Jesus Condemns Hypocrisy
JESUS CONDEMNS HYPOCRISY
Sunday (9/22), gather with your church family as we continue in Matthew’s Gospel (23:13-39).
In the final week of His life, Jesus was on the Temple Mount and had silenced His harshest critics. Patiently, He had in times past taken the time to answer their unscrupulous questions, but now the time had passed.
With them still standing amid the multitude, Jesus begins His severest condemnation of their flagrant hypocrisy. A group of religious leaders who had one time been trustworthy men who had been entrusted with the spiritual lives of Israel.
But now, due to their apostasy, they were leading Israel down a path of destruction. So, Jesus condemns their hypocrisy and warns that if they do not stop what they are doing, repent, and turn to God, they will stand face to face with God and be cast into the lake of fire.
The multitude must have been shocked to hear someone confront their leaders. They would have never said anything like this, even if they did harbor those thoughts in their hearts.
At the same time, it must have been refreshing for someone to call them out for their hypocrisy. Their apostasy wasn’t something that had suddenly sprung up, thus defiling their ministry. It was something they had nurtured and perpetuated for years.
Yet, Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees wasn’t a sudden eruption of boiling rage. Instead, His love for righteousness and hatred of wickedness moved Him to condemn their actions, hoping to penetrate their hardened hearts.
It was also one of His last opportunities to warn the multitude not unquestioningly to continue to follow these false teachers. Because if they did, they would face the same sentence of eternal death that they would.
Finally, for those devoted followers of His, it was an opportunity to equip themselves to guard their hearts, fill in the gap where the Pharisees fell short, and earn the trust of the multitude so that they may lead them to a living and vibrant faith in the Son of God.
There are several opportunities for worship: on-campus (10:00 a.m.), drive-in church (92.1fm), and online (Facebook and YouTube: Calvary Inverness).
IN HIS STRONG LOVE,
Pastor
Sunday (9/22), gather with your church family as we continue in Matthew’s Gospel (23:13-39).
In the final week of His life, Jesus was on the Temple Mount and had silenced His harshest critics. Patiently, He had in times past taken the time to answer their unscrupulous questions, but now the time had passed.
With them still standing amid the multitude, Jesus begins His severest condemnation of their flagrant hypocrisy. A group of religious leaders who had one time been trustworthy men who had been entrusted with the spiritual lives of Israel.
But now, due to their apostasy, they were leading Israel down a path of destruction. So, Jesus condemns their hypocrisy and warns that if they do not stop what they are doing, repent, and turn to God, they will stand face to face with God and be cast into the lake of fire.
The multitude must have been shocked to hear someone confront their leaders. They would have never said anything like this, even if they did harbor those thoughts in their hearts.
At the same time, it must have been refreshing for someone to call them out for their hypocrisy. Their apostasy wasn’t something that had suddenly sprung up, thus defiling their ministry. It was something they had nurtured and perpetuated for years.
Yet, Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees wasn’t a sudden eruption of boiling rage. Instead, His love for righteousness and hatred of wickedness moved Him to condemn their actions, hoping to penetrate their hardened hearts.
It was also one of His last opportunities to warn the multitude not unquestioningly to continue to follow these false teachers. Because if they did, they would face the same sentence of eternal death that they would.
Finally, for those devoted followers of His, it was an opportunity to equip themselves to guard their hearts, fill in the gap where the Pharisees fell short, and earn the trust of the multitude so that they may lead them to a living and vibrant faith in the Son of God.
There are several opportunities for worship: on-campus (10:00 a.m.), drive-in church (92.1fm), and online (Facebook and YouTube: Calvary Inverness).
IN HIS STRONG LOVE,
Pastor
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