February 13, 2011
Evening Service

Matt. 23:13-39

 

Review:

1.                  In this mornings study we find Jesus rebuking the actions of the religious leaders of Israel.  Those that love to sit in Moses’ seat of authority. 

2.                  We saw that the laws of God were good, but the laws they added were hard to bear.  They also had the attitude, don’t do as I do, but do as I say.  That is not easy to follow.

3.                  We saw what Jesus taught concerning humility, and thinking of others before yourself.

 

This evening as we finish up chapter 23 we might consider this the woe chapter.  The Lord finishes His teaching in this chapter with some very harsh language.  Let’s see where this goes.

 

Mat 23:13-39 KJVR  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 

• By your wrong doings, you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven, and because of your added commandments you keep others that want to enter, out.
• This is actually a time of self examination for ourselves.  Are there things that we are doing in our lives that would hinder others from following Christ? 
• Paul encourages us to walk in this manner; 

(2Co 1:12 KJVR)  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

(Eph 4:22 KJVR)  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt                                                                     according to the deceitful lusts; Eph 4:23-24 KJVR  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  (24)  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

(Phi 1:27 KJVR)  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

(Phi 3:20 KJVR)  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:

(1Ti 4:12 KJVR)  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

(Heb 13:5 KJVR)  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

(Jam 3:13 KJVR)  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

(1Pe 1:15 KJVR)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

(1Pe 2:12 KJVR)  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

(1Pe 3:1 KJVR)  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

(1Pe 3:2 KJVR)  While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

(1Pe 3:16 KJVR)  Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

(2Pe 3:11 KJVR)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

 

(14)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 

• To devour widow houses, just means to take advantage of them.  Widows are easily swayed in their beliefs, and are willing to do whatever it takes to please God.  This makes them easy prey for someone wanting to take advantage of them.
• And as far as long prayers, Jesus teaches us how to pray, “our Father which art in Heaven……………”
• Do not be repetitious in your prayers, but pray for the things that are needed at the moment.
• GREATER DAMNATION. 

(15)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 

• This could be said of anyone today that is working hard to get people to believe what they teach, and if it’s not the Word of God, this same application applies to them.

(16)  Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!  (17)  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 

• They say that swearing by the temple was a common oath by the Jews.  To say that I understand the true meaning of this, I don’t.  It appears that Jesus is saying that the temple is just as, if not more important than the Gold itself.

(18)  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  (19)  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift  (20)  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  (21)  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  (22)  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 

• Whether we understand all there is in this passage, we have no problem understanding the Lord’s teaching on swearing.
• Mat 5:33-37 KJVR  Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:  (34)  But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:  (35)  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.  (36)  Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.  (37)  But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

(23)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  (24)  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 

• Jesus is saying you should’ve paid your tithes, but not to have forgotten to do the most important things, such as, being fair in judgments, mercy, faith.
• You blindly lead others, and you fight against the more important things of the law, but accept readily the less important things.

(25)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  (26)  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 

• They were more concerned about putting on a good appearance than having their hearts right with God.

(27)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  (28)  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 

• Jesus said in another place; “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  It will also show the attributes of the heart in the way we live.
• Then finishing one of the most harsh rebukes in the Scriptures;

(29)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,  (30)  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.  (31)  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.  (32)  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.  (33)  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  (34)  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:  (35)  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 

 

(36)  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 

• And it did.  Within the time frame of a generation, which is 40 years, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman General Titus, and the blood of Jesus, and all the prophets, were reckoned at this time.
• Then the heart of Jesus speaks out.

(37)  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  (38)  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.  (39)  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

 

• that is, till those "Hosannas to the Son of David" with which the multitude had welcomed Him into the city--instead of "sore displeasing the chief priests and scribes" (Mat_21:15) --should break forth from the whole nation, as their glad acclaim to their once pierced, but now acknowledged, Messiah. That such a time will come is clear from Zec_12:10; Rom_11:26; 2Co_3:15-16, &c
• Zec 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
• Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
• 2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.
• 2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

 

One day when the trumpet sounds, and the dead in Christ rise first, and all Christians that are alive are caught up into the air to be with the Lord, then shall Israel realize that what we have been telling them is true, and that Jesus is truly the very Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ of God.