Matthew 23:33

Matthew 23:33 says, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  Jesus was still talking to the scribes and Pharisees but the question could apply to about any generation and any group of people who profess to believe in God but really only do so for appearance sake.  Verse thirty-four adds, 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:  Jesus said that He would send to the people wise men, and that they would not only kill and crucify some and scourge them in their synagogues but would persecute them from city to city.  People today, especially in parts of the world, sent to share the gospel are persecuted, beaten and even killed, which is terrible, but this was God's chosen people that Jesus was talking to.  We cannot allow ourselves to be God's people, Christians, in name only and then persecute those who are proclaiming God's word.  Verse thirty-five adds, That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.  Jesus said the blood of all the righteous would their heads, and not just on the heads of those who lived at that time.  I don't believe this makes someone responsible for the sins of others, but makes them just as responsible for the attitude that they have toward God.  Had the people of that day lived during the time these prophets had, they would have joined in with those who were  persecuting them.  The scribes and Pharisees could not excuse themselves from the persecution of prophets in the past, because they were guilty of persecuting them in the present.  Verse thirty-six declares, Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.  I believe that Jesus was simply stating that what had been done to the prophets in the past would also be done in the present.  We can either be a part of those who follow Christ or we can be a part of those who persecute Him and those who witness for Him.  We cannot simply blame the crucifixion of Jesus on a past generation, but we must accept the fact that everyone at anytime is guilty of His crucifixion.  The question is always whether or not we will accept the gift of salvation that comes through belief in Christ alone.  This is a question that must be answered by each generation.  Verse thirty-seven adds, 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!  Jesus asked the people of Jerusalem, the seat of government for God's chosen people, how often would God have gathered them under His wing and they would not allow Him to.  God awaits to gather people under His wing today, but how often do they refuse to allow Him to do so.  What is really sad is that these are the people who were supposed to be God's people.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.  Since these people, who were supposed to be God's people, refused to listen to God's prophets they were left desolate.  So will we be spiritually, no matter how rich we may be in the world, if we refuse to accept the gospel of Christ.  Verse thirty-nine concludes, 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.  Jesus said that thy would not see Him again until they proclaimed Him to be blessed since He came in the name of the Lord, or God Himself.  We will not see Jesus until we acknowledge Who He is and accept His gift of salvation by faith.  We nay know everything about Him historically, but we will not truly see Him accept by faith.