Beholding Jesus

Jesus came to Earth to die for our sins, but He also had an active ministry while He was here. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and even turned water into wine. Jesus made wrong right. He is the ultimate good and through Him we have all of our strength. We can take no credit.. we owe it to God. This chapter was part of one of Jesus’ last sermons in the synagogue before the last supper, and His crucifixion. His “final address” if you will.

23:1- 5 Jesus spoke to the multitudes and disciples… (there had to be scribes and Pharisees present)… He commands the multitudes to respect the scribes Pharisees, because they sat in Moses’ seat. They were to follow their direction, but not to follow their example, because it was contrary. (Do as I say and not as I do?) Funny how this represents a lot of parents nowadays. Jesus explains that they “bind heavy burdens that are hard to bear”, while they will not move them with “one finger”. They speak tough truth! Tough righteousness! And yet they will not touch it with one finger. The works that they do, are only to gain credit from man. The purpose of their doing this work was not to be righteous before God, but to be righteous before man! They love the credit of man. What was the reaction of this message by the people? They were shown to be let down by their leaders. The leadership of their nation was exposed to be hypocritical. They had the word knowledge right, but no revelation, not enough to change their lives. It is one thing to have head knowledge, as I have had. These scribes and Pharisees grew up with knowledge of the Christ, in fact, were waiting for Him! Because they had head knowledge, and pride, so much so to blind them from the one thing they were looking for! How dangerous is pride! They end up, in the “interest of the nation” end up crucifying Jesus.

“If we cannot turn to them? Who can we turn to?” Perhaps a feeling of desperation and need for things to be made right! The Pharisees and scribes, since they were just described as loving the opinion and pride of man, were probably completely embarrassed. Exposed. Naked. Maybe some of them began to see the desperation of their souls?

I think that was Jesus’ intention. But most of them hardened their hearts even further, as the same people were about to crucify Christ. They were looking for the Christ, but were blinded by their pride.

23:6-12 “…they love the best places in the synagogues.” They love the titles. They love the recognition. “…Rabbi! Rabbi!” But Jesus says One is your teacher. He who is greatest will be your servant. He who is greatest will lead by example, and not by word alone. He who is greatest will care genuinely. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. Whoever cares about himself more then others will be stripped of his false image of righteousness. Whatever can be shaken will be shaken, out of the goodness of God’s just and righteous heart.

23:13-29 “…Woe to you!” They are hypocritical. Jesus shows them how. Again, how they were not convicted and quickly moved to change is beyond me. Pride is blinding! They shut up the kingdom, not going in, and stopping others. Devouring widows houses as a pretense to pray. Traveling for missions, making simple converts, and then by example leading them astray into lies and deceit. Swearing by the temple as if its worth nothing, but swearing by the gold as if its worth more. Misplaced priorities are revealed. Your heart focus truly shown! That people would have more focus on things of the world then things of God. Money is the root of all evil. How often does this happen in the church today? Strict about tithes but missing justice, mercy, and faith. Straining a gnat and missing the camel. Again, priorities? The root of evil hiding behind so-called “righteousness”. Its an appearance, but a white washed tomb is still full of bones.

23:29-35 – Jesus calls out the scribes and high ranking religious officials on so called honor of the prophets. They honored their graves saying “Oh if only it was in our time, we would not have been so blind! We would not have persecuted you!”. In reality, they were about to crucify God’s son.

Who was a lot harder to miss then any other prophet in existence! He had just raised Lazarus from the dead! What could have moved them to such blindness? Misplaced priorities and pride?

The desire for power so great that they were not willing to give it up? To the point where the more that the people exalted Jesus, the more they wanted Him dead. Like Saul who, was so jealous for attention that He wanted to kill David. The call to servanthood, I think, could be there for protection against this level of mind numbing pride. What if the Pharisees’ motivation was to serve the people? To be lowest?

23:31-39 – Jesus goes prophetic on ‘em! They were witnesses against themselves! They were hypocrites! How Jesus must have longed for these who knew the Bible so well in and out to come to the realization of who He was! They were so close. But they had pursued knowledge of Him in pride for themselves. I must be careful of studying to Bible to be the next hotshot preacher! Wicked! Pride drove Satan against God and brought complete insanity. Who stands against God? I dare not let my pride get to that point. I must chase servanthood for my own safety! As much as I feel the call to lead, I must never forget the danger of allowing pride room in my life. Pride and money, in this chapter, are the roots of the Pharisees and scribes downfall. Jesus predicts prophets, wise-men, and scribes enduring killing, scourging, and crucifixion by their hands. Jesus laments over this. He describes His love for Israel and finished by saying this: “See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”.

What is interesting is that shortly after that Israel was destroyed as a nation. In the last century they were recognized as a nation again. What does this mean? Christ is not coming back to Israel until the religious leaders declare that He comes in the name of God. (ref. Psalm 118) Two centuries ago we would have considered this prophecy impossible. But God’s word never returns void (as history has proven!). When the religious leaders declare this from the platform, we will see Jesus again! Until then, may we learn from their example and not be blinded by our own pride.