of the promise who have have not yet seen the full fulfillment of that promise in this life, that there are millions of saints who have gone before us that can proclaim the love, faithfulness, and provision of the Bridegroom to his bride. With those who are truly alive, and have shed this shell of death and disease, we can raise our voices and sing, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:55)

God has ransomed us from death to life, to an eternity of vitality, joy, and glory. We will be resurrected because we are united to the Resurrection of Christ. So live for him, as He lives for us!