Introduction:
One of the more difficult passages of scripture. Our Lord here kind of shocks us. While we might go to an invite of an enemy we can’t leave our Christianity at the door. We can be silent. Our allegiance must be to God. This is shocking because He is making harsh strong judgments. This magnifies the dangers of false teaching. He was straight forward to tell them the truth. That was not acceptable to them and it isn’t acceptable today. There is mercy here because some of the people here may have repented and believed and escaped eternal damnation. It was a mercy on the people who followed these false teachers. The highest religious elites at the time of Jesus were these false teachers.
A lawyer speaks up (v45.).
The 1st woe was that they misinterpret the scripture and the law. Instead of freedom – slavery. V46 – They added to the law a myriad of burdens. Their addition was not from God. They also subtracted from the law by taking out mercy and grace. The promise that the Lord will provide a savior. What we see here is God loves His people. He wants to relieve their burdens. He is rightfully angry. God wants to relieve your burden.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29 NASB1995
False religion hates those who proclaim the word and they persecute them. 2nd Woe 47-54
V47-48 Jesus is reestablishing the connection between them and their fathers who killed the prophets God sent before them. The scribes and pharisees tried to distance themselves from them. They tried by building tombs for them.
““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” Matthew 23:29-31 NASB1995
Jeremiah 7:25-26“Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, bu t stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers.”
The scribes and pharisees hated the Word of God and they weren’t going to listen. Every generation got worse and worse right up until the day Christ came. Jesus rightly condemns them here. Luke 9:51 – He started on a journey to Jerusalem He is going to where the prophets went to die. In 11:16 the demand a sign. This was promoted by the pharisees. They hate Christ. They are opposing His prophetic message. Jesus knows they want to and will kill Him. The prophets taught was Jesus taught. The prophets taught about one to come and fulfill the law. And now He comes and what do they do? They reject Him and desire to kill Him. Matthew 23 – You are sons of those who murder the prophets. In Luke 20 the parable of the vineyard.
“But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’” Luke 20:14 NASB1995
God planned this
“For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,” Luke 11:49-50 NASB1995
V50-51 Why all the blood of the prophets put on this generation? Because they killed the messiah. They had more guilt because they had Word and the all the prophets God has sent before them. They knew the law, they studied it, they memorized it. They also had John the baptist. What did they do to John? They killed them. They will not only kill Jesus but will kill the apostles after Him. They filled up the measure of their guilt. 3x Jesus said blood.
V51- Abel to the blood of Zechariah. Zechariah was stoned to death.
““But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near.” Luke 21:20 NASB1995
Luke 11:45-54 (NKJV) 45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 “Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 “In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. 52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” 53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail [Him] vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.