Life of Christ Lesson 129: The Woe Sermon - Part II {Harsh Words for Hypocrites}

Matthew 23:13-39; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47 Matthew chapter 23 contains the last words the Lord Jesus ever spoke in the confines of the Temple walls. They were the harshest words He ever spoke and, not surprisingly, they were directed at the false leaders of Israel who held themselves out to be God's servants when in reality they were deceivers, hypocrites, liars, murderers, and the children of Satan himself. The words Christ spoke in His eleventh recorded sermon are often referred to corporately as "The Denunciation Discourse" or "The Woe Discourse" - because He pronounced seven "woe judgments" on Israel's religious leadership. By way of those pronounced "woes," He was giving seven reasons for the judgment soon to fall on Israel. Her judgment came because the false Pharisaic system of Judaism led the nation to reject her long-awaited Messiah and Saviour! The Lord Jesus called the nation's leaders hypocrites for: (1) Shutting-up the Kingdom of Heaven, (2) Stealing from Widows, (3) Sending Men to Hell, (4) Swearing for Gain, (5) Straining at Gnats, (6) Scrubbing the Eternals, and (7) Slaying the Righteous.