Luke 20:37 – “But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’”

Extended Explanation

In this verse, Jesus is responding to the Sadducees’ denial of the resurrection by pointing them to a well-known passage from the Old Testament: the account of the burning bush (Exodus 3:6). In this story, God reveals Himself to Moses and declares that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By using the present tense (“I am the God of…”), Jesus highlights an important truth: these patriarchs were not dead and gone forever; they were still alive in God’s presence.

Jesus is arguing that if God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, even after their earthly deaths, this implies that they still live. God is not a God of the dead but of the living, meaning that the resurrection is a real and essential part of God’s plan. The Sadducees, who rejected the resurrection, had missed this truth because they misunderstood God’s power and His promises.

Historical Context

The Sadducees were a group of religious leaders who did not believe in the resurrection or any form of life after death. They held significant influence in the temple and based their beliefs primarily on the first five books of the Old Testament (the Torah). Since the Torah didn’t explicitly mention resurrection in the way later books like Daniel did (Daniel 12:2), the Sadducees denied its existence.

When they challenged Jesus with a question about marriage in the resurrection (Luke 20:27-33), they thought they could discredit the idea of life after death. But Jesus used the very Scriptures they trusted—the Torah—to demonstrate that resurrection had always been part of God’s plan. By pointing to Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, Jesus revealed that the promise of resurrection was embedded even in the earliest parts of Scripture.

Theological Implications

This verse teaches important theological truths about life after death and the nature of God:

1. The Living God: God is not the God of the dead but of the living. This means that those who belong to Him do not cease to exist after death—they live on in His presence. This truth is foundational to the hope of resurrection.
2. Resurrection is part of God’s eternal plan: Jesus’ use of the Old Testament to support the resurrection shows that it wasn’t a new concept. God had always intended to raise His people to new life. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are examples of those who experienced this hope even before Jesus’ resurrection.
3. God’s covenant is eternal: By calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God shows that His covenant with His people is everlasting. Death does not break that relationship. God remains faithful to His promises, and His people will live with Him forever.

Literary Analysis

The literary significance of this verse lies in Jesus’ use of Scripture to counter the Sadducees’ argument. The Sadducees considered the Torah to be the most authoritative part of Scripture, so by referencing Exodus 3:6, Jesus demonstrates His deep understanding of God’s Word and shows that resurrection is rooted in Scripture they already knew.

The phrase “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” is repeated throughout the Old Testament as a reminder of God’s covenant with His people. Jesus’ emphasis on this phrase highlights the ongoing nature of this relationship. It’s not limited by time or death—God’s covenant extends into eternity.

Biblical Cross-References

• Exodus 3:6 – God reveals Himself to Moses at the burning bush and declares that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Isaiah 26:19 – A prophecy about the resurrection, stating that the dead will live and rise again.
• Daniel 12:2 – A clear reference to the resurrection of the dead, with some rising to eternal life and others to judgment.
• John 11:25-26 – Jesus declares that He is the resurrection and the life, and those who believe in Him will live even though they die.
• Hebrews 11:13-16 – A passage describing how the patriarchs lived by faith, trusting in God’s promise of a heavenly home.

What This Verse Means for Today’s Christian

For today’s Christians, this verse is a powerful reminder that death is not the end. Those who belong to God live on in His presence, and the promise of resurrection is central to our hope. When we face death or the loss of loved ones, we can find comfort in knowing that God’s covenant is eternal, and His people will be raised to new life.

This verse also challenges us to trust in the truth of God’s Word. Just as Jesus pointed to the Scriptures to demonstrate the reality of resurrection, we too should root our faith in the promises found in Scripture. God’s Word reveals His plan for eternal life, and we can trust Him to fulfill it.

How This Verse Relates to a Loving God

God’s love is shown in His faithfulness to His people. He established a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that covenant didn’t end with their physical deaths. God’s love extends beyond the grave, and His promise of resurrection demonstrates His desire for His people to live with Him forever.

God’s love is also seen in the fact that He reveals these truths to us. He didn’t leave us in the dark about what happens after death. Through His Word and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God shows us the path to eternal life.

How This Verse Connects to Jesus Christ

This verse directly connects to Jesus’ role as the one who fulfills God’s promises of resurrection and eternal life. The resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is possible because of what Jesus accomplished through His own death and resurrection. He is the one who conquers death and brings life to those who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with the patriarchs. Through Him, all the nations of the earth are blessed (Genesis 12:3), and through Him, believers are adopted into God’s family and share in the promise of resurrection (Romans 8:16-17).

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Why did Jesus choose to reference Moses and the burning bush when addressing the Sadducees’ question about the resurrection?
2. How does knowing that God is “the God of the living” give you comfort and hope in the face of death?
3. What does this verse teach you about the eternal nature of God’s promises?
4. How can you use Scripture, like Jesus did, to strengthen your understanding of God’s plan for eternal life?
5. In what ways does Jesus’ resurrection give meaning and purpose to your life today?