The Sadducees had arranged their questions so that they felt confident of bringing Jesus into disrepute by answering them, if they were not the direct means of condemning him. Should he agree with them in regard to the resurrection of the dead, he would be entirely cut off from any fellowship with the Pharisees. Should he differ from them, they designed to present his faith to the people in a ridiculous light, and turn their influence against him by showing the apparent absurdity of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. They were accustomed to dispute upon this point, and their arguments were greatly dreaded by those who believed in the literal resurrection of the identical body which had moldered away in the grave. {3SP 48.2}

Saddukæerne havde ordnet sine spørgsmål således, at de var visse på, at det ville bringe Jesus vanære at besvare dem, eller måske det kunne blive et middel til at fordømme ham. Dersom han var enig med dem angående de dødes opstandelse, så ville han blive helt afskåret fra farisæernes samfund; men dersom han skilte dig fra dem, så var det deres bestemmelse at fremstille hans tro for folket i et latterligt lys og vende deres indflydelse imod ham ved at fremholde de tilsyneladende urimeligheder, som læren om legemets opstandelse indeholder. De var vante til at diskutere, og deres bevisførelse var meget frygtet af dem, som troede på en virkelig opstandelse af det samme legeme, som var hensmuldret i graven.