Matthew tells us the Jesus “went out from the temple.” All of Jesus’ discourses since Matthew 21:23 have been in the temple courts.
Here, after He has rendered the powerful denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. This is His last public teaching. It is over a tragic moment. It appears the disciples want to divert His attention from such a scathing message delivered to the scribes and Pharisees to relieve the thoughts and move attention, the point out the beautiful stone, polished marble buildings of the temple.
Herod the Great had begun to build the temple, but not yet completed. Jesus must have had a flood of gloomy feelings knowing these stones would topple and drastically fall after his prophecy of the temple’s destruction.
It appears the disciples were astonished beyond belief and wondering how this could be and how could this beautiful temple and Jerusalem be destroyed? Let’s ask the question, what had Jesus prophesied in that teaching in the temple?
What Jesus said is a warning against hypocrisy in Matthew 23. He taught, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus speaks woes on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees “Woe (shame on you) to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
“So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore, I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
“And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
“For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” This scathing descriptive message doesn’t only apply to the hearers of 29A.D., the message is dateless and applies to NOW!
Thanks for reading! Jeanette Grattan Parker is the founder-superintendent of Today’s Fresh Start Charter School, 4514 Crenshaw Boulevard, L.A. 90043, 323-293-9826, www.todaysfreshstart.org, (Ask Dr. Jeanette TM) “Inquiring Minds Want to Know.” All articles are copyright. All rights reserved © Errors? Or Questions? Please let me know. Join Sundays for music and message at 11:30 a.m. by calling (712) 775-8971, code 266751.
