Children of Them Which Killed the Prophets - Matthew 23:31

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus in addition to other warnings said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse thirty-one of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus said the “scribes and Pharisees” were “witnesses unto themselves” that they were “the children of the which killed the prophets” where we read:

Wherefore you are witnesses unto yourselves,

that you are the children of them which killed the prophets.

The verse reads, “Wherefore you are witnesses unto yourselves, ...” Matthew began with the word, “wherefore you” which means “therefore, then, consequently and these things being so the scribes and Pharisees” “are witnesses” or “were as those who affirm that they have seen, heard or experienced something” “unto yourselves” which refers to “toward the scribes and Pharisees themselves”. Matthew shared how Jesus concluded the “scribes and Pharisees” to be ones who “affirmed” things about themselves.

The verse goes on to say, “... that you are the children of them which killed the prophets.” Matthew continued with the words, “that you are the children” which means “that the scribes and Pharisees were the offspring and descendants” “of them” which refers to “of the ones in the past” “which killed” which means “who slayed and murdered” “the prophets” or “the ones who were moved by the Spirit of God and hence they were organs or spokesmen who solemnly declare to men what they have received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation”. Matthew shared how Jesus declared the “scribes and Pharisees” to be the “offspring” of the people who “murdered” the “prophets” of old.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “scribes and Pharisees” implicated themselves by behaving the way they did. Rather than actually be different than those who preceded them, they were exactly like them. God desires for people to understand who they really are in His eyes, and everyone is in need of the “Savior Jesus Christ”. God sent His Son Jesus to “save” people from their sins, and when they “believe and trust” in Him, they shall receive “everlasting life” and have no need to pretend they are “better than” those from the past.

Next time we see Matthew write how Jesus tells the “scribes and Pharisees” how they, “fill up then the measure of your fathers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.