4/21/02

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH - www.faithbiblechurch.net

RAY RUSS - PASTOR-TEACHER

MATTHEW:  THE KING HAS COME, WEEK 157

TITLE:  THE SEVEN WOES, PART II

TEXT:  MATTHEW 23:23-33

INTRODUCTION: (1) IN OUR DAY OF TOLERNACE AND RELATIVISM, THE KIND OF CONFRONTATION JESUS HAD WITH THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES IN MATTHEW 23 DOESN’T “FEEL” RIGHT TO SOME PEOPLE.

* IT SEEMS FOREIGN AND UNCHARITABLE AND HIGHLY OUT OF CHARACTER OF THE PICTURE THAT HAS BEEN PAINTED ABOUT JESUS.

** IN FACT, JESUS’ INDICTMENTS IN MATTHEW 23, AS WELL AS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE GOSPELS, ARE SO INCONSISTENT WITH THE IDEA OF CHRISTIAN LOVE HELD BY SOME LIBERAL THEOLOGIANS AND BIBLE SCHOLARS, THAT THEY CONCLUDE HE COULD NOT HAVE SPOKEN THEM.

*** WHAT JESUS REALLY SAID, THEY MAINTAIN, WAS MODIFIED AND INTENSIFIED EITHER BY THE GOSPEL WRITERS OR THE SOURCES FROM WHOM THEY RECEIVED THEIR INFORMATION.

**** BUT THE NATURE OF JESUS’ CONDEMNATION OF THOSE CORRUPT RELIGIOUS LEADERS IS PERFECTLY CONSISTENT WITH THE REST OF SCRIPTURE, BOTH THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW.

(2)  FOR JESUS IN HIS LOVE FOR TRUTH, ALWAYS SPOKE IT FOR HE WAS THE INCARNATION OF TRUTH, AND I CORINTHIANS 13:6 SAYS THAT ONE OF THE ACTIONS OF LOVE IS IT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH.

* AND CHRIST LOVED PEOPLE, YET HE NEVER CALLED EVIL ANYTHING BUT WHAT IT WAS.  HE ALWAYS TOLD THE TRUTH.

** CHRIST WAS SUPREMELY LOVING, YET HE NEVER WITHHELD A WARNING THAT MIGHT SAVE HIS HEARERS FROM HELL.

*** AND HE HAD NOTHING BUT INTENSE RIGHTEOUS HOLY ANGER FOR THOSE WHO BY THEIR FALSE TEACHING LED MEN AWAY FROM THE TRUTH INTO ERROR.

**** AND WE SEE THAT CLEARLY IN MATTHEW 23 AS JESUS DIRECTLY AND PUBLICLY SPEAKS TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, FALSE TEACHERS OF HIS DAY.

(3)  AND IN VERSES 13-33 JESUS PROUNCES 7 CURSES OR WOES ON THOSE WICKED LEADERS.

* JESUS HERE MAKES THE WORD HYPOCRITE A SYNONYM FOR SCRIBES AND FOR PHARISEES.

** HE CALLS THEM SONS OF HELL, BLIND GUIDES, FOOLS, ROBBERS, SELF-INDULGENT, WHITEWASHED TOMBS, FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND LAWLESSNESS, SERPENTS, VIPERS, PERSECTORS AND MURDERERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE.

*** AND HE UTTERED EVERY ONE OF THOSE WORDS WITH ABSOLUTE SELF-CONTROL BUT WITH DEVASTATING INTENSITY.

**** SO MATTHEW 23 IS ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PASSAGES IN SCRIPTURE.

(4)  AND TODAY WE’LL FINISH THE JUDGMENTS PRONOUNCED BY CHRIST ON THESE FALSE TEACHERS WHICH I’VE TITLED, “THE SEVEN WOES, PART II”.

* AND LAST SUNDAY WE STUDIED VV. 13-22 WHERE WE LOOKED AT WOES 1-3 AND TODAY WE’LL LOOK AT VV. 23-33 WHERE WE’LL AT WOES 4-7, WHICH IS THE OUTLINE WE ARE FOLLOWING.

** AND TO BEGIN WITH, LOOK AT V. 23 WHERE WE’LL START TO LOOK AT WOE #4.  LOOK AT MATTHEW 23:23 PLEASE.

I.  WOE #4, (READ V. 23)

A.  NOW WOE #4 COMES AS A RESULT OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES MAJORING ON THE MINORS AND MINORING ON THE MAJORS.

* THEY MAGNIFIED THE INSIGNIFICANT AND MINIMIZED THE ESSENTIAL, THEY WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE TRIVIAL, THE INCIDENTALS, THE EXTERNALS.

** AND THE ILLUSTRATION THAT JESUS GIVES HAS TO DO WITH TITHING WHICH MEANS GIVING 10%, BUT TITHING MINT, DILL AND CUMMIN.

*** NOW MINT, DILL AND CUMMIN WERE GARDEN HERBS USED AS KITCHEN SPICES.

**** AND SWEET SMELLING MINT AND THE WELL-KNOWN DILL, AND THE SMALL TENDER SEEDS OF CUMMIN, WERE USED TO FLAVOR FOOD.

1.  NOW MOSAIC LAW REQUIRED THAT A TITHE BE PAID TO THE TREASURY IN ISRAEL FOR FARM PRODUCE.

*  LEVITICUS 27:30 SAYS:  “THUS ALL THE TITHE OF THE LAND, OF THE SEED OF THE LAND OR OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE, IS THE LORD’S; IT IS HOLY TO THE LORD.”

** AND THE DEUTERONOMY 14:22 SAYS:  “YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE ALL THE PRODUCE FROM WHAT YOU SOW, WHICH COMES OUT OF THE FIELD EVERY YEAR.”

*** NOW THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES EXPANDED THOSE COMMANDS TO INCLUDE A TRUTH OF EVEN HOUSEHOLD SPICES SUCH AS MINT, DILL AND CUMMIN.

**** THE LEGALISTIC SCRIBES AND PHARISEES EXTENDED THIS PROVISION TO INCLUDE THE SMALLEST POTTED PLANT IN A KITCHEN WINDOW.

2.  SO WHEN THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES PICKED LEAVES FROM A MINT PLANT OR GATHERED SEEDS FROM THE DILL AND CUMMIN PLANTS, THEY WOULD CAREFULLY COUNT OUT THE LEAVES AND SEEDS, SEPARTING OUT ONE FOR GOD FROM EACH 10 COUNTED.

* BUT WITH ALL THEIR CAREFULNESS IN SUCH MATTERS THEY NEGLECTED THE WEIGHTIER PROVISIONS OF THE LAW:  JUSTICE AND MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS.

** THEY WERE OBSESSED WITH COUNTING LEAVES AND SEEDS BUT INDIFFERENT TO BASIC ETHICS.

*** AND NOTE HERE THAT JESUS BORROWED THE WORD WEIGHTIER FROM THE RABBINICAL TRADITION, WHICH HAD DIVIDED THE LAW INTO LIGHT AND HEAVY CATEGORIES.

**** AND IN THEIR INVERTED PRIORITIES THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD REDUCED SUCH MATTERS AS JUSTICE AND MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS TO THE LIGHT CATEGORY AND ELEVATED THE TITHING OF GARDEN HERBS TO THE WEIGHTIER CATEGORY.

3.  AND IN HIS REFERENCE TO THE TRULY WEIGHTIER MATTERS, WE CAN GO BACK TO MICAH 6:8, WHICH APPEARS JESUS MAY BE PARAPHRASING WHICH SAYS:  “HE HAS TOLD YOU, O MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU, BUT TO DO JUSTICE, TO LOVE KINDNESS, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?”

* AND BELOVED WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE IN THIS VERSE?  TO DO JUSTICE, TO LOVE KINDNESS OR MERCY AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD, (WHICH WE SING THAT VERSE SOMETIMES).

** YET AS WE GO TO THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES THEY WERE INEQUITABLE, UNFAIR, UNJUST, UNMERCIFUL, BRUTAL, UNFORGIVING, UNKIND, GREEDY AND ABUSIVE TO OTHERS.

*** THEY WERE EVERYTHING THAT IS CONTRARY TO THE WEIGHTIER PROVISIONS OF THE LAW.  AND WORST OF ALL, THEY WALKED BY SIGHT RATHER THAN FAITH, TRUSTING IN THEIR OWN WORKS RATHER THAN GOD’S GRACE.

**** NOW NOTE JESUS DID NOT DENOUNCE THE TITHING, HE SAID, “THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE, WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE OTHERS.”

4.  JESUS SAID THEY SHOULD DO BOTH!  BUT DON’T EXALT THE MINORS TO THE NEGLECT OF THE MAJORS.

* YES, YOU TITHE HERBS, FINE, BUT YOU ARE NOT JUST, MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL.

** AND LET ME SAY JUST ONE QUICK THING ABOUT GIVING HERE, OUR MOTIVATION FOR GIVING TO THE LORD IS NOT LAW, BUT LOVE, IT IS GRACE.

*** AND GRACE GIVING SEES GOD AS OWNING EVERYTHING AND GIVING US THE ABILITY TO MAKE MONEY AND SEEING EVERYTHING COMING FROM HIS HAND WE RESPOND IN WORSHIP AND GIVE CHEERFULLY, HILARIOUSLY, FROM A HEART OF GRATEFULLNESS, NOT SELFISHNESS.

**** AND IT STARTS WITH GIVING YOURSELF, READ II COR. 8:5.

5.  NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, LOOK AT V. 24 PLEASE WHERE JESUS ILLUSTRATES THE TRUTH HE COMMUNICATED IN V. 23.

B.  READ V. 24.  NOW IN V. 24, JESUS GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATES WHAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE DOING IN THEIR INVERSION OF PRIORITIES.

* HE CALLS THEM BLIND GUIDES AGAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE VERSE, A REBUKE FOR FAILING TO SEE AND LEAD OTHERS ACCORDING TO GOD’S STANDARDS.

** AND THEN IN THIS PROVERB OR ILLUSTRATION HE USES, HE SAID, YOU STRAIN OUT A GNAT AND SWALLOW A CAMEL!

*** NOW THE GNAT AND THE CAMEL REPRESENTED THE SMALLEST AND THE LARGEST OF THE CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN THINGS THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT ACCORDING TO LEVITICUS 11:4 AND 42.

**** AND THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WOULD GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO STRAIN THEIR BEVERAGES THROUGH A FINE CLOTH TO MAKE SURE THEY DID NOT ACCIDENTLY SWALLOW A GNAT.

1.  BUT IN THE WAY THEY WERE LIVING THEY WERE STRAINING OUT THE GNATS BUT SWALLOWING CAMELS, REPRESENTED BY LEAVING OUT THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW.

* THEY STRAINED OUT THE GNAT, REPRESENTED BY TITHING THEIR HERBS, BUT SWALLOWED THE CAMEL BY NOT PRACTICING JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULLNESS.

** AND WHAT A PICTURE THAT IS PAINTED HERE OF CONCERN FOR MINUTIA, LITTLE THINGS, THE MINORS AND LEAVING OUT THE MAJOR PRACTICES OF KNOWING GOD.

*** THEY SUBSTITUTED OUTWARD ACTS OF RELIGION FOR THE ESSENTIAL VIRTUES OF THE HEART, WHICH LEADS US TO WOE #2 IN OUR STUDY TODAY ON WOE #5 IN THE CONTEXT.  LOOK AT V. 25 PLEASE.

II.  WOE #5, (READ V. 25)

A.  NOW THE NEXT REBUKE CAME IN THE METAPHOR OF CLEANING CUPS AND PLATES, AND THE ANALOGY WAS SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.

* THESE LEADERS WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH OUTWARD APPEARANCE THAN INNER CONTENTS.

** AND HERE THE CUP AND THE DISH OR THE PLATTER DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU HAVE REPRESENTED THEIR LIVES.

*** AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH WERE CLEAN, THEY LOOKED GREAT, BUT THE INSIDE WAS FILLED WITH CORRUPTION AND DEFILEMENT.

**** AND SPECIFICALLY JESUS WILL MENTION TWO POINTS OF DEFILEMENT.  NO. 1 ROBBERY, EXTORTION OR GREED WHICH IN THE GREEK LIT. REFERRED TO FORCIBLE CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY OR GRASPING SOMETHING GREEDILY, TO ROB, TO PLUNDER, THE GREEK WORD IS ON THE SCREEN.

1.  AND THEN NO. 2 THE 2’D WORD THAT JESUS USES IS SELF-INDULGENCE OR EXCESS WHICH BASICALLY MEANT A LACK OF SELF-CONTROL, INTEMPERANCE, UNRESTRAINED SELF-GRATIFICATION.

* AND IN ESSENCE THESE RELIGIOUS PHONIES ROBBED THE PEOPLE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SERVE IN ORDER TO SATISFY THEIR OWN GREED.

** AND THEY PLUNDERED BOTH THE SOULS AND THE WALLETS OF THE PEOPLE AND USED THE ILL-GOTTEN GAINS TO SERVE THEMSELVES.

*** AND CERTAINLY THE METAPHOR USED HERE REPRESENTED THESE HYPOCRITES WHO WORKED SO HARD TO LOOK CLEAN OUTWARDLY, AND THAT IS INDEED HOW THEY APPEARED TO THOSE WHO SAW ONLY EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR.

**** BUT THEN IN V. 26 JESUS MAKES THE ACCUSATION MORE PERSONAL AND DIRECT, LOOK AT V. 26 PLEASE.

B.  READ V. 26.  NOW IN V. 26 JESUS GOES FROM THE PLURAL TO THE SINGULAR AND SAYS, “YOU BLIND PHARISEE, SINGULAR, USING THAT WORD BLIND AGAIN FOR THE 5^TH TIME IN MATTHEW 23 TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.

* AND ONE COMMENTATOR SUGGESTED THAT AT THIS POINT JESUS STARTS TO TALK TO ONE SPECIFIC PHARISEE, WHEREAS ANOTHER COMMUNICATES THAT JESUS USES THE SINGULAR INSTEAD OF THE PLURAL, DOING THIS TO ENHANCE THE EFFECT OF HIS MESSAGE.

** BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON JESUS IS VERY DIRECT, AND ADMONISHES THEM TO FIRST CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE CUP AND THE DISH, REPRESENTING THE INSIDE OF THEIR LIVES, SO THAT THE OUTSIDE MAY BE CLEAN ALSO.

*** AND THE HEART IS THE ISSUE HERE.  FOR YOU CAN CLEAN UP THE OUTSIDE AND LOOK GOOD, BUT IF YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT, ALL KINDS OF UGLY THINGS COME OUT.

**** AND THAT’S WHY SOLOMON SAID IN PROVERBS 4:23, (READ IT).

1.  AND THAT’S WHY JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 15:8&9, (READ THEM).

* AND BELOVED WE MUST WORK ON THE INSIDE FIRST, AND WHEN THE INSIDE IS RIGHT, THE OUTSIDE WILL BE FINE, BUT DON’T REVERSE THE ORDER LIKE THESE RELIGIOUS FALSE TEACHERS.

** SO OUR PRAYER SHOULD BE BECAUSE OUR HEARTS CAN DECEIVE US, OUR PRAYER SHOULD BE PSALM 139:23&24 (READ THEM).

*** AND BELOVED AS THE LORD REVEALS OUR HEARTS AND MOTIVES, AND WE CONFESS AND FORSAKE SIN, THE OUTSIDE WILL BE FINE.

**** BUT THE PHARISEES DIDN’T DO THAT.  AND THAT IS FURTHER ILLUSTRATED BY WOE #6 OF OUR STUDY TODAY.  LOOK AT V. 27 PLEASE.

III.  WOE #6, (READ V. 27)

A.  NOW THIS WOE WAS RELATED TO THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE WOE PRECEDING THIS ONE, THAT IS THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES’ CONCERN FOR EXTERNAL APPEARANCE RATHER THAN CONCERN FOR INTERNAL CHARACTER.

* BUT THIS TIME, OUR LORD USED THE ILLUSTRATION OF WHITE WASHED TOMBS, AND AGAIN USES THE WORD HYPOCRITES TO ADDRESS THEM.

** NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE MONTH OF MARCH IN PALESTINE, IN PREPARATION FOR PASSOVER THE JEWS WOULD WHITEWASH THE TOMBS OF THE DEAD SO THAT PEOPLE COMING UP TO JERUSALEM TO CELEBRATE THE PASSOVER WOULD NOT DEFILE THEMSELVES.

*** FOR YOU SEE A PERSON BECAME CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN FOR 7 DAYS IF THEY TOUCHED A DEAD BODY OR EVEN A GRAVE ACCORDING TO NUMBERS 19:16 WHICH SAYS:  “ALSO, ANYONE WHO IN THE OPEN FIELD TOUCHES ONE WHO HAS BEEN SLAIN WITH A SWORD OR WHO HAS DIED NATURALLY, OR A HUMAN BONE OR A GRAVE, SHALL BE UNCLEAN FOR SEVEN DAYS.”

**** NOW BECAUSE OF THAT, ALL TOMBS WERE WITEWASHED USING POWERED LIME DUST TO MAKE THEM STAND OUT, SO SOMEONE WOULD NOT INADVERTENTLY BE DEFILED.

1.  NOW AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, THEY STOOD OUT, AND REMEMBER NOT ALL TOMBS OR GRAVES WERE THIS VISIBLE, SO ALL OF THEM WERE WHITEWASHED.

* AND BY THE WAY, THE CONTEXT OF MATTHEW 23 WAS PASSOVER WEEK AND JERUSALEM WAS CLEANED UP, SOME BUILDINGS WHITEWASHED AND SOME WALLS, SO THE APPEARANCE OF THE CITY WOULD LOOK GOOD.

** WE ARE TOLD THAT NOT ONLY WAS THEIR A PRACTICAL ASPECT BUT ALSO, EVERYTHING LOOKED CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL BY WHITEWASHING.

*** BUT THE PROBLEM WITH A TOMB THAT IS CLEANED UP IS, IT IS STILL FILLED WITH DEATH, DEAD MEN’S BONES AND ALL UNCLEANNESS.

**** AND THAT’S THE WAY THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE, LOOK AT V. 28 PLEASE AS THE APPLICATION IS MADE THERE.

B.  READ V. 28.  NOW LIKE THE WHITEWASHED TOMBS, THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ON THE OUTSIDE APPEARED BEAUTIFUL.

* BUT INSIDE THEY WERE ALSO LIKE THE TOMBS, FILLED WITH DECAY AND CORRUPTION, ROTTING ON THE INSIDE.

** AND SPECIFICALLY WHEREAS TOMBS WERE FULL OF DEAD MEN’S BONES AND UNCLEANNESS, THEY WERE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND LAWLESSNESS.

*** THEY WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD ON THE INSIDE, FILLED WITH SIN AND HYPOCRISY.

**** AND HERE’S THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THIS, TOUCHING A TOMB WOULD DEFILE A JEW CEREMONIALLY FOR A WEEK, BUT COMING IN TOUCH WITH THESE RELIGIOUS SINFUL HYPOCRITES WOULD SPIRITUALLY CONTAMINATE AND DEFILE EVERY LIFE THEY TOUCHED.

1.  AND THAT’S WHAT THE LEAVEN OF FALSE TEACHING DOES, IT DEFILES PEOPLE, IT CONTAMINATES PEOPLE, IT DECEIVES PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THE FALSE TEACHER HAS A GOOD WHITEWASH JOB AND LOOKS GOOD AND SOUNDS GOOD, BUT INSIDE THERE IS DECAY, THEY ARE DEAD.

* THEY ARE LIKE THE ONES TALKED ABOUT IN II TIMOTHY 3:5&7 (READ THEM).

** BELOVED, THEY LOOK GOOD AND THEIR WORDS SOUND GOOD WITHOUT DISCERNMENT, BUT INSIDE THEY ARE CORRUPT AND STINK.

*** THERE MAY BE WISDOM DRESSING ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE THERE IS NOTHING BUT DEATH.  WATCH OUT FOR CONTAMINATION, DON’T BE SPIRITUALLY DEFILED THROUGH THEIR TEACHING.

**** WHICH LEADS US TO OUR FOURTH AND FINAL WOE TODAY, WOE #7 IN THE FLOW OF THIS CONTEXT, LOOK AT V. 29 PLEASE.

IV.  WOE #7, (READ V. 29)

A.  NOW BUILDING OFF THE ANALOGY OF TOMBS, JESUS TARGETED AS THEIR NEXT CONDEMNATION THE PRACTICE OF ADORNING THE TOMBS OF THE PROPHETS AND PEOPLE THEY THOUGHT WERE RIGHTEOUS, HEROES IN ISRAEL.

* AND “BUILDING SUCH TOMBS” ACCORDING TO WILLIAM HENRICKSEN, “MAY INDICATE ERECTING NEW STRUCTURES – LARGE IMPOSING TOMBS OR MAUSOLEUMS – OVER THE PLACES WHERE THEPROPHETS HAD BEEN BURIED.”

** HE ALSO SAID, “THE VERB CAN ALSO REFER, HOWEVER, TO THE ENLARGEMENT OR KEEPING IN REPAIR OF OLDER STRUCTURES.”

*** IN LIGHT OF THAT, IT IS THOUGHT BY SOME THAT THE TOMB OF THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES WAS, IN SOME SENSE, BEING BUILT DURING CHRIST’S EARTHLY MINISTRY.

**** SO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WERE BUILDING AND ADORNING THE TOMBS OF SOME OF THE PROPHETS HONORING THESE PEOPLE BY THEIR ACTIONS, THEIR GRAVES WERE REVERED.

1.  YET ON ONE HAND, THEY ARE DOING THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT ON THE OTHER, ACTIONS OF HYPOCRISY ARE BEING LIVED OUT.  LOOK AT V. 30 PLEASE.

B.  READ V. 30.  NOW REALIZING THAT MANY OF THOSE PROPHETS HAD BEEN PERSECUTED AND MARTYRED BY THEIR OWN FOREFATHERS, THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES MADE SOME DISCLAIMERS FOR THEMSELVES, SAYING SELF-RIGHTEOUSLY,

* “IF WE HAD BEEN LIVING IN THE DAYS OF OUR FATHERS, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PARTNERS WITH THEM IN SHEDDING THE BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS.”

** SO THEY DISASSOCIATED WITH THEIR ANCESTRIAL FATHERS, WHO HAD KILLED PROPHETS LIKE ZECHARIAH.

*** “WE NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THAT.”  BUT THEIR HYPOCRISY IS EXPOSED IN V. 31 BY JESUS.  LOOK AT V. 31 PLEASE.

C.  READ V. 31.  NOW THEY BORE WITNESS AGAINST THEMSELVES FOR IN REALITY THEY WERE JUST LIKE THEIR FATHERS, FOR AT THAT VERY TIME THEY WERE MAKING PLANS TO KILL THE GREAT PROPHET OF ALL, THE SON OF GOD – JESUS CHRIST!!

* BELOVED, JESUS SHOWED THAT THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE FOR THEY WERE JUST LIKE THEIR FATHERS.

** THEIR ANCESTORS KILLED MESSENGERS OF GOD AND THEN IN A FEW DAYS WERE PLANNING ON KILLING THE GREATEST MESSENGER OF ALL, THE SON OF GOD.

*** NOW LOOK AT V. 32 PLEASE.

D.  READ V. 32.  NOW V. 32 IN A SENSE WAS PREDICTIVE.  IT IS A PREDICTION OF WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO DO, KILL JESUS.

* FOR FILL UP THE MEASURE OF THE GUILT OF YOUR FATHERS LIT. MEANS, “GO AHEAD AND FINISH, FILL UP, WHAT YOU’VE STARTED.”

** GO AHEAD AND FINISH WHAT YOUR FATHERS STARTED BY KILLING ME.

*** THEY WERE ABOUT TO CULMINATE ALL THE GUILT OF THOSE IN THE PAST WHO KILLED GOD’S MESSENGERS.

**** FILL UP THE MEASURE OF YOUR FATHERS, CROWN THEIR MISDEEDS BY KILLING THE SON OF GOD.  DO AT LAST WHAT HAS LONG BEEN IN YOUR HEARTS.

1.  AND BELOVED, THIS WAS THE SUPREME ACT OF SIN AGAINST GOD’S PROPHETS, AS THEY MURDERED THE PROPHET-MESSIAH.

* AND IN ESSENCE, JESUS PRONOUNCED A FINAL JUDGMENT UPON THEM IN V. 33.

E.  READ V. 33.  NOW JESUS CALLED THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES SERPENTS AND A BROOD OF VIPERS.

* AND SERPENTS WAS A GENERAL WORD FOR SNAKES, BUT OFFSPRING OR BROOD OR GENERATION OF VIPERS REFERRED TO A GROUP OF SMALL POISONOUS SNAKES THAT LIVED PRIMARILY IN THE DESERT REGIONS OF PALESTINE.

** AND BECAUSE THEY LOOKED LIKE A DRIED TWIG WHEN THEY WERE STILL, A PERSON COLLECTING WOOD FOR A FIRE WOULD OFTEN PICK ONE UP AND BE BITTEN.  AND THE BITE WAS DEADLY.

*** VIPERS THEREFORE HAD THE UNDERSTANDABLE REPUTATION FOR BEING BOTH DEADLY AND DECEITFUL.

**** THEREFORE WHEN JESUS CALLED THEM A BROOD OF VIPERS, HE WAS DECLARING THEM TO BE BOTH EVIL AND DEADLY.

1.  AND WHAT WOULD BE THEIR JUDGMENT?  THE ANSWER IS ETERNAL HELL, THE SENTENCE OF HELL WAS BEING PASSED ON TO THEM.

* FOR FOLKS THERE WAS AND IS NO ESCAPE IN REJECTING GOD’S TRUTH.  ETERNAL DAMNATION AWAITS THOSE WHO REJECT CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

** AND EVEN GREAT CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ASSIST IN LEADING PEOPLE AWAY FROM CHRIST, JUDGMENT WILL SURELY COME, A FINAL WOE.

AND AS I WRAP UP OUR VERSES TODAY, (1) GOD’S ETERNAL FIRE OF JUDGMENT AWAITS ALL, RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS WHO REJECT CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, AS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN, AND THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FORGIVE OUR SINS.

* WOE AWAITS ALL WHO DO NOT REPENT.  IT’S EITHER REPENT OR PERISH.

** AND IN APPLICATION, TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE COME TO REPENTANCE AND FAITH BY GOD’S GRACE.

*** LET US BE REMINDED TODAY NOT TO OVEREMPHASIZE THE EXTERNALS, THE MINORS, THE MINUTIA.  LET’S EMPHASIZE IT, BUT NOT TO THE NEGLECT OF THE MAJORS AND THE HEART.

**** APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING.  LET US NOT WORK ON KEEPING UP CERTAIN APPEARANCES AND WINDOW-DRESSING, BUT MAY WE FROM THE HEART BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY.

(2)  AND MAY WE WORK FROM THE INSIDE OUT, YIELDING TO GOD’S SPRIT AND WORSHPPING OUR LORD WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS.

* MAY WE BE PROCLAIMERS OF THE TRUTHS AND IN THE PROCESS OF LIVING OUT THE TRUTH IN OUR LIVES.

** MAY WE EMPHASIZE AND LIVE OUT PRINCIPLES OF THE WORD OVER MAN-MADE REGULATIONS, MAY WE WORK OUT THE INNER MAN OVER THE EXTERNALS.

*** AND MAY CHARACTER AND CONVICTION TAKE PRECIDENCE OVER CONFORMITY THAT IS ONLY OUTWARD.

**** AND FINALLY, IF YOU DON’T TRULY KNOW CHRIST, CALL ON HIM TODAY IN REPENTANT FAITH FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS OR HELL ONE DAY WILL BE YOUR DESTINY.