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Recall that Jesus is correcting the false notions of the Sadducees who had confronted Him in regard to their belief that there was no resurrection.  Since marriage in heaven didn’t make sense to them they mistakenly supposed there must be no resurrection, which better suited their privileged status and love for this world than supposing the resurrection would be to a spiritual state exalted so far above man’s carnal state in this age that even marriage will no longer be applicable.  How does Jesus describe those who attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead that makes it clear that not all will do so?  See Luk 20:35.  What is it that ultimately makes one worthy to attain to that age?  See Rom 3:21-24, 8:10-11, Phil 3:8-11, Col 1:27.  What are some examples of Christ’s righteousness in us that makes us worthy to attain to that age?  See Act 5:41 (cf. Mat 5:10-12), Eph 4:1-3, Phil 1:27-30, Col 1:10-13, 2Th 1:4-5, Rev 3:4.  What is it that makes one unworthy to attain to that age?  See Mat 10:37-38, 22:8.  What is the surprising quality possessed by those in Scripture who seem to be counted most worthy?  See Luk 7:1-10, 15:18-24, Joh 1:27.  How does this contrast with those whom Scripture indicates shall not be found worthy?  See Luk 18:9-14.  Why is this?  See Luk 18:14, Jam 4:6, Joh 9:39-41.

To whom does Jesus say those who are resurrected shall be like in neither marrying nor being given in marriage?  See Mat 22:30.  What does this teach us about the angels in heaven in regard to marriage?  Notice the fuller explanation of this recorded in Luke’s gospel: why in particular is there no marriage in the resurrection?  See Luk 20:35-36a.  And why does Jesus say men who have been resurrected cannot die anymore?  See Luk 20:36.  What does this teach us about angels in regard to death?  Notice that the NAS “like angels” in Luk 20:36 uses a different word from that used by Matthew and Mark and means literally “equal to angels” (see KJV); it is from the Greek word isangelos (iso + angelos) that uses the same prefix as an isosceles triangle where two sides are equal.  What is it that Jesus says shall make men equal in that age to the angels?  See Luk 20:36 and cf. Rom 8:14-17,19, Gen 6:2,4, Job 1:6, 38:4-7; see also Psa 82:6, Joh 10:33-36.  What is it that Jesus says makes men sons of God?  See again Luk 20:36 and cf. Rom 6:9.  Think too: in what ways was the resurrected body of Christ who was the first-fruits of the resurrection from among men like the spiritual bodies of angels described in Scripture?  See Gen 18:1-8,22, 19:1,15, Jos 5:13-15, Jdg 6:11-12,21-23, 13:2-20, Luk 24:13-16,31,36-43, Joh 20:19-20,26-28, 21:12-13.  Notice then the fascinating truth taught in Luk 20:36: to be resurrected from the dead is to be a son of God, and to be a son of God is to be equal in some sense to the angels so as to never die, for which reason those who are worthy to attain to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.  What do these things help us understand about how incredibly transformational the resurrection is?  Cf. Jdg 13:6, Dan 3:25,28, 8:16-17, 10:5-8, Mat 28:2-4, Luk 9:29, Rev 7:1-3, 10:1-3, 18:1,21, 20:1, 22:8-9.

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