Judgment Over Jerusalem

Matthew 23:34-24:2

Immanuel – 3/23/25

     It was on January 19^th when we studied Matthew 21:12-22, and with that passage there came a thematic transition in Matthew’s Gospel. We began a thematic section titled “A Kindling Fire;” a section we are still in today. It was in that first passage that we saw Jesus enter the temple and proclaim it to be a den of robbers.

In that same sermon (which Eric Moore preached) we also heard Jesus curse a fruitless fig tree. The fig tree was an ancient symbol for Israel. Jesus’ curse upon the fig tree was a prophetic foreshadowing of a destruction coming to Israel, of looming judgment.

Since those moments in chapter 21, the tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious establishment has been building, getting increasingly heated. Today we come to the climactic moment of this section in Matthew. Indeed, we come to one of the largest climactic moments in the entire Gospel of Matthew: When Jesus prophesies the destruction of both Jerusalem and the temple.

          What does this mean for us today? Two things.

1.      I want to foster in you an instinct to run to Jesus. With your brokenness, your struggles, your desperation; run to Jesus! Run to Him like your life depends on it! For it does.

2.      The people of God are not determined by bloodlines. They do not worship at a building in the Middle East. The people of God are all who trust in Jesus, and God’s presence resides within them – not in a temple of stone.

Read vs 34

     Innocent Blood

It’s a bit of a cliché, but when we see a therefore, we must ask, “What’s it there for?”

          Remember what came before: Jesus’ seven woes for the Pharisees. But Jesus’ indignation and sorrow were not just for the Pharisees, but the whole pharisaic system – the Pharisees and all their followers. As we’ll soon see, this is all of Jerusalem and nearly all of the Jews.

          Jesus’ seventh woe condemned the Pharisees for being just like their forefathers: they were the sons of those who murdered the prophets (verse 31). In verse 32, Jesus effectively said, “Go ahead, finish the work your prophet-killing ancestors started.” 

          Now we come to our “therefore.” Jesus sends prophets, wisemen, and scribes so that the Pharisees can fill up the measure of their fathers, so they can finish the work of prophet killing. But notice a shift. Jesus said, I send you prophets… The subject of Jesus’ denouncement is changing. Because just a few verses later, in verse 37, Jesus says that it is Jerusalem that kills the prophets. The scope of Jesus’ denouncement is broadening: the Pharisees, but now also all of Jerusalem.

          And to Jerusalem Jesus will send prophets: those who speak authoritatively for Him. These will be the Apostles. He also will send wise men and scribes – a curious addition. But remember that those who oppose Jesus are the Pharisees and scribes. Most Pharisees were neither prophets nor scribes, but something like religious wise men. When Jesus says that He will send prophets, wise men, and scribes; He is saying that He will send entirely different religious leaders to Jerusalem, uncorrupted, which exists to obey and honor Him (for He sent it).

          And if Jesus has sent these leaders of a new way, doesn’t that mean He is no longer around, that He’s somewhere else. Hold on to that thought.

          Stephen was one of the wise men sent by Jesus. The Jews stoned him to death in Acts 7. In Acts 8 we see a young and zealous Pharisee persecuting the church from town to town. The Book of Acts is filled with stories of the Jews persecuting Jesus’ apostles and other members of the church. And not just in Jerusalem, but throughout the Diaspora, for the Jews were scattered all over the Roman world.

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!                                                   -1 Thessalonians 2:14-16

     There is so much to say about what Paul writes here. But know this, that generation of Jews was completing the prophet-killing work their fathers. But Jesus knew this would happen. It was the Father’s plan.

     Read vs 35

     So that. Two little words with cosmic significance. Hear in them the sovereign plan of God, who sees all things, to whom the future is not hidden, who is working all things together for the good of those who love Him. Hear in the words, so that, that Jesus is the Sovereign, Almighty Judge!

     Because it is Jesus who sends His prophets, wise men, and scribes. And Jesus does this so that millennia of righteous blood would come upon that generation. Righteous blood that goes all the way back to Adam’s sons, when Cain murdered Abel.

     When the book of 2 Chronicles closes, it concludes Israel’s history in the Old Testament. The last martyrdom the Old Testament records is Zechariah, whom Matthew calls the son of Barachiah. And while Zechariah lay dying in the temple court, stoned by the king and religious leaders, he cries out, “May the Lord see and avenge!” (2 Chronicles 24:22)

     From Abel to Zechariah to the soon coming prophets, wise men, and scribes; the Lord sees. The Sovereign, Almighty Judge, Jesus Christ, watched every drop of innocent blood that fell upon the land.

Right here I need to make a critical distinction. The word earth (all the righteous blood shed on the earth) comes from the Greek word gē. This word can either be translated as earth or land. It is my conviction that gē should be translated “land” in verse 35, so that it reads, On you may come all the righteous blood shed on the land.

     The land – or the Promised Land – was the land of covenant between God and the children of Abraham. But the children of Abraham rebelliously shed innocent blood on the land. They would not listen to the messengers of God. In other words, the Jews defiled their covenant with God, and so God was bringing judgment upon the land of covenant – the Promised Land.

Jesus is not talking about recompense for anyone unjustly murdered among the indigenous people of Australia, not the innocent killed among the tribes of Zambia. Why would Jesus hold the Jews responsible for that? It makes no sense.

Wrath stored up for millennia of covenant violations, for the shedding of innocent blood, was about to be poured out on the Promised Land. Thunderheads of vengeance would break upon that generation.

     Read vs 36

     When Jesus says, “Truly”, you can bet your life that it is assured. Nothing can thwart the words of the Son of God! Vengeance for all the innocent blood shed in the land will come upon that generation!

     This is not a distant generation. Not some future group of people. Jesus is talking about the unrepentant Jews who are listening to Him in that moment. He is talking about the people of Jerusalem in that day. That generation shall pay for all the innocent blood!

     But why that generation. As we have seen, other generations have shed innocent blood, and some more than others. Why does Jesus hold that specific generation responsible for the bloodshed of all the other generations?

     Because that generation, and that generation alone, rejected the Savior of the world! All the law pointed to Jesus. Every prophet, including those martyred, pointed to Jesus. Jesus performed wonders only God could do. But despite it all, they rejected Him and handed Him over to be crucified. And as they demanded Jesus be sent to the cross, the following scene unfolded.

     When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.                            -Matthew 27:24-26

     There has been no greater evil perpetrated on earth, than the slaying of the innocent, holy, most precious Son of God. Vengeance was coming for the generation that killed Him. The Father would see to it, the Son would accomplish it. And that generation asked for it, His blood be on us and on our children. So it would be.

     This reality brought no joy to Jesus. The impending judgment profoundly grieved His heart.

     Read vs 37

     Jerusalem is a city – and it would certainly be destroyed – but all of Judea and Galilee would also face destruction. Like so many places in Scripture, Jerusalem symbolized the covenant people of God. And the covenant people of God have so often, so consistently, rejected the messengers sent by God – not the least of which was Jesus Himself.

     How often would I have gathered your children together. Surely, Jesus is not only referring to His 3.5-year public ministry. Surely, He speaks of a greater timeline. If at any point in her history Jerusalem would have repented and turned to covenant obedience, forsaking their self-reliant ways, it was the preincarnate Christ who was there, with eager and open arms, longing to gathering His people under His wings of salvation.

Like a hen gathers her brood under her wings. What image does that conjure in your mind? The chicks run to their mother’s wing for protection, for comfort, to vanquish their fears. For the hen, spreading her wings is an instinct. There’s no obligation, no sense of frustration that her chick got into trouble. It is at the essence of her being to spread her wings in loving protection and provision.

So it is with Christ. It is the default state of His heart to cover His people in salvation. He wants nothing more than to provide refuge, to gather the scattered, to cover His little ones in love.

The chicks, too, run to their mother as an instinct. They don’t have to weigh the options. They do no doubt that she will cover them with protection. In their desperation they simply run to her.

So it is with the people of God. There is no doubt that Christ will receive us in His arms of love, that He longs for us to run to Him in times of need. We know He is there, ready, eager, brimming with goodness. Brothers and sisters, if ever there is fear, if ever there is sorrow, or worry, or pain, if ever there is desperation, run to Jesus. Look nowhere else. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul, find a perfect love that casts out all fear. Let it be your instinct to run to Him!

But Jerusalem was not willing! They chose to run in any other direction than to Christ. How this tore at the heart of Christ! How He lamented the obstinacy of Jerusalem! He loved them; but in return they only had scorn. If only they understood the folly of turning away from the source of life!

For 3.5 years Jesus taught the crowds, healed them, fed them, loved them. But that time is over now. This paragraph, where Jesus laments over Jerusalem, is the last time that Jesus speaks to the crowds. These are His departing words to the people of Israel. They are sorrowful and dire.

     Read vs 38

     God Left

Jerusalem has something that no other city on earth had. For in its heart was the temple, the house of God, where the very presence of Yahweh rested. But no longer. Jerusalem had rejected her God. God will not dwell with a people that persistently reject Him.

     The worship of Jerusalem was empty. The people’s religion was empty. The temple was empty. Their house was left to them desolate. All that remained was a fruitless and cursed fig tree.

     Jerusalem’s temple was desolate. But something better had arrived.

     “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”         -Matthew 12:6

     Read vs 39

     This is an enigmatic statement, and scholars debate its meaning. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord is a quotation from Psalm 118. We heard the crowds shouting it at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But it was a passing sentiment. Soon enough Jerusalem’s crowds will be shouting, “Crucify Him!”

     I think there are two ways in which the Jewish people will shout, in all sincerity, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. The first is when they – or any person – comes to Jesus in saving faith. When any person, even you, finally submit your life to Jesus, run to Him like a desperate chick runs to its mother, and you find refuge in Christ, then with every fiber of your redeemed being, you can cry, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! For only then, with unveiled face, can you see Jesus Christ, your salvation and freedom and life.

     Of course, we know that many Jews came to Jesus in saving faith; some were standing in the temple courts listening to Jesus. 3,000 more Jews would be saved at Pentecost. Thousands more in Acts 3. Many priests and Pharisees put their faith in Jesus. Each time, from within their hearts, those individuals recognized that Jesus came in the name of the Lord, and they blessed Him in worship and devotion.

     The second way Jewish people will say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, is when Christ returns. At Jesus’ second coming salvation will be completed, the wicked defeated, the redeemed glorified. With great resounding voice all the people of God will rejoice and shout, Blessed is How who comes in the name of the Lord!

     Until then, the Jews clinging to that desolate house will not see their God again – not until the judgment.

     Read 24:1

 For in [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.                                                                                                   -Colossians 1:19

The fullness of God: Can you even fathom such a thing? Infinite glory, consummate holiness, magisterial preeminence, wrapped in human skin – Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the very presence of the fullness of God. And He was leaving the temple. That building had now become a relic, a monument to what once was. As the writer of Hebrews said, it had become obsolete (Hebrews 8:13).

Each commentator I read pointed out the redundancy in verse one. Jesus left and was going away. Matthew writes intentionally. He is signaling a massively significant departure. This is God forever leaving the temple in Jerusalem, never to return.

Jesus’ departure signals a cosmic shift. The covenant between man and God is changing. This is the end of an age and the beginning of something new, some better age, something that would reach the ends of the earth. Both the temple and the people of God would have a whole new identity.

And even while history was pivoting, and Jesus was remaking the structures of worship, His disciples can only see impressive stones and buildings. Certainly, the disciples understood that Jesus was upset with the whole religious system. They heard His woes. They heard Him say that Jerusalem would not see Him again. Perhaps they were trying to steer Him back. “Jesus, look how amazing these buildings are, how beautiful! Surely, you can’t abandon the temple of Jerusalem!”

It is just like us humans to be impressed by externalities while having no ability to see beneath the surface. We fixate on the physical while ignorant of the spiritual. We are impressed by what we see, but are so often blind to the desolation inside. As we saw last week, this is the mentality of the Pharisees, obsessed with what impresses, indifferent to humility and holiness and love.

After pointing out the impressive buildings, the disciples probably expected some sort of agreement from Jesus. They did not get it.

Read vs 2

The whole temple complex, as impressive as it was, with massive stones that weighed as much as 570 tons (which might have been the largest building stone in antiquity), all of this would be torn to the ground. Not one stone would be left upon another. The present desolation inside the temple would come outside, a desolation to be seen in the ruin and rubble of a destroyed building.

     Just as Jesus said, it would come to pass. In 70 AD Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem and set the temple to flame. As the temple burned, the gold which covered the temple stones began to melt. Hot liquid gold ran from the stones and into the cracks. Hundreds of Roman soldiers, ravenous for plunder, tore the stones, one from another, to get to the gold. Not one stone was left upon another: Total destruction. It happened about 40 years after Jesus’ words, within that generation. But I’ll talk about these things more next week.

     After hearing Jesus proclaim Jerusalem’s temple desolate, that vengeance was coming upon that unbelieving, prophet-killing generation, let us listen to how Peter helps us understand all of this (remembering that Peter was standing in the temple listening to Jesus).

     Read 1 Peter 2:4-10

     The temple of stone was desolate and destroyed. In its place a spiritual house was erected, made of living stones. Everyone who makes Jesus the cornerstone of their life, who run to Jesus like desperate and helpless chicks, such people will not be put to shame.

Followers of Jesus are chosen, holy, treasured, royal priests: Not because of us, but because of His great love. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We were not a people, but He has made us His own! So we go, everywhere, proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light!

     Perhaps you are in the darkness today, like a desperate, lonely chick – whether because you have never believed or because sometimes your belief wavers. And fears seem to continually nip on all sides. You’re starving for some relief. The night is a suffocating blanket. And you are alone, and you feel no one sees you.

     But someone sees you! Hear His voice above clamor of this world. He is calling to you: “Come to me! Come to me!” Run, little chick! Run to the refuge of His wings. Run like your life depends on it! He longs for you to come to Him. It is the very instinct of His heart to cover you in His care, to love you, be your strength in times of weakness. Run to Him little chick!

     How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!                     -Psalm 36:7-10