When he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things; Luke 11:53 Why did Jesus provoke the scribes and Pharisees so much? What was His goal? Repentance. Many of these Jewish elites did eventually turn to Christ. So, His accusations were not meant to…

Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in. Luke 11:52 By their interpretations, the lawyers had perverted the law just enough to render it impotent. This is always the way with the devil,…

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible. Luke 11:51 The timeline that Jesus mentions here is revealing. Abel is the earliest godly person to be slain. The identity of Zechariah is disputed. However, Christ’s…

so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world— Luke 11:50 Although the ministry of the prophets began in earnest with men like Samuel and Elijah, God had His servants among men long before that. As far back as Abel there had…

Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ Luke 11:49 In His Divine prescience, God knew what would happen when He sent messengers to His people. His wisdom determined the best course of action. Heavenly Father, You are at…

Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Luke 11:47 These experts of the law tried to appear holy by recognizing the validity of the prophets posthumously. But it was their ancestors who had killed these men. And their tomb building for them was just an empty show. Heavenly…

Then he said, ‘Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.’ Luke 11:46 The lawyers had come up with laws to support their profession. Without burdening themselves unduly, they put plenty of…

One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too. Luke 11:45 I’ve often wondered about this lawyer. What was he thinking? Perhaps he was just disturbed by Christ’s accusations and wanted to make a statement. Maybe the truth was hitting too close to home. Or,…

Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it. Luke 11:44 Here Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to unmarked graves. A field of graves would not be a place where people would want to work, or a parcel that someone would buy. But if the graves are…

Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Luke 11:43 The Pharisees thought they were the best people around. So, they felt others needed to see their piety. Though it is good for people to see true piety, the Pharisees had corrupt motivations. The greetings in…