“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.’” (Luke 20:34–35 ESV).
In Luke, Jesus responded to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection and attempted to trap Him with a question about marriage. Speaking to this group, Jesus contrasted “this age” with “that age.” He explained that marriage belongs to the present age, where life is marked by mortality and the need for procreation. In the age to come, however, those who share in the resurrection will no longer marry. His teaching revealed that resurrection life is not merely a continuation of earthly patterns, but a transformed existence. When read alongside Ephesians 5, marriage is shown to be a sign that points beyond itself to the greater reality of Christ’s union with His Church. Therefore, Jesus was not diminishing marriage but placing it within God’s larger redemptive purpose.
Those of us who have experienced the deep joy of marriage can be troubled by this teaching. We may wonder if something precious will be lost. Yet Jesus invites us to see that marriage is not erased in the resurrection but fulfilled. What we experience now is real, but it is also partial. In that age, the love we share will not diminish but be perfected. The threats that burden marriage now, such as death, sin, separation, and misunderstanding, will be gone. We will still know and love one another, yet our love will be purified and perfected in the presence of Christ. The sign will give way to the reality. Therefore, we hold our marriages with gratitude today while looking forward with hope to an even greater joy. We trust that what God has begun in love will reach its fullest expression in His eternal kingdom.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the gift of marriage and the love we have known in this life. When we feel uncertainty about the future, remind us that Your plans are greater than we can imagine. Help us to trust that the love we share will not be lost but perfected in Your presence. Teach us to cherish our relationships now while hoping in the resurrection to come. Fix our hearts on Christ, the fulfillment of every promise. In Jesus’ name, amen.