Message Notes

INTERMEDIATE SUNDAY SCHOOL 2 FEBRUARY 2025
STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Text: Matthew 23

31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

Matthew 23:31-33

1. An important word of warning

a) The scribes and Pharisees

b) They are “witnesses against yourselves”

i) Their words

ii) Their deeds

c) They are the sons of those who murdered the prophets

i) They too were guilty of murdering the righteous

ii) They did not help the poor and needy

iii) They used the law to prosecute people for monetary gain

2. References to those who were guilty of such things

a) The killing of priests 1 Samuel 22

i) King Saul

ii) Doeg the Edomite

b) The killing of Naboth of Jezreel

i) King Ahab and Queen Jezebel

ii) The elders and nobles condemned a righteous man to death 1 Kings 21

FILLING UP THE MEASURE OF GUILT

1. The guilt of the forefathers

2. The guilt of the scribes and Pharisees

3. The guilt would add up till the measure is full

4. Then would judgment be fall upon them

5. Principles of Judgment

a) Retrospection

b) Recompense

c) Judgment would come from the Lord

ANOTHER STRONG DESCRIPTION OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

1. Serpents

2. Brood of vipers

3. This was the description of John the Baptiser too

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:7-10

a) John spoke directly to

i) The Pharisees

ii) The Sadducees

b) They were called “a brood of vipers”

c) He spoke of a wrath to come

d) He warned of condemnation

e) John warned of being thrown into the fire to be burned

f) The Lord Jesus warned of “the condemnation of hell”

VITAL LESSONS

1. The danger of continuing in sin

2. The danger of judgment

3. The ultimate danger is that of hell