The King’s Woeful Rebuke (Matthew 23)

Introduction

When you travel and driving on long trips, how often are you tempted to put the pedal to try and make great time? That temptation exists for many of us, if we are honest with ourselves. But what happens inevitably as we see that police car sitting in the median, shooting radar or even more so, as he has someone else pulled over? 

The simple sight of the cop forces us to slow down and carefully check our own speed and hopefully learn from other’s mistakes. For in seeing another being disciplined, facing the consequences for their actions, can serve to our benefit if we will learn from their mistakes. 

This can be the great benefit if you are a younger sibling, you learn not to disobey in the same way as your older sibling, so that you don’t face the same consequences. 

In our sermon passage this morning, we get this benefit. We get the benefit from hearing the consequences for others actions, as Jesus warns us to carefully pay close attention to ourselves lest we should take the same path. 

Please then take out your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew 23, our passage today. If you do not have a Bible with you, no worries. We have a Red Bible there in your seats that you can take out and follow along with us. You can find Matthew 23 on page #_________ in that Bible. 

Recap: Throughout the Gospel According to Matthew, the scribes and the Pharisees have been being warned how they have missed the ways of the LORD. In Matthew 3, there is a warning for these religious zealots to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. In Matthew 5, there is a call to a greater righteousness than theirs to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Then there is the questions and testings that come against Jesus by these various groups. There is the rebuke of him and his disciples gathering grain on the Sabbath. There is the conflict of traditions and washing of hands (Matthew 15:1-20). There is the traps of questions set against Jesus that we have looked at the last several weeks in both Matthew 21-22. 

Time and time again then, have these religious leaders been challenged, yet they have refused to be humbled and repent. Therefore, their doom is sure. But their doom is to be a warning to us. Let’s now hear this warning here in the word of the LORD from Matthew 23…

Main Idea: Jesus woefully rebukes all religious hypocrisy, so then let this woeful rebuke humble  and stir us onto faithfulness in Christ. 

Jesus’ Humbling Warning (Matthew 23:1-12)

Jesus’ Woeful Rebuke (Matthew 23:13-36) 

Jesus’ Sorrowful Lament (Matthew 23:37-39)

1. Jesus’ Humbling Warning (Matthew 23:1-12)

In V.1-12, Jesus gives a humbling warning. The warning comes in light of the scribes and the Pharisees actions. But the warning is for those who would pursue God’s kingdom, the kingdom of heaven (V.13 language). 

A warning that can be summed up at the end of this section down in V.11-12. Where we see that those who are greatest in the kingdom are those who are servants. Followed by a return to the reality that all who exalt self will be humbled and all who humble themselves will be exalted. 

And so, this warning takes aim then to call all who would enter the kingdom of heaven to humility. For in the kingdom of heaven, there is no room for the proud and those who exalt themselves. 

For the fall of man brought us into an estate of sin and misery [1] where we lost all communion with God and remained under His wrath and curse. And under that curse [2] and in that estate of sin and misery we would remain if not for the grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Mercy that comes through Jesus’ humiliation of one being born of low condition, suffering the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the curse of death on a cross, and then to be buried. 

A humiliation that would be turned into Jesus’ exaltation with his rising again from the dead on the third day and sending up into heaven where he is seated at the right hand of God. All this though for our sake. 

Christ suffered and died so that all who are united to him by faith would be rescued from the misery of sin by his finished work on the cross. 

A faith that turns from reliance on self and trusts in another. Trusting not in our works, but his finished work. Trusting that our being justified is not by our righteousness, but his. 

So you see, this call to humble ourselves is the very foundation of the Christian faith. And this humbling of self would then continue to be part of the Christian life. 

How would this humbling of self play out then? Well, return to V.2-3. For here we see that to humble ourselves and to be a servant is to put ourselves under something rather than ourselves. 

For here in V.2-3, Jesus warns his disciples and the crowds that they are to do and observe what the scribes and Pharisees teach them as they are seated on the seat of Moses. 

The seat of Moses being that of where the teachers of God’s law would figuratively sit, though there is some debate about a literal chair in the earlier synagogue where these teachers would sit. And so, as the law of God is taught, even by these false teachers who have gotten much wrong, the people are to do and observe what they learn from the law of God as it is read and properly interpreted. 

This is no different for us today as the church. We are to be a people who come and sit under the authoritative word of God, putting ourselves under the whole of the Bible as rightly interpreted, following the interpretive patterns of Jesus and the New Testament authors. 

To put it even more pointed, let me quote from Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley in their work Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology [3], 

“The Bible’s authority as the Word of God means that everyone who hears or reads it should submit to what it teaches us to believe and do.” 

God’s people are to be humble and under the authority of God’s word, not our own. The word shaping our understanding of God, of us, and how we are to then live in light of those truths. Both as individuals and corporately, together. 

Yet, while Jesus is teaching us to do and observe these teachings, he gives this humbling warning to not follow the works of these scribes and Pharisees. For their works are not worthy of practicing, of imitating. For their works are the works of hypocrites, as we will see more of in a moment in point 2. 

Before we look at these works that we are not to practice, one other application here from V.2-3, we as believers should be more easily edified than we are. For even as there is real hypocrisy here from these scribes and Pharisees, preaching what they do not practice, Jesus calls his disciples to be those who still do and observe what the word of God teaches. 

So whether it is me or another brother teaching and if we mis-speak or we say something you may or may not agree with, as we hear the word of God, then we should be easily edified, as the word of God is being read and pointed to throughout the preaching of God’s word. That goes for you, and that goes for me. Let us here be a people who is easy to edify and hard to offend as we hear the word of God read and taught. 

Now, as to these works of the scribes and Pharisees that are not to be imitated in, we see these in V.4-10. Namely in how there is a warning calling us to see the self-exaltation of the Pharisees, as we are warned to instead exalt Christ and humble ourselves. 

Jesus here, shows how the scribes and Pharisees fail to be a servant to others. Instead they tie up heavy loads to burden others with an even heavier load than they are already carrying. And to make matters worse, they are unwilling to move or lift a finger to help a burdened and weary soul. 

This of course stands directly opposed to Jesus in what we have already read of his words earlier in the gospel: 

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Instead, they load people up with the burdens of limiting steps on the Sabbath, of extra boundaries to keep from breaking the law of the Lord. They burden, yet refuse to serve to assist others along the way.

How glorious is God’s grace and design then of the church, the bride of Christ which is to stand counter this way of the scribes and Pharisees. For in local churches, brothers and sisters are to be joined together to share in these burdens. In the book of Galatians, which our brother Scott will begin taking us through as he preaches some throughout 2026, tells us that as Christians we are to bear one another’s burdens, this fulfilling the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). 

So then, let us learn to serve one another by bearing each other’s burdens instead of adding to them. 

Another misguided, selfish ambition driven work of the scribes and the Pharisees is their exalting of themselves in taking the place of prominence. 

For they desire to be seen by others in all that they do, in how they dress. They take the places of honor in the synagogues and feasts. They thrive as they are greeted out and about and called rabbi by others. 

All that the scribes and Pharisees do is for their own glory, not the glory of God. Jesus’ disciples however are to be the opposite. Jesus instructs this who are to be his to not take the title of rabbi or instructors, or teacher. Instead, Jesus tells us that we have one instructor, Christ! Likewise he teaches us to not call any father on earth, because of our own Father in heaven. 

This not being in reference to calling our actual fathers, Father, but in regards to titles amongst the people of God. That we are to be all under the authority of Christ. And even while elders are clearly told that they are to be worthy of double honor and to be submitted to, are not to use their positions in a corrupt and abusive way as these scribes and Pharisees to exalt self. 

Therefore, as disciples of Jesus then, we need to hear this warning to serve one another and to humble ourselves, lest we follow this misguided and woeful path of the scribes and the Pharisees. 

That’s point #1, Jesus’ humbling warning. 

2. Jesus’ Woeful Rebuke (Matthew 23:13-36)

In V.13-36, Jesus turns his attention from a warning to the disciples and crowds towards the scribes and Pharisees. Whether directly or indirectly in furthering the why of his warning. 

In these woeful rebuke, Jesus is giving his rebuke and ultimate condemnation of these scribes and Pharisees here with a string of 7 woes (8 if count V.14 as left now to a footnote on credibility). In this string of 7 woes, 6x he calls the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. As a reminder, a hypocrite is an actor, one who pretends to be what they are truly not. 

And the first two woes and hypocrites that Jesus gives comes there in V.13 & 15. A woe for keeping people out of the kingdom of heaven. And a woe for making proselytes who are twice the children of hell that they are.

In the first, Jesus condemns them as they try and shut the door of God’s kingdom in the faces of others. This coming as they continue to make it difficult for people to enter with all their extra burdens they lay upon people, making it impossible for people to grasp the grace and mercy of God. And all the while they shut others out, they themselves are said to not enter. 

The second, of these being the opposite, for even when they do try and go make a proselyte, they do so ineffectively. For as they go and help persuade others from other lands to become a Jew, they make them not a Jew faithful to the ways of the LORD, but teach them their own traditions that forsake the word of God. 

Beloved, let us learn from these first two woes that we cannot shove God’s kingdom in others face and make them believe. We cannot force them into religion. Instead, we are to labor and serve others best in our evangelism by proclaiming to them the gospel. Proclaiming that God has made a way to rescue sinners from the misery of their sin, and that way is through his beloved Son, Jesus! 

And as people are won to Christ by the power of the gospel and the work of the Spirit, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded, not our traditions. Woe to us if we follow the scribes and Pharisees. 

A third woe comes in V.16-22. Jesus here rather than calling them hypocrites, calling them blind guides. For rather than leading the people in the ways they should go, they lead them astray regarding oaths in the temple. For the scribes and the Pharisees never really understood the Scriptures. 

This is seen as they were blind in emphasizing the temple gold rather than the temple itself and the sacrifice more than the altar itself. Both missing which was of greater value according to the LORD, while guiding others astray in this. Instead though, they should not have sworn by anything as Jesus has already taught. 

A fourth woe comes there in V.23-24, continuing in part with the third. For the scribes and the Pharisees continue to not understand the Scriptures. Particularly with this woe, they have failed to understand the Scriptures on what was important for faithful living. 

For they urged the smaller matters of the law in keeping the tithes, while neglecting the weightier matters of the law. By all means, they were called to keep the whole law, but one cannot be faithful who puts aside God’s call to justice and mercy and faithfulness. 

In fact, this is why Jesus’ word picture is so important in comparing this to the straining out of a gnat while eating a camel. 

A gnat that gets into a drink or food can be a bit disgusting and worth trying to get out. But why strain to get the gnat out while eating something bigger, such as a camel when it is considered an unclean animal? 

This hypocrisy ought not to be. All the law should be kept, but a greater emphasis has been given from the Lord to do justice and mercy and to pursue faithfulness. 

A woe that should urge us to make sure we have rightly both understood the Scriptures and use it in a proper manner, lest this woe should fall on us. A woe calling us to make sure we are pursuing to keep the whole law of Christ, but particularly the weightier matters. 

For how often is it tempting for us to talk about as said Christians about purity and censor culture, while neglecting what God has commanded us to do in loving God and loving one another. 

Beloved, we can keep from watching every kind of popular movie and music, and miss God’s weightier call to love him with our whole heart and soul and mind and to love our neighbor as ourself. If we have missed this, the woe comes to fall upon us. Let us beware. 

Woes five and six now come against the scribes and Pharisees in V.25-28. While two distinct woes, they compliment one another. For with the first woe of the pair being about the outside of the cup and plate being clean while the inside isn’t. The second follows the outside appearance of a whitewashed tomb with death inside. 

Both woes go after how the scribes and the Pharisees desired to have an outward appearance of cleanliness and righteousness. Even staying here with the images that Jesus uses. You can have a cup or bowl that is clean on the outside but if it has mold on the inside, its still contaminated. Or with the white-washed tomb, having the appearance of looking nice on the outside, forgetting what lies inside, death. And death Jesus alludes to here makes one unclean. 

And so, it is with these scribes and Pharisees. They have the appearance of being clean and righteous, but within they are full of greed, self-indulgence, hypocrisy, and lawlessness.

And so they rightfully are condemned for such. And so will be those who follow in their footsteps. Therefore, we must not mistake the impressiveness of one’s outward religious acts for a true heart of righteousness. 

One can have an impressive appearance in their works, in their dress, in their words, but their heart could still be far from God as they are filled inwardly with unrighteousness. The unrighteousness of lawlessness, greed, self-indulgence, and hypocrisy. 

Instead, we must examine ourselves from the inside out, checking our heart, and asking others to help examine us carefully as we continue to pursue Christ and bear fruit in keeping with ongoing repentance. 

The seventh and final woe comes in V.29-36. In this final woe, Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for their stated love of the prophets of old, wanting to honor even their tombs and monuments. They even seek to condemn their fathers before them who murdered such, and yet they ignore and reject the very ones before them. 

First they rejected John the Baptist who came before Jesus. They rejected his calls to be repent and be baptized. And then they accused John of having a demon. 

Second, even now, they continue to reject Jesus. The greater prophet who now stands before them speaking the words of the Father, revealing the fullness of God’s mystery of salvation. A rejection that will in two days, lead them to not only reject him, but crucify him on a Roman Cross. 

And so, Jesus then condemns them for this hypocrisy and tells them they are like their fathers. They are like their fathers who shed innocent blood. They are like their fathers in that they are seeds of the serpent, that ancient foe, the Devil himself. 

And in this woe, a warning that judgment will return on their head as the blood of the righteous comes against them. They will be judged accordingly for such unrighteousness. 

This woe then is extremely important for us to not miss, for both the one who is a Christian as well as the one who is not. 

First, for the one who does not consider themselves a Christian. This woe is a warning to you. A warning telling you of the judgement of hell fire that awaits all who reject Jesus. For as we see there in V.33, how will you escape being sentenced to hell in your rejection of God’s Son and the one true King? 

Friend, see today who Jesus is as the one sent by God the Father to rescue you from your sin! Repent and believe in him today so that you may have life in him and find rest from the burden of your sins! 

Now, to the Christian, this woe is important as well. For how often are we in danger of being like these scribes and Pharisees? How many times have we read or heard the Scriptures as it mentions the lack of faith of those in the Bible, including these scribes and Pharisees, and though man how could they miss it? And yet us do the very same things as we continue to pursue sin, doubt and grumble against God. Repeating their very same patterns. 

Woe to us who fails to allow the Scriptures to examine these things in our own hearts rather than wondering how could they! 

This is point #2, Jesus’ woeful rebuke against the scribes and the Pharisees. 

3. Jesus’ Sorrowful Lament (Matthew 23:37-39)

We must not miss here the heart of Jesus in the midst of the humbling warning given to his disciples and the crowds and the woeful rebuke towards the scribes and the Pharisees. 

Jesus is not afraid and unwilling to give a hard word, but his heart grieves at how those among the Jews, in Jerusalem have responded to him. V.37… 

Jesus laments, he weeps (Luke 19:41-44) over Jerusalem and how they continued about their works of unrighteousness. How they had rejected time and time again God’s word through his prophets. Failing to hear the warning. Jesus was eager and would have been glad to have gathered them under his wings, but they were not willing. 

The judgment that now lay agains the city of Jerusalem, the Jews, these scribes and these Pharisees is do to their own hardness of heart. And because of their hardness of heart, as seen there in V.38-39, their house will be left desolate, and Jesus will depart from them until the time of the final judgment. 

Jesus there in V.39 quoting from Psalm 118:26. 

Psalm 118:26 ESV

26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

For while Jesus will stand trial before these he now condemns, he will not speak with them again on these matters. 

This sorrowful lament seals the fate of many here in Jerusalem, but it is an act of grace for us. For even now, Jesus stands ready to gather many under his wings as a mother hen does her brood. 

He longs to save many if we would come to him! Let us then all come to our most gracious, our most patient redeemer, Jesus the Christ so that we may rest in him for our salvation. 

And even after coming to Christ, we must continue to come to him for continued mercy and grace along the way. 

How precious is our redeemer who sorrowfully weeps over us in the midst of our refusing him. And would continue to labor to gather us until the last point. May we then come and rest in his bosom where we will find rest! 

Let’s pray!

Endnotes

[1] Benjamin Keach. The Baptist Faith & The Baptist Catechism: Question 20. (Broken Wharfe, 2025) 101.

[2] Benjamin Keach. The Baptist Faith & The Baptist Catechism: Question 22. (Broken Wharfe, 2025) 102.

[3] Joel Beeke & Paul Smalley. Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology. (Wheaton, IL, Crossway, 2025) 57.