Willing Messengers from God Who Stand in Persecution (Matthew 23:29-36).

Class Outline:

Thursday November 6, 2025

 

Main idea: Since God sends messengers by grace to hostile people, we must be see our ministries as vital and we must be willing and ready to receive persecution through the power of God within us.

 

MAT 23:29-33

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'  31 "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  32 "Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.  33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? 

 

Focusing now on the second paragraph

 

MAT 23:34-36 

"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,  35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  36 "Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

 

God grace to a sinful, dark, proud world.

 

The grace of God sends His messengers. 

 

Further confirmation that salvation is a choice. God doesn’t send irresistible grace, He sends messengers. 

 

OT examples: ISA 6:8-9; read 2KI 17:13

 

Read all 66 chapters in Isaiah and see if Israel has a choice or not.

 

2KI 17:13

Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments, My statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you through My servants the prophets."

 

Fulfillment of His prophecy: murder of Steven etc.

 

Kill:

Stephen; ACT 7:58-60 (stoned. 34 CE)

James son of Zebedee; ACT 12:2 (beheaded by Herod Agrippa I, 44 CE)

 

(legend; Josephus) James the Just (thrown from Temple pinnacle & clubbed, ~62 CE)

 

Paul stoned (to death?) in Lystra (ACT 14:19)

 

Crucify:

Peter (legend; 64 CE)

Other unnamed Christians in Nero’s gardens (Tacitus)

[lit on fire]

 

Flog in synagogues

Paul received 39 lashes 5× from Jewish authorities (2 Cor 11:24)

 

Several other beatings not in the synagogues.

 

Persecute from city to city

Saul/Paul ravaging the church from house to house, to Damascus. Then he became the one persecuted, being driven and pursued (by Jews).

 

Why would God send them, and the OT prophets, into such persecution and possible death, if it were not extremely important?

 

The doctrine of irresistible grace states that when God sovereignly chooses to save one of the elect.

 

I think this doctrine needs to be rejected for several reasons, and one of them is God’s sending an abundant number of messengers. God sends His messengers to the very people who crucified Him and then on through the world proclaiming the gospel to all people.

 

Application: Your mature witness really matters.

 

ROM 10:14-15

How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!"

 

ISA 52:7

 

The mature witness of Christ. 

 

The most effective witnesses are mature. I think this is the most important reason for maturity.

 

Bold, confident, loving, gentle, not judgy, calm, wise, shines brighter when insulted and persecuted. 

 

Paul is the great example, but he is not alone.

 

COL 1:24-25

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh … that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God

 

2TI 2:9

I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

 

Why is this the main reason for your life? Was it Paul’s main reason because he was an apostle?

 

Judgment comes when the cup is full. 

 

“Upon you may fall the guilt … all these things will come upon this generation.” 

 

Abel to Zechariah - Tanakh. Summed up in the murder of Christ and the apostles He is sending to them. 

 

Apostles, prophets, wise men, and scribes (Bible teachers) sent to Israel before 70 AD. 

 

MAT 23:36 

Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

 

Roman Jewish war. 70 AD

 

They asked for it:

 

MAT 27:19-26

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him." 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. 21 But the governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." 22 Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" 23 And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"

 

24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves." 25 And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

 

Conclusion:

 

The grace of God keeps sending messengers in the church. 

 

Great Commission, apostles, missionaries, neighbors - you. 

 

The gospel goes throughout the world by the infinite divine power of the Holy Spirit (Joh 16)

 

Know how important your witness is.