The Children of the Resurrection: Living the New Age

Devotional

Day 1: The Resurrection Transforms Life, Not Just Extends It

The resurrection is not simply a continuation of our current existence but a complete transformation of life as we know it. Jesus teaches that the world to come is not bound by the patterns, customs, or relationships of this fallen world; instead, it is a new creation where suffering, death, and the need for laws born out of sin are no more. This hope invites us to look beyond our limited assumptions and to trust that God’s promise is far greater than anything we can imagine, for in the resurrection, all things are made new. [34:29]

Luke 20:34-36 (ESV)
And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you still trying to fit God’s promises into your own limited categories, and how might you open your heart to the possibility that God’s transformation is far greater than you can imagine?

Day 2: God Is the God of the Living

God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—not of the dead, but of the living—affirming that His relationship with His people endures beyond death. The eternal present tense of God, “I am who I am,” assures us that life with Him is not extinguished by the grave, but continues in His presence. This living hope is not just for the future but is a reality that shapes our faith and confidence today, knowing that the God who called Moses is the same God who raises the dead and claims us as His own. [37:07]

Exodus 3:6 (ESV)
And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Reflection: How does knowing that God is the God of the living—your God, right now—change the way you face your fears or uncertainties today?

Day 3: The Kingdom Breaks In Through Acts of Mercy and Grace

Every act of mercy, forgiveness, and love is a sign that God’s future is breaking into the present, as resurrection life begins wherever Christ reigns. When believers forgive, show compassion, or love those who cannot repay, they are pulling tomorrow’s grace into today’s world, living as children of the resurrection. This is not just a distant hope but a present reality, as the kingdom of God comes invisibly through the lives of those who belong to Christ. [38:30]

Matthew 6:10 (ESV)
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Reflection: Who is one person you can show unexpected mercy or grace to today, as a way of letting God’s future break into your present?

Day 4: Faith Invites Us to Imagine Differently

Faith calls us to see through the eyes of Jesus, to imagine a world not defined by sin, pain, or brokenness, but by the glory and love of God. Even though our experience is filtered through the lens of sin, faith lifts our humanity into glory and begins to transform what it means to live, love, and hope—even now. The throne of heaven is occupied by a lamb, and faith invites us to trust in a kingdom where power is redefined and love is perfected. [39:48]

2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to let faith, rather than past disappointments or fears, shape your imagination and your hope?

Day 5: Living as Children of the Resurrection

As those who belong to the coming world, we are called to live by grace, to wipe away tears, and to embody the hope of the resurrection in our daily lives. Though we await the day when suffering and law are no more, we are invited to participate in God’s redeeming work now, living as signs of the new age that has already begun. Because God is the God of the living, we live with confidence that every act of mercy and every glimpse of hope is a foretaste of the kingdom to come. [41:58]

Romans 6:4 (ESV)
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Reflection: What is one practical way you can live today as a child of the resurrection, bringing hope or healing to someone around you?

Sermon Summary

Change is a constant in our world—customs, traditions, and even what we consider “normal” are always shifting. Looking back, we often marvel at how different things once were, and yet, in time, others will look back at us with the same sense of wonder. But the hope we have in Christ is not just about change; it is about transformation. When God’s kingdom comes, it is not simply an upgrade of what we know, but a new creation altogether. The encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees in Luke 20 reveals how easily we can become trapped by our own assumptions, trying to fit God’s eternal promises into the limited categories of our present world.

The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, tried to corner Jesus with a question about marriage in the afterlife. Their scenario was rooted in a law given out of compassion for a broken world—a law meant to protect the vulnerable. But Jesus redirects their thinking: the resurrection is not this life extended, but this life transformed. The world to come is not bound by the patterns of the fallen world. In God’s future, there will be no need for laws born out of suffering, because suffering itself will be no more. Love will be perfect, every need will be met, and death will be destroyed.

Jesus points to the burning bush, where God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—not the God of the dead, but of the living. God’s presence is a living, holy fire that is never consumed, and His promise is not just for some distant future, but for now. Every act of mercy, every moment of forgiveness, every time we love without expecting repayment, we draw the reality of God’s future into the present. Resurrection life begins wherever Christ reigns—in our hearts, in our relationships, and in our communities.

Though it is hard to imagine a world without pain, jealousy, or domination, faith invites us to see through the eyes of Jesus. In Him, our humanity is lifted into glory, and that glory begins to transform us even now. The kingdom is already breaking in, redeeming our times and giving us glimpses of the world to come. Until the day when God’s kingdom is fully revealed, we live as children of the resurrection—wiping tears, living by grace, and letting Christ’s invisible reign be made visible through us.

Key Takeaways

1. Resurrection Transforms, Not Extends, Life The resurrection is not a mere continuation of our current existence, but a radical transformation of all things. Jesus teaches that the world to come is not bound by the limitations and brokenness of this age. Our hope is not for an improved version of what we know, but for a new creation where suffering, death, and need are no more. [34:29]
2. God’s Kingdom Breaks Into the Present The future God promises is not only for “someday,” but begins to take root now wherever Christ reigns. Every act of mercy, forgiveness, and selfless love is a sign that the new age is already breaking into our world. We are called to live as people of the resurrection, letting God’s future shape our present. [38:30]
3. Faith Reimagines Reality Through Christ Faith invites us to see beyond the categories shaped by sin and brokenness. In Christ, we are called to imagine a world where love is untainted, power is gentle, and life is unending. This vision challenges us to live differently now, trusting that God’s glory is already at work transforming us and our world. [39:48]
4. The God of the Living Calls Us to Hope God reveals Himself as eternally present—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the living. His promise is that life, not death, has the final word. Because He lives, we too shall live, and this hope sustains us as we await the full unveiling of His kingdom. [37:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:03] - Gospel Reading: Luke 20
[17:59] - The Sadducees’ Question
[18:36] - Jesus’ Response: Life Transformed
[29:57] - Changing Customs and Traditions
[30:38] - Strange Norms of the Past
[31:15] - Shifting Perspectives Over Time
[32:02] - God’s Kingdom: Everything Changes
[32:26] - The Sadducees’ Trap
[33:30] - Resurrection: Not This Life Extended
[34:59] - The World to Come: A New Creation
[35:28] - Laws Born of Suffering
[36:35] - No More Need in the Resurrection
[37:07] - God of the Living, Not the Dead
[37:54] - Resurrection Life Begins Now
[39:00] - Living as Children of the Resurrection
[41:09] - Redeeming the Times
[41:58] - Awaiting the Kingdom, Living by Grace
[42:25] - Confession of Faith

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 20:27-38 (ESV) — 27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second
31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,
35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,
36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”

Observation Questions

What was the main question the Sadducees asked Jesus, and what was their intention behind it? ([32:26])
How does Jesus describe the difference between “this age” and “that age” (the resurrection) in his response? ([34:05])
According to Jesus, what is the significance of God calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? ([37:07])
What examples did the sermon give of customs or laws that exist because of the brokenness of our world? ([35:28])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think the Sadducees struggled to understand the resurrection, and how did their assumptions limit their view of God’s promises? ([32:26])
Jesus says the resurrection is not just this life extended, but this life transformed. What does it mean for the world to come to be “not bound by the patterns of the fallen world”? ([34:29])
The sermon mentions that God’s presence is a “living, holy fire that is never consumed.” What does this image communicate about God’s relationship to life and death? ([37:31])
The sermon says that resurrection life “begins wherever Christ reigns.” What are some ways this can be seen in our lives and communities now? ([38:30])

Application Questions

The Sadducees tried to fit God’s promises into their own categories and assumptions. Are there areas in your life where you might be limiting God by your own expectations or understanding? How can you open yourself to God’s bigger vision? ([32:26])
The sermon says that in the resurrection, “mercy will no longer have to respond to suffering, because suffering will be no more.” How does this hope shape the way you respond to suffering or injustice today? ([36:06])
Jesus teaches that the resurrection is about transformation, not just continuation. Is there a part of your life or a relationship where you need to pray for transformation rather than just improvement? What would that look like? ([34:29])
The sermon says, “Every time we forgive, we pull tomorrow’s grace into today’s world.” Can you think of a recent time when you experienced or offered forgiveness? How did it feel like a glimpse of God’s future? ([38:30])
The idea that “resurrection life begins now” challenges us to live differently. What is one practical way you can let Christ’s reign be visible in your home, workplace, or community this week? ([39:00])
The sermon mentions that it’s hard to imagine a world without pain, jealousy, or domination. What helps you to “see through the eyes of Jesus” and imagine God’s kingdom breaking in, even in small ways? ([39:48])
The sermon says, “Until then, we live as those who belong to that coming world. Children of the resurrection.” What is one habit or practice you could start (or stop) to live more as a “child of the resurrection” in your daily life? ([41:26])

Sermon Clips

The Sadducees were trying to fit eternity into the categories of time. They assumed the world would, that would come, would just look the same as this one. Same needs, same relationships. Same customs. But Jesus says no. The world to come is not bound by the patterns of the fallen world. The future that God promises is not an upgrade. It is a new creation. [00:34:38] (36 seconds) #NewCreationPromise

There will be no need. No need for laws to protect because love will be perfect. No need for charity because every need will be met. No need for mourning because death will be destroyed. [00:36:34] (17 seconds) #NoMoreNeed

That's why we pray thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Every time a believer acts in mercy, the future breaks into the present. Every time we forgive, we pull tomorrow's grace into today's world. Every time we love someone who cannot repay us, we taste the economy of heaven. [00:38:17] (28 seconds) #HeavenOnEarth

The resurrection isn't only about what happens after the grave. It's about the kind of life we live now. For resurrection life begins where Christ reigns. In the human heart. In the reconciled relationship. In the church that lives by grace. [00:38:45] (24 seconds) #ResurrectionLifeNow

But still it's hard to imagine, isn't it? And that's because everything we know, everything we experience, is filtered through the lens of sin. We can't imagine bodies that don't ache. So we think heaven must mean having wings to escape them. We can't imagine love without jealousy. So we imagine heaven as isolation. We can't imagine power without domination. So we miss that the throne of heaven is occupied by a lamb. [00:39:08] (38 seconds) #ImagineHeavenDifferently

Where his word is proclaimed, falsehood collapses. Where his spirit moves, fear retreats. Where his gospel is believed, life takes root again. The kingdom is already breaking in. [00:40:39] (17 seconds) #TimesRedeemedInChrist

Every moment of mercy. Every act of grace. Every glimpse of hope. Is a sign that the new age has already begun. And one day that kingdom we now only glimpse in faith will be all that we see. [00:41:16] (19 seconds) #ChildrenOfResurrection

Until then, we live as those who belong to that coming world. Children of the resurrection. And so we say, we await the day when the widow's tears are gone. But until then, we wipe them with our own hands. [00:41:35] (20 seconds) #LivingByGrace

We await the day when law is unnecessary. But until then, we live by grace. We await the day when the lamb reigns visibly. But until then, his kingdom comes invisibly through us. [00:41:54] (19 seconds) #InvisibleKingdom

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