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Jesus’ Last Visit to the Temple
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self-denial and humiliation, these very people refuse obedience.
They reveal the same spirit as did the Pharisees.
Little did the Jews realize the terrible responsibility involved in
rejecting Christ. In every age, prophets had lifted up their voices
against the sins of kings, rulers, and people, obeying God’s will at
the risk of their lives. A terrible punishment had been building up
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for the rejecters of light and truth. By rejecting the Savior, the priests
and rulers were making themselves responsible for the blood of all
the righteous killed from Abel to Christ. They were about to fill
their cup of iniquity to overflowing. And soon it was to be poured
on their heads in their just punishment. Jesus warned them about
this:
“That on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,
son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the
altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this
generation.”
The scribes and Pharisees knew how the prophet Zechariah had
been killed. While God’s words of warning were on his lips, a
satanic fury came over the rebellious king, and at his command the
prophet was put to death. See
2 Chronicles 24:18-22
. His blood
had stained the very stones of the temple court and remained to
bear witness against rebellious Israel. As long as the temple stood,
there would be the stain of that righteous blood, crying to God to be
avenged. As Jesus referred to these fearful sins, a chill of horror ran
through the crowd.
Looking forward, Jesus declared that the Jews would be as unre-
pentant in the future as they had been in the past:
“Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, 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.”
With hand uplifted to heaven and a divine light surrounding Him,
Christ spoke as a judge, in rebuke and condemnation. The listeners
shuddered. The impression that His words and His look made would
never fade away.
Christ directed His indignation against the major sins by which
the leaders were destroying their own souls, deceiving the people,
and dishonoring God. But He spoke no words of retaliation. He