Bethlehem Baptist Church
Sunday Morning 03/29/26
  • 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

      • Genesis 1:1ESV

  • Introduction:
    Cemetery structures
    Cube in a cemetery
    Matthew 23:29–39 ESV
    29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
    Pray
    Have you ever seen one of those kids that sticks their fingers in their ears and claims that they can’t hear you?
    We call that childish behavior and yet that is the type of thing these leaders were doing.
    In fact, it is the type of thing that so many people do regarding Christ. They see the evidence and it is overwhelming in pointing to His identity as the Son of God. He is the truth and yet people would rather listen to a lie.

    1. A Warning to Heed (vv.29-31)

    Matthew 23:29–31 ESV
    29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
    Pharisees align themselves with their fathers unaware
    They claim that they would not have done what their father’s did, but their unbelief is even greater
    They saw Jesus
    They saw the miracles that Jesus performed
    They attributed the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus to Satan
    They made monuments to holy people and saints, but they would not have listened to their messages
    Tombs like the tomb of David could be readily seen in Jesus’s day from the temple mount
    Application:
    How often do we tend to focus on the exterior while neglected the inside?
    We listen to our favorite pastors and Bible teachers, but we fail to honor God or do what He tells us to do in His Word or through their sermons and messages.
    The tombs were an outward display of devotion to God’s messengers and to the Lord Himself, but inwardly the only focus of the Pharisees was on their own personal gain. How has then been true in your life?
    Are you a Christian on the outside, but dead on the inside?

    2. A Prophecy of What is Coming (vv.32-36)

    Matthew 23:32–36 ESV
    32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
    Jesus lays on them the guilt of all of the wicked
    From Abel to Zechariah refers to all of the evil done against God’s servants from the first account in the Bible in Genesis to the last recorded account in 2 Chronicles
    It is possible that Jesus is referring to another Zechariah or that he is referring to Zechariah by another name since the Zechariah recorded in 2 Chronicles was the son of Jehoida.
    This is consistent with Old Testament naming conventions because they didn’t have a surname like we do and names could change based on the referent
    Jesus may be referring to him because his tomb could be visible from the temple mount
    The tomb of Zechariah son of Jehoiada can be seen outside Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley1, which positioned it for visibility from the Temple Mount area. This tomb stood in the Kedron Valley on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives opposite the eastern wall of Herod’s Temple Mount2, making it part of a prominent row of monumental structures that would have been clearly visible from the Temple precinct.
    The tomb itself was architecturally impressive. The “Tomb of Zechariah” formed part of a neat row on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives opposite the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount, alongside the Bene-Ḥezir Tomb and the “Tomb of Jehoshaphat” behind “Absalom’s Pillar”3. These monumental tombs shared common characteristics: palatial dimensions with multiple spots for burial, ornately decorated facades, and structures outside that served as monuments to the persons buried inside. (study assistant)
    The point is that they are responsible for “filling up” the cup of God’s wrath
    God is patient with the wicked to an extent
    Ezekiel 18:23 ESV
    23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
    God doesn’t get pleasure out of destroying the wicked and He sends plenty of warnings
    He sent the prophets to the forefathers of the Pharisees
    He is pronouncing these woes as warnings to the people, but within ear shot of the Pharisees who will listen
    He is going to continue to send disciples and martyrs to them to testify, even though they will have them flogged and killed
    The patience of God will eventually run out and it will be time for His judgment
    Revelation 20:11–15 ESV
    11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
    The Pharisees were worried about cleaning cups and plates but not about the cup of God’s wrath
    Application
    Have you heeded the warnings that God has sent to you?
    Every time you see someone arrested for a crime on the news or social media channels, do you cast judgment over them or do you stop and pray and ask God to prevent you from falling into the same traps of sin?
    Any one of us have the same evil potential in our hearts
    It is the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit that saves us from making these same mistakes and sinning grievously against God
    Thank God for that and submit to the Holy Spirit in faith

    3. A Lament Over Unbelief (vv.37-39)

    Matthew 23:37–39 ESV
    37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
    Jesus closes by turning to the city
    Perhaps Jesus is now outside the city and climbing up the Mount of Olives (the text doesn’t specify)
    He might have looked back across the Kidron Valley back at the city
    Jesus laments that this same city which He has just entered a few days prior was so unaware of the presence of their Messiah and would demand His death in just a few days time
    They lived in ignorant bliss, but their is a warning in Jesus’ lament
    A time is coming when judgment will fall on the city
    Jesus refers to the destruction of the city by the Romans
    It would not be a time of peace
    It would be a time of war and pestilence and famine and death
    The destruction of Jerusalem foreshadows the future destruction to come on the ungodly
    In the same way that the Pharisees can be said to be the representatives of all of the wicked generations that have gone before them, Jerusalem represents all of the wicked cities that have existed before
    In Revelation - Babylon and Egypt and Sodom
    Revelation 11:7–8 ESV
    7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.
    Conclusion:
    Is it the will of God to punish the wicked based on what Jesus says here?
    yes and no
    Yes, God’s holiness demands that He punish the wicked and He is glorified in that act
    Our sins are an incredible offense against the holiness of God
    They are not trivial
    They are not mistakes, they are treason
    We willfully blaspheme God when we sin and rightfully deserve punishment
    No, God does not desire the wicked to be punished
    While God desires all men to be saved, He doesn’t bring about the salvation of every man
    He has sovereignly chosen to save some and left others in their sin
    How do you know which side you are on?
    Based on what your response will be
    The Pharisees had a real chance to repent and accept Jesus?
    Matthew 23:37 ESV
    37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
    Jesus was extended a real invitation to His people to accept Him, but they would not have Him
    What will your response be?
    yes
    you recognize the guilt of your sin and the dangerous condition of your soul
    you trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross to save you
    You turn to Christ and live
    No
    you continue to walk in your own self-righteousness
    You fill up the measure of God’s wrath in your sins
    You receive the due punishment and bear the full weight of God’s wrath for your sins
    For the believer, will you stay the course and persevere in the midst of trials and tribulations?
    Will you tell others as God’s ambassadors so that they can avoid the doom of their destiny without Christ and turn to Him and be saved?
    This is serious business and it deman

      • Luke 19:28-30ESV

      • Luke 19:31-34ESV

      • Luke 19:35-37ESV

      • Luke 19:38-41ESV

      • Luke 19:42-43ESV

      • Luke 19:44ESV

  • Come Unto Jesus
Bethlehem Baptist Church
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