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.

Matthew 23:13

 Matthew 23:13 says, 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.  Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, some of the most religious of God's chosen people, Jesus said woe unto them.  They not only shut themselves out of the kingdom of heaven, but they worked to prevent others from entering as well.  Following rituals in self pride will never be enough to get anyone into heaven.  Verse fourteen states, 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.  Jesus continues to pronounce woe on the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites.  Jesus said the took the houses of widows and for a pretense they made long prayers.  We can pray all day long, but unless we have a personal relationship with Jesus, it will do us no good.  Verse fifteen says, 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.  Jesus next pronounced woe on the scribes and Pharisees for working so hard to make a proselyte, then making him a twofold child of hell.  If we convert someone into a false Christianity, one that is based on anything more than faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then we leave them worse off than they were before.  Verse sixteen states, 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!  Jesus next pronounced woe on those who said swearing by the temple was nothing but swearing by the gold in the temple made one a debtor.  Jesus called them blind guides.  The temple was God's house of prayer, but the gold inside the temple the religious leaders had come to view as their own.  Verse seventeen adds, Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  Jesus continued by calling them fools and blind, asking them which was greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified it.  When we begin to look at a house of worship as being of less value than than the riches inside it, something is wrong.  Verse eighteen continues, And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  Jesus then made the same statement about the altar versus the gift on the altar.  We should never value the gifts, the material things, brought to the altar of God more than we value the altar as a place to worship God.  Verse nineteen adds, Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  Jesus then asked which was greater, the gift or the altar that sanctified it.  Whatever we bring to the altar of God should always be of less value to us than God that the altar represents is.  Verse twenty declares, Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  Jesus said that if we swear by the altar that we also swear by all that is on the altar.  Verse twenty-one adds, And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  Jesus said that if we swear by the temple that we also swear by God, Who dwells therein.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.  Jesus then said that anyone who swore by heaven was swearing by the throne of God and by God Himself Who sits on the throne.  As followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that there is nothing greater than our relationship with Christ, and we can never separate the world into the physical and the spiritual feeling that what we do physically will never be important to our spiritual relationship with God.  Everything that we have should be devoted to God and the advancement of His kingdom.

Matthew 23:1

Matthew 23:1 says, Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,   Verse two adds, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:   Jesus told His disciples and the multitudes that the Pharisees and scribes sat in Moses' seat.  They were supposed to represent the people of Israel before God and God to the people of Israel.  Verse three declares, All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. Jesus told the people to listen to the Pharisees and scribes when they were teaching God's word, but not to follow their example, because they didn't do what the said people should do.  It may be today that there is someone who is proclaiming God's word and not living by God's direction.  If so, we are to still hear the word of God, but we are not to follow such a  person in the way we live our lives.  Verse four adds, For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  Jesus said the Pharisees and scribes put heavy burdens on others, but that they did not put any burden on themselves.  Verse five states, But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,  Jesus said the Pharisees and scribes did things that were supposed to be for worship simply to draw attention to themselves.  There are still people today who claim to be worshipping God but are only doing so to call attention to themselves.  Verse six adds, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,   The Pharisees and scribes wanted the place of honor when they were at any religious gathering.  Verse seven continues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.  Jesus said that when in public places that they wanted to be called Rabbi, or teacher, bringing recognition to themselves and not to God.  As followers of Christ, we must do everything that we do to bring honor and glory to God and not to ourselves.  Verse eight declares, But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.  Jesus warns us against doing things in the name of God when we are only doing them to bring honor to our self. Jesus tells us that there is only One Master, and that is Christ, and the rest of Christians are but brothers and sisters in Christ.  Verse nine adds, And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.  Jesus said that we are to call no man father on the earth, and I believe that this means a spiritual father.  As Christians, we have only one spiritual Father, and that is God Himself.  As followers of Christ, we all have equal access to God, and we should never put someone in a position where we have to go through them to reach God.  Verse ten continues, Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.  Jesus tells us that just as we are not to call anyone else master but God Himself, we are not to allow anyone else to call us master.  We as Christians all have the same Master, and that is God.  Verse eleven states, But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  Jesus said that if we want to be great in God's kingdom, then we will be a servant of Christ.  Verse twelve adds, And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.  Jesus gives us a warning that if we attempt to bring honor to our self instead of to God that we will be abased.  On the other hand, if we humble our self before God and man we will be exalted.  We should never do anything for God to bring glory to our self.

Matthew 22::31

 Matthew 22:31says, But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,  Jesus then addressed the resurrection of the dead, which the Sadducees did not believe in, and asked if they had not read the scriptures concerning this.  Verse thirty-two adds, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  Jesus said that God proclaimed Himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and since God is not the God of the dead but of the living, then they would have had to be resurrected.  Verse thirty-three states, And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.  Once again, when the multitude heard Jesus, they were astounded at His doctrine.  Verse thirty-four declares, But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.  When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, but not to worship Jesus or even to learn from His teachings.  Verse thirty-five adds, Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question in order to tempt Him.  Verse thirty-six asks, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  The lawyer thought that he could trap Jesus by getting Him to declare one of the commandments to be greater than another.  The lawyer thought that he knew the law of God better than Jesus did.  We should never think that we know the law or anything else better than Jesus does.  Verse thirty-seven declares, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This basically took care of the commandments concerning God.  Then verse thirty-eight adds, This is the first and great commandment.  Jesus said this is the first and great commandment, and until we accept it, we cannot keep the others.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   Though not asked, Jesus said the second commandment was like the first, and that is that we love our neighbor as our self.  If we do this, then the rest of the ten commandments will take care of them self. Verse forty continues, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  Jesus tells us that all the other commandments hang on these two, and the second one really isn't a part of the Ten Commandments.  Verse forty-one states, While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,  While the Pharisees were still gathered together, Jesus then asked them a question.  Verse forty-two asks,  Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. Jesus asked the Pharisees who they thought that Christ, the  Messiah, was.  This is the ultimate question that we must all answer.  They said the son of David, which would make Him an earthly ruler and not the Son of God, which would make Him a spiritual ruler.  Verse forty-three then asks, He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,  Verse forty-four adds, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?  Jesus said if Christ was the son of David, then why did David in the Spirit call Him Lord.  David recognized that he was but a servant of God, and his children would be also, at best.  He did not declare himself to be the spiritual savior of Israel.  Verse forty-five continues, If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?  Jesus asked how David could call Christ Lord if He were David's physical son.  Verse forty-six concludes, And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.  No one, even the Pharisee who was a  lawyer could answer the question that Jesus posed, and from that day forward, no one asked Him any more questions.  There comes a time when we must quit questioning Who Jesus is, and either accept Him as the only Savior that there is or reject Him altogether.  The choice is always up to each individual.

Matthew 22:15

 Matthew 22:15 says, Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.  The Pharisees, some of  the most religious of God's chosen people, got together to plot against Jesus.  Verse sixteen adds,  And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.  The Pharisees sent their disciples, along with some Herodians, those who worshipped Herod, to Jesus basically flattering Him.  They said they knew that He was no respecter of people because of who they were.  It is sad when God's people get together with those who are not his people, especially those who worship false gods, and attempt to discredit God.  Verse seventeen says, Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?  After saying that they knew Jesus was no respecter of people, they asked Jesus if He thought it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar.  They thought if Jesus said yes that they could accuse Him of being hypocritical, and if He said no that they could accuse Him of defying Caesar.  Verse eighteen declares, But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?  Jesus understood what they were up to and asked why they tempted Him.  We are never going to outsmart God.  Verse nineteen adds, Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.  Jesus told this group of religious and governmental people to bring Him some tribute money and they brought Him a penny.  Verse twenty continues, And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?  Jesus asked them whose image and superscription were on the coin.  Verse twenty-one says, They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.  The group said that it was Caesar's image and superscription on the coin.  Jesus then said for them to render unto Caesar what was Caesar's, and unto God what was God's.  Verse twenty-two proclaims, When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.  When they heard Jesus' answer, they marveled and went on their way.  All we can ever do when we ask a question of God, for whatever reason. is to marvel when He gives us the answer, and accept it and go on our way.  Verse twenty-three states, The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,  Now the Sadducees, who didn't believe in life after death came to Jesus asking Him a question.  Verse twenty-four says, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.  The Sadducees started by citing a teaching of Moses concerning a married man who died having no children and the fact that his brother was supposed to marry the wife to produce and heir for the dead brother.  Verse twenty-five adds, Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:  The Sadducees referred to seven brothers, the oldest of which was married and died without having a child.  Verse twenty-six continues, Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.  All the other seven brothers in order married the woman and died without producing an heir.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, And last of all the woman died also.  This was quite a tragic story.  Verse twenty-eight asks, Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.  The Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection, asked Jesus whose wife would the woman be in heaven, since she had been married to all of them.  This was simply another attempt by religious leaders to discredit Jesus.  Verse twenty-nine declares, Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.  Jesus told these religious leaders that they erred, not knowing the scriptures and the power of God.  The fact that these Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection proved that they did not know either.  We need to be careful that our beliefs do not contradict God's word.  Verse thirty adds, For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.  Jesus said in the resurrection, none marry or are given in marriage.  Marriage is an institution that ends at death, according to the Bible.  The Sadducees thought they could get Jesus to say something contradictory to either God's word or the resurrection, but once again, those who would attempt to discredit Jesus failed, as people always will when attempting to discredit Him.

Matthew 22:1

Matthew 22:1 says, And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,  Verse two adds, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,  Jesus spoke another parable, this one about a king who prepared a marriage feast for his son.  Verse three states, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.  The king sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding, and they would not come.  Verse four adds,   Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  The king once again sent his servants and told those who were invited that the food was prepared and everything was ready.  Verse five declares, But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  Many of those who were invited made light of the second call, and went about life as usual.  Verse six adds, And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  Some of the others invited took the servants and killed them.  Verse seven declares, But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  When the king heard what had happened, he was angry and sent an army to destroy those who had refused to come to the wedding.  Verse eight says, Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  The king told the servants that the wedding was ready, but that those who had been invited were not worthy to come.  Verse nine adds, Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.  The king sent his servants into the highways and told them to invite as many as the met to come to the wedding.  Verse ten continues, So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.  The servants got people they found, both good and bad, to come to the wedding and participate in the feast afterwards.  God has prepared a wedding feast for His Son, Jesus Christ, and those invited first, the Jews, have refused to come.  Not only that, but at times they even killed His servants.  Because of that, the invitation to the wedding went out to the Gentiles, both good and bad, and those who come through faith in Jesus Christ will avoid facing the wrath of God.  We today simply have to heed God's call to the wedding feast, or salvation.  Verse eleven declares, And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:  Verse twelve adds, And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  When the king came in to the wedding he found a man who was not dressed in wedding garments.  I believe the wedding garments indicate faith in Christ, and there will be some who attempt to slip into the wedding feast without putting their faith in Jesus Christ, and it will not work.  Verse thirteen concludes, Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  The man who was not properly dressed was bound and cast into outer darkness.  Each person has to decide whether they want to come to the wedding feast of Christ, and we can only do so by coming by faith in salvation provided by Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection in atonement for our sins.  Verse fourteen proclaims, For many are called, but few are chosen.  All people are called to salvation, but only those who come to God through faith in Jesus Christ will be chosen to receive salvation.  There is no other way that we can somehow sneak into heaven. 

Matthew 21:33

 Matthew 21:33 says, Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:  Jesus told another parable, this time about a man who fixed up his property very nice and then rented it to husbandmen.  Verse thirty-four adds, And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.  When harvest time came near, the man sent his servants to collect what was owed to the man.  Verse thirty-five declares, And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.  The  husbandmen beat one servant, killed another and stoned another.  Verse thirty-six says, Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.  The owner sent more servants and they were treated the same way.  He could have sent an bunch of armed servants, or maybe even have gone to the authorities, but he once gain sent servants instead of coming in power against the husbandman.  Verse thirty-seven declares, But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.  Finally the owner sent his son saying that surely they would reverence him.  Verse thirty-eight declares, But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.  Instead of reverencing the son, the husbandmen decided to kill him and seize his inheritance.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.  They caught the son, cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Verse forty asks, When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  When the Lord of the vineyard came, and he certainly would, what did those hearing the parable think that he would do to the husbandmen?  Verse forty-one says, They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.  They said that the owner would utterly destroy the wicked man and let the vineyard out to others that they might collect the harvest for the owner.  Verse forty-two declares,. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  Jesus asked these religious leaders if they had never read in the scriptures where it said that the stone that they rejected would be the head of the corner, or cornerstone, and that it would be marvelous in their eyes.  Verse forty-three adds, Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  Jesus told the chief priests and scribes that the kingdom of God would be taken from Israel and given to a nation bringing forth fruit for the kingdom of God.  In the parable God was the Owner, Israel was the husbandmen, Jesus was the Son, and the Gentiles were the ones the land was given to to bring forth the harvest.  Verse forty-four continues, And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  Anyone who fell on the Stone would be broken, but anyone that the Stone fell on would be ground into powder.  If we fall on Jesus for salvation, we are  broken to self and sin, and if we do not fall on Him and accept Him as our Savior and Lord, then one day we will face Him as our judge.  Verse forty-five declares, And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.   When the chief priests and Pharisees heard the parable, they knew that Jesus spoke about them.  In order for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross\s to have meaning to us, we must first recognize that it applies to us.  Verse forty-six  concludes, But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.  The chief priests sand Pharisees would have taken Jesus, just like the husbandmen in the parable, but they feared the crowds, who at this time were still following Jesus.