Mat 23:34 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord explodes against these people. By calling them “serpents, … brood of vipers” He places them on a par with the devil. Just as the devil will not escape hell, neither will these people. This statement is the most terrible indictment from the lips of the Lord Jesus mentioned to us in Scripture. He has never said anything like this to any tax collector or sinner. He has kept these fiery words for religious hypocrites. With the words “therefore, behold, I am sending you”, He exalts Himself here in His Divine authority as Judge over them. The one they are about to kill is Yahweh , God clothed with power. After being killed by them, He will rise up. After His resurrection and ascension, as the glorified Lord and Christ He will send prophets and wise men and scribes to them. Sending these servants is a new proof of His great grace. They will also remain blind to this new proof of grace because of the self-interest they will continue to pursue. They will kill several of these new witnesses. In so doing, they will allow the full measure of their iniquity to flow over in the rejection of their Messiah. In the testimony of Stephen and his murder we have a striking example of this. How this witness acted as a prophet who spoke to their hearts and conscience. The wisdom with which he spoke his opponents could not withstand, and his interpretation of the Scriptures no one could refute ( ). The result is that they stoned him in rage ( ). The consequence of the rejection of the servants whom the Lord will send in His grace after His ascension is that there will be no more salvation for them. The measure is more than full. All the blood shed by them will come upon them. God will demand the shed blood of every righteous man from them. The first righteous person whose blood has been shed is Abel ( ). The last martyr mentioned in Scripture is Zechariah ( ). With the latter we have to remember that in the Hebrew Bible the last book of the Bible is not Malachi, but Chronicles. With a solemn “Truly, I say to you”, the Lord confirms the verdict on “this generation”, that is, this kind of people.

‏ Matthew 23:34

The Lord Judges

The Lord explodes against these people. By calling them “serpents, … brood of vipers” He places them on a par with the devil. Just as the devil will not escape hell, neither will these people. This statement is the most terrible indictment from the lips of the Lord Jesus mentioned to us in Scripture. He has never said anything like this to any tax collector or sinner. He has kept these fiery words for religious hypocrites.

With the words “therefore, behold, I am sending you”, He exalts Himself here in His Divine authority as Judge over them. The one they are about to kill is Yahweh, God clothed with power. After being killed by them, He will rise up. After His resurrection and ascension, as the glorified Lord and Christ He will send prophets and wise men and scribes to them.

Sending these servants is a new proof of His great grace. They will also remain blind to this new proof of grace because of the self-interest they will continue to pursue. They will kill several of these new witnesses. In so doing, they will allow the full measure of their iniquity to flow over in the rejection of their Messiah.

In the testimony of Stephen and his murder we have a striking example of this. How this witness acted as a prophet who spoke to their hearts and conscience. The wisdom with which he spoke his opponents could not withstand, and his interpretation of the Scriptures no one could refute (Acts 6:10 ; Acts 7:53). The result is that they stoned him in rage (Acts 7:57-58).

The consequence of the rejection of the servants whom the Lord will send in His grace after His ascension is that there will be no more salvation for them. The measure is more than full. All the blood shed by them will come upon them. God will demand the shed blood of every righteous man from them. The first righteous person whose blood has been shed is Abel (Gen 4:8). The last martyr mentioned in Scripture is Zechariah (2Chr 24:20-22). With the latter we have to remember that in the Hebrew Bible the last book of the Bible is not Malachi, but Chronicles.

With a solemn “Truly, I say to you”, the Lord confirms the verdict on “this generation”, that is, this kind of people.