but of the living
This part of the verse highlights the continuity of life beyond physical death. It suggests that those who have passed away are still alive in God's presence. This is consistent with the Jewish belief in the resurrection and the eternal life promised in the New Testament (John 11:25-26). The living God is actively involved in the lives of His people, both in this world and the next, reinforcing the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

for to Him all are alive.
This phrase indicates that from God's perspective, all people, whether physically alive or deceased, are alive. It reflects the belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. This view is supported by other scriptures, such as Romans 14:8, which states that whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. It also connects to the idea of eternal life through Jesus Christ, who conquered death and offers life to all who believe in Him (1 Corinthians 15:22). This assurance of life in God's presence is a central tenet of Christian faith.

• Jesus is answering the Sadducees, who deny resurrection (Luke 20:27). By quoting Exodus 3:6—“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”—He reminds them that God spoke those words centuries after the patriarchs had died; yet He still calls Himself their God.

• Scripture consistently presents God as eternal and unchanging (Malachi 3:6). If He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they must still exist in His presence.

• Matthew 22:32 records the parallel statement: “He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Jesus uses the very words of the Torah, which the Sadducees revere, to prove bodily resurrection and ongoing personal existence.

• Life is God’s sphere; death is an enemy He will abolish (1 Corinthians 15:26).

• Psalm 36:9 affirms, “For with You is the fountain of life,” emphasizing that true life is found only in relationship with Him.

• Jesus says in John 5:24, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life … he has crossed over from death to life.” Those who belong to God already share in that living status.

• Because the living God sustains His people, physical death cannot sever fellowship with Him (Romans 8:38-39).

• From God’s vantage point, His people never pass into non-existence; their spirits are immediately present with Him (2 Corinthians 5:8: “away from the body and at home with the Lord”).

• Jesus confirms this truth at Lazarus’s tomb: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies” (John 11:25).

• Even those who have physically died await resurrection bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17), so in God’s redemptive plan they are already counted among the living.

• Romans 14:8 summarizes: “Whether we live, we live for the Lord; and whether we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” Ownership by the living God guarantees ongoing life.

Luke 20:38 anchors our hope in the character of God Himself. Because He eternally identifies with His people, they cannot remain in death; they continue alive before Him now and will be raised in glory. Jesus’ words silence doubt, expose error, and invite confident trust that the God of Scripture always keeps His people alive in His presence.

Parallel Commentaries ...