Woe to the Pharisees & Hypocrites

 Num. 15:37-40 - tassels = Tzitzit - Orthodox Jews still wear to this day.  Reminder of Lord's Commandments.  Orthodox Jews wear these tassels ALWAYS!
on prayer shawl, dressy, casual, under shirt (not at all)

 Judaism ranges all the way from very orthodox to fairly liberal.   

Three days from the cross at this point.

Jewish leadership has bee questioning Jesus ... "by what authority?, taxes to Caesar? resurrection? whose wife? Greatest commandment?  Testing, trying to corner Him with these questions.
NOW - Jesus asks them questions!!   Mark 12:35-37

Scribes = religious lawyers - were THE experts in the Law.  Many scribes were Pharisees.

Messiah = son of David.   

Jewish leadership looking for Messiah - an anointed chosen man (chosen by God), leader, deliverer, a great man, but A MAN.  (fully human)

Jesus says "why would David (great patriarch) call his descendant (great, great, great grandson) 'Lord'??  (my Master, my better)?

Psm. 110:1 = "YHWH... says to my Adonai..."  (in other words, David, speaking by the Holy Spirit, refers to a descendant who will supersede him ... higher, better, more exalted!!)

Jesus' point here?  Messiah is more than a man.... He = the God-Man  (fully man, fully God)  He is divine!!  God incarnate!!  God in the flesh!

Question:  HOW???  mystery that is beyond us.
Answer:  our inability to explain it doesn't mean it's not so!!  1 Tim. 3:16

So... now ---- Mark 12:38-40 = "teachers of Law/Scribes"  Best seats in the synagogues, love the praise and adulation they receive.
They will receive the greater condemnation.

Jesus denounces their:  (1)  Pride - felt themselves above others, therefore looked down with disdain.
                                    (2)  Love of acclaim  (recognition, attention, honor)
                                    (3)  Show off tendencies - religious braggarts
                                    (4)  their hypocrisy - pretense, outward show of piety (vs.a inner sinfulness)

Jesus has harsh criticism for these men!!!! - Matt. 23:1-3  (in other words ... "they are well-trained, educated, versed in LAW, So...... Listen to them (as they teach)
BUT ... don't act like them!!!  (follow their example)  Because they exalt themselves instead of God - Matt. 23:5-7

Then ... 7 woes!!   Matt. 23:13-15, 23-28, 33

This didn't mean all the scribes and pharisees.  (example:  Nicodemus, Joseph of Aramathea)
But, of those who believed .... many were afraid to confess.  John 12:42-43

So.... what lessons?  Applications from these passages?

I)  God's Word is inspired and authoritative
Mark 12:36 = Jesus affirming that,   on one hand, liberal scholars = NOT inspired"  However, Jesus  said was "inspired and authoritative"
Question:  Who do you want to trust for your Eternal State??  The guys from Harvard, Yale, or Jesus who walked on water, rose from the dead, healed the cripples?

II)  There will always be people open to God's Word  - Mark 12:37
On one hand, many will ignore, deny, reject, ridicule the Gospel
However, always some open to the Word - John 4:35

III)  Hypocrisy is clearly a big issue with God.
(this is not the only text where Jesus hammers hypocrites!)

          Hypocrisy = airing a pretense of piety, righteousness  (putting on a show)
it does not mean, to keep from being a hypocrite, you should publicly air all your sins, faults
it means should recognize, admit your sins (at least to yourself!)

          Hypocrisy is a by-product of Pride
ie:  over-valuing, over-rating yourself

           the opposite (and the answer to) of Pride is humility. 
ie: knowing who, what you really are!!!
this is not defeated attitude = honest assessment - Rom. 12:3

           Pride leads to Spiritual Blindness - "you blind guides"

           Spiritual blindness is generally self-afflicted!!
Pharisees' problem - not cannot see - WILL NOT See!!!  Because, to see (admit) OBLIGATES us to Act!!

The Holy Spirit's job includes "conviction"  (convict = convince)
But He will not force you to see!!!  John 3:19  If you WON'T see it, then you won't see it!!!

Make no mistake .....
IV)  Self-inflicted Spiritual blindness will be punished!!  - Mark 12:40  Matt. 23:33    2 Thess. 2:9-10

 

The Primary point and teaching of this passage

V)  Jesus is God Incarnate (ie:  here .... in the flesh!!) - John 1:1, 14 - All this other stuff is good, but this is the key. 

If this is true, then .... to reject Jesus = to reject God!!  - John 5:22-23

 

Closing Scripture:  John 6:38-40