The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia Text from Matthew 23:34-39 Christmas I 1. Our text is found in what has been called the most crowded of all the recorded days of Jesus. It was Tuesday of holy week, only three days before His crucifixion. Jesus spent the morning in the Temple, Mt. 21:23--23:39, testifying, teaching and debating with chief priests, scribes, elders and Pharisees. It was His final attempt to convert them. Mt. 23:16-29 contains the final seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees and vs. 39 is one of the saddest vss. in the Bible. There is a church on the slopes of the Mt. of Olives which is called "Dominus Flevit" which means "The Lord wept." It commemorates vs. 39. 2. Jesus called the Jewish leaders blind guides, hypocrites and murderers in vss. 16-32. They appeared very pious but were very wicked in their hearts. They had refused to repent and accept Jesus. Therefore, Jesus warns them about judgment which would come upon them. The word "generation" in vs. 36 means the Jews as a people throughout the New Testament times. Why are the Jews constantly plagued by other people. Here we have the answer. 3. Jn. 1:11 reads: "He came to His own but His own did not receive Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Is. 53:3. 4. The word "therefore" in vs. 34 points back to all the sins of vss. 13-33. Because of their murderous attitude toward the prophets, Jesus would send "prophets, wise men and scribes." These words represent the apostles. Read the book of Acts, for example 7:58; 8:3; 9:1.2; Gal. 1:13.14.23; Acts 23:6-9. All the Apostles died violent deaths except John. The Jews hated especially St. Paul. He had been a Christ-hater, a Pharisee, but the Lord converted him. There were thousands of righteous people in the 0T all the way from Abel to Zacharias, II Chron. 24:20.21, who were killed simply because they were righteous Jesus said that all this blood would come back on God's people, the Jews who rejected Jesus. 5. The treatment toward the Apostles, Prophets and Evangelists by the Jews was very similar to their treatment of Jesus. Vs. 34. Those who believe in Jesus can expect to be treated like Jesus was treated. Read Jn. 16:1-4. Jesus warned His disciples about what was coming so that they would not be offended in Him. But He also promised to be with them to the end of the world. He was their Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble. Jn. 14:1-4. 6. Vss. 37-39 are some of the most heart-rending vss. in the Bible. They are similar to Paul's words at Rom. 9:1-5 or those of David for his son Absolom at II Sam. 18:33. In vs. 37 Jesus says: "I wanted, but you refused." He wanted to save them as a hen wants to save her chicks but they refused. Actually, this illustration is contrary to nature. Chicks never reject the held of the mother hen. The Jews were far more stupid than baby chicks. Really, the only point of comparison between the hen and Jesus is the love with which He loved the Jews. 7. Vs. 38 makes the point that if people reject Jesus and His Gospel there is no hope. He abandons them. That is the beginning of hell. Jesus cried on the cross: "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" For the moment God had abandoned Jesus to suffer the pains of hell. To be abandoned by God and His mercy is a terribly fearful matter. 8. Some take vs. 39 to mean the final judgment. That may be. Rom, 11:1 reads: "God has not rejected His people, has He? By no means!" He has not rejected them. They rejected Him. And the clear meaning of Rom. 11:26 is that all elect, both Jews and Gentiles will be saved. Therefore Mt. 23:39 means that the Jews would not see Jesus until the would be converted. Paul was converted. Felix Mendelssohn was converted. Alfred Edersheim, the great English Jewish Christian scholar, was converted. They say: "Blessed is He Who comes in the Lord's name." The Sermon Outline of Harold Buls On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia Text from Matthew 23:34-39 Christmas I THEME: The Sad Story of The Jews INTRODUCTION: God chose the Jews as His covenant beagle at Abraham's time 2000 B.C. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were faithful to the Lord The descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob inherited the promised land. But the Jewish people lost it because of godlessness and unbelief. But God still loved them. He sent His only Son, Jesus. They rejected Him. Then He sent the Apostles. They rejected them. Since then their house has become desolate. They suffer because of their rejection. They are a warning to us. I. WHAT GOD DID FOR THEM (This part is not found in the text but necessary.) A. He gave them the Gospel through Abraham, the father of believers. Read Rom. 4, Gal. 3 and Heb. 7. The Gospel had been promised in the Garden of Eden. But it really blossomed at Abraham's time. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. He knew and believed that he was saved by grace through faith in Christ. Read Jn. 8:37-59. That's why he was called the father of all believers. B. He gave them the Law through Moses. Jn. 1:17. The moral law, the ten commandments, were necessary to show people their sin. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." He gave them also the ceremonial law which foreshadowed the Messiah. And He repeated the Gospel promises also in the five books of Moses. C. He gave them the Prophets and David. Jesus mentioned these prophets in vs. 37. They were God's method of gathering Israel just as a hen gathers her chicks. And finally God gave them His only Son, Jesus. All of this is summarized by Paul at Rom. 9:l-5. The greatest glory of the Jews was that Christ was born of them. Lk. 2:32. II. HOW THEY TREATED GOD A. They utterly rejected His messengers. They stoned and killed the prophets of the 0T. They killed John the Baptist. They crucified the greatest messenger, Jesus. Jesus prophesies the coming of the Apostles in vs. 34. The Book of Acts is a lengthy testimony of how the Jews rejected the Apostles from Peter to Paul. B. They obstinately hardened their hearts against God and His Word. They became like Pharaoh in Egypt. The more God sent Moses to Pharaoh, the more Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, His Word and His messengers. III. HOW GOD REACTED TO THEIR REJECTION A. He gave them forty more years of mercy. From the time of Jesus' resurrection until the Destruction of Jerusalem there is a span of forty years, from 30 to 70 A.D. That's the span of time Jesus speaks about in vs. 34. It is recorded in the Book of Acts. God sent the Apostles first to the Jews. Paul and Barnabas speak about it at Acts 13:46. At that point they turned to the Gentiles. But throughout the Book of Acts the elect among the Jews are converted. B. Their Temple was destroyed. This is mentioned in vs. 38. Jesus predicted this at Lk. 21:20-24. The actual destruction is told by the historian Josephus. At that time the Jews were dispersed throughout the world. The main point is that God abandoned them so that they do not even know the true God. They won't see Him til they repent. C. Vengeance would come upon them. Read vss: 35-36. Because the Jews were going to kill, crucify, beat and pursue those whom Christ would send to them after His Ascension the Lord would and did avenge them with all the innocent blood which was shed in the 0.T all the way from Abel, Gen. 4:8 to Zacharias, II Chron. 24:20. In other words, ALL the innocent blood would come back on the Jews. It is still happening. CONCLUSION: As Paul says at I Cor. 10:12: "Let him who thinks he is standing take heed lest he falls." I am no better than God's chosen people. On my own I have no more strength to fight the devil, the world and the flesh than did God's chosen people. Lord, have mercy!! ______________________________________________________________ This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary. E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu archives: www.ctsfw.edu/etext Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________