12. The Jewish leaders knew that the story was about them. So they wanted to find a way to arrest Jesus, but they were afraid of the people. So the leaders left him and went away.
13. Later, the Jewish leaders sent some Pharisees and some men from the group called Herodians to Jesus. They wanted to catch Jesus saying something wrong.
14. They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are an honest man. You are not afraid of what other people think about you. All men are the same to you. And you teach the truth about God’s way. Tell us: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we pay them, or not?”
15. But Jesus knew what these men were really trying to do. He said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a silver coin. Let me see it.”
16. They gave Jesus a coin, and he asked, “Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on it?”They answered, “Caesar’s.”
17. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. And give to God the things that are God’s.” The men were amazed at what Jesus said.
18. Then some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no person will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question.
19. They said, “Teacher, Moses wrote that a man’s brother might die. He leaves a wife but no children. Then that man must marry the widow and have children for the dead brother.
20. There were seven brothers. The first brother married but died. He had no children.
21. So the second brother married the widow. But he also died and had no children. The same thing happened with the third brother.
22. All seven brothers married her and died. None of the brothers had any children. The woman was last to die.
23. But all seven brothers had married her. So at the time people rise from death, whose wife will the woman be?”
24. Jesus answered, “Why did you make this mistake? Is it because you don’t know what the Scriptures say? Or is it because you don’t know about the power of God?
25. When people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other but will be like angels in heaven.
26. Surely you have read what God said about people rising from death. In the book in which Moses wrote about the burning bush, it says that God told Moses this: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
27. God is the God of living people, not dead people. You Sadducees are wrong!”