New Testament in a Year – Matthew 23

Seven Woes - Matthew 23:1-39

Understand It

• To whom was Jesus speaking? (23:1)
• About whom was Jesus speaking? (23:2)
• Of what did Jesus accuse the religious leaders? (23:3)
• What motivation did Jesus say governed the behavior of the Pharisees? (23:5-7)
• What eternal destiny did Jesus pronounce on religious hypocrites? (23:13)
• What are some of the names Jesus used to describe the respected, powerful, national leaders of Israel—the Pharisees? (23:13, 15-16, 27, 33)
• What did Jesus say about the Pharisees’ evangelism? (23:15)
• What kind of picky man-made traditions did Jesus accuse the religious leaders of following blindly? (23:16-22)
• What evidence of twisted priorities among the religious elite did Jesus give? (23:23-26)
• What analogies did Jesus use to show that Israel’s religious leaders were more interested in external credentials than internal character? (23:25-28)
• How did Jesus argue that the Pharisees had failed to learn the lessons of Israel’s history? (23:29-36)
• Because of her awful leadership, how did Jesus lament over Jerusalem? (23:37)

Apply It

• What attitudes or "matters of the heart" do you need to confess to God today so that your inside looks as good as your outside?
• What could you do to help a young Christian grow stronger this week?
• What older, more mature Christian can you spend time with this week to seek advice and wisdom?