saints alive

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.”

Matthew 22:31-32

In one of the most ironic of encounters in all of the gospel narrative, the theologically liberal Sadducees try to trip Jesus up with a question they intended to “prove” the implausibility of the afterlife. The Sadducees were primarily scribes, busy in the copying of documents important to Judaism and in reproducing by hand copies of the Old Testament scriptures. They prided themselves on knowing what the Bible said. So Jesus simply points them to some of the simplest words of the Old Testament to set them straight.

Repeatedly, when God reiterates His covenant either with the patriarchs, or to the nation of Israel through the prophets, He refers to His own covenant-keeping power in reference to the history of redemption. And God does so in the present tense — “I am”. When He also reminds them of the relationships that began Israel’s history, He stays in the present tense: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”. He never says “I was the God...” but rather “I am the God.” Jesus makes it clear that God is explaining that literally those patriarchs are alive in relationship with Him as He speaks... kept by the power of God’s promise to them. God is the God of the living.

God keeps His saints. He is faithful to do what He has promised. The Lord is with those who trusted Him. He brings them beyond death to be their God in life, after life. God is the God of the living. And as surely as He cares for His people in life, He shall be their God in the resurrection.

O Lord of life!

Be my life today! Help me to proclaim Your life in me to those around me dead in their sin and in need of saving grace. I want to do so for Your glory. And may You be glorified in life, beyond life, as God of saints who are alive in You, Lord Jesus!

Amen