The Sadducees, a group known for their denial of the resurrection, pose a question to Jesus to challenge His teachings. They describe a situation where a woman marries seven brothers, each dying without leaving children. This scenario is based on the Jewish law of levirate marriage, where a man is required to marry his brother's widow to produce offspring for the deceased brother. The Sadducees' question is intended to ridicule the idea of resurrection by creating a seemingly unsolvable problem: whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
Jesus responds by explaining that life after resurrection is different from earthly life. In the resurrection, people will not marry or be given in marriage, but will be like the angels, transcending earthly institutions and relationships. This teaching highlights the transformative nature of resurrection, where earthly limitations and concerns are replaced by a new, eternal existence in God's presence. Jesus emphasizes that God is the God of the living, affirming the reality and hope of resurrection.
