In 2025 we're working our way through the gospels and invite you to join us as we seek to learn from Jesus. Find all our notes, from this year and past years, at the Faith Food tab. And if you'd like ideas for suggested pacing, download our March calendar. Welcome, friends, we're so glad you're journeying with us. Let's grow together!

Our notes on Matthew 23 include:

An Overview: Topic, Themes, and Summary.
An Outline Of our thoughts and questions.
Exploration Of swearing oaths.
A Reflection on God's goal.
An Invitation to Respond to the God of truth.

Matthew 23

Sheep at Pasture by fietzfotos at Pixabay

Overview

General Topic

Jesus seeks to protect Jerusalem through warnings about the Pharisees and a plea to return.

Key Themes

Intent. Consequence. Protection.

Summary

Jesus exposes the hypocritical deeds of the Pharisees. They demand honor and condemn others while inwardly they are filthy. Jesus lays the guilt for all the prophets' murders - past, present, and future - on them. Then, He pleads with Jerusalem to return to Him so He can protect her.

Outline

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, ! a connection, and x a cross reference. Researched answers are in italics. *R communicates that in-depth research follows.

On the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36)

Jesus instructs His listeners to follow what the Pharisees teach, not what they do.
The Pharisees understand the law, but they do not obey it.
They put heavy expectations on others and refuse to help relieve them.
They show off their good works while strutting around in their "righteous" clothing.

See images of phylacteries and tassels at Messianic Bible.
! See how wearing these accessories connects to the "greatest commandment".

They demand honor in where they sit and how they are greeted.
But there is only one teacher: Jesus. There is only one Father: God.

? Why is Jesus given two titles, but God one? Is one of the two given to Jesus meant for the Holy Spirit?
* Not literal, figurative. Know who you are actually looking to to teach, father, and lead you.
? What is the difference between teach and lead, the two titles given to Jesus? Especially because the titles are different in various translations.

*Through the Teacher, we gain understanding as we listen only to His instruction. Through the Father, we establish our identity as we only esteem our lineage through Him. Through the Leader, we find our purpose as we only follow His guidance.
🎵You have the words of life / Who else would I follow🎶 ("I'll Follow" performed by Cody Carnes)

x A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. ["What's so great about the Lord's altar?"] Malachi 1:6-7 KJV [CEV]

If you want to be great, you'll serve others.

x But, if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4 CEV (See our Matthew 18 notes.)
x Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 KJV (See our Matthew 20 notes.)

But the Pharisees elevate themselves and think they determine who goes to heaven and who won't, even though they themselves won't be there.

? Why do only some versions include that they steal from widows while pretending to care about them? (Matthew 23:14)

They search high and low for people to follow their philosophies, and the people who do become twice as bad as the Pharisees.
They wrongly instruct, telling others it's fine to swear by the temple and the altar but not by the gold or gifts on the altar.
But truly everything within the temple and on the altar are sacred because they are in the presence of the Lord.

? Why is swearing so significant? They were instructed not to swear by God, so they swear by any related thing. *R
x But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Matthew 5:34-35 KJV (See our Matthew 5 notes.)
? If we are the temple (I Corinthians 3:16), who is the altar? Jesus?

No, He is the offering - I Corinthians 5:7.
So, is the altar prayer? Is there even an altar?

Yes: Hebrews 13:10 and Romans 12:1
Our altar is our life. At it, we offer as a sacrifice acts devoted to God - Bible Hub

The Pharisees make a big deal of the luxuries they tithe, but miss the point of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (*which tithing helps us practice).
They appear clean on the outside but are inwardly rotten.
They pretend to venerate holy people but are more closely related to the murderers of the righteous.
They will kill prophets yet to come.
They will be punished for the murder of every righteous man, from Abel (Genesis 4:8 and Hebrews 11:4) to Zechariah (Zechariah 1:1 and II Chronicles 24:21).

*From A to Z both in name and in a common arrangement of OT books. In both cases, their blood cried out for vengeance - NIV, Cultural Background Study Bible
This chapter is reminiscent of the woes of Isaiah 5. (See our Isaiah 5 notes.)

On the Plea to Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39)

Jesus laments over what He desired for Jerusalem, that they would let Him protect her.
But for now, He leaves her alone until she decides to return to Him.

x Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1 KJV
x But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. Matthew 26:29 KJV
x And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Matthew 21:9 (See also Psalm 118:26 and our Matthew 21 notes.)

Exploration

Why is swearing, or making oaths, covered extensively? (Matthew 23:16-22 & Matthew 5:34-35)

Cultural Understanding

Letter of the Law. The Pharisees made extensive lists of laws they expected the Israelites to follow that interpreted the meaning of the laws of Moses. The laws regarding swearing an oath, which made some oaths binding and not others, interpreted the third commandment: "Do not misuse my name." Exodus 20:7 CEV
Purely Perjury. The Pharisees understood the third commandment to exclusively prohibit perjury. They did not understand that God's holy name could be profaned in other ways. Leviticus 19:12 supports the Pharisees' stance against perjury: "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD." (KJV)

Jesus' Teachings

In Matthew 5:34-35, Jesus nullifies their detailed laws regarding oaths by instructing His audience to not swear at all.
The Pharisees were missing the point of the commandment which is to honor God's name, His character.

Meaning of the Third Commandment

Overt Interpretation: Do not use the name of God at all. In so doing, you'd prevent blasphemy, degradation through profanity, and swearing false oaths.
Behavioral Exploits: Using God's name for personal gain or advantage, in magic spells or hexes, or to support an action by saying God said something He didn't. Like identity theft, people use His name to misrepresent His character or to add credibility to their own actions.

Importance of Names

Culturally: Hebrew names held meaning. They were carefully chosen for many reasons, such as: to help develop your character, to describe prophecy, to remind you who you are in God or who God is to you, to connect you with your family, or to describe physical circumstances. (Hear an interesting discussion about Cain, Abel, and the meaning of names in this BEMA episode.)
Scripture about Names:

A good name [reputation and respect] is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1 KJV [CEV]
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. Isaiah 4:1 KJV (See a reflection on this verse.)
God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God's own adopted children [*We bear His name]. Ephesians 1:5 CEV (See also Matthew 11:25-27 and our Matthew 11 notes.)
Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him [believe on his name]. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. John 1:12 CEV [KJV]
If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To everyone who wins the victory [overcometh], I will give some of the hidden food [manna]. I will also give each one a white stone with a new name written on it. No one will know that name except the one who is given the stone. Revelation 2:17 CEV [KJV]

Spiritually: We are given a new name [reputation, identity] when we accept Jesus. Bearing this new name [of Christian] helps in our transformation process. It changes our labels, too: from ugly to beautiful; from ignored to seen and heard; from rejected to chosen; from victim to overcomer.
Scripture about Being Made New:

Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. II Corinthians 5:17 CEV
He makes us worthy to be the servants of his new agreement that comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a written Law. After all, the Law brings death, but the Spirit brings life. II Corinthians 3:6 CEV
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 KJV
Each of you is now a new person [have put on a new man]. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better [renewed in knowledge]. Colossians 3:10 CEV [KJV]
and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son [be conformed to the image of his Son], so his Son would be the first of many children. Romans 8:29 CEV

*Thoughts: Swearing of oaths is covered extensively because the Pharisees weighed this act heavily and clearly missed the point. To them, the third commandment, "Do not misuse God's name" meant do not commit perjury - which enabled them to develop laws. But they missed what God was trying to teach them: We honor God's name because we are His. We are made in His image and we are His children. When we misuse God's name, we misrepresent His identity. Even our wrongful actions misrepresent who He is. But, thank God, He's doing the work to make us like Him. Thank God He knows and speaks our true names over us every time we need to be reminded about who we are. Dishonoring God dishonors myself because our identities are tied: I am His; He is mine. To say the Pharisees missed the point with their extensive list of proper oath-taking laws is an understatement. They miss what it means to be holy. They ignore what a privilege it is to rest in God's presence. They miss who they really are meant to be. They have lost their true identity.

Songs I'm Singing:

"Adoption Song" performed by Brandon Lake: 🎵I am adopted, I am beloved / It's my inheritance, I'm a child of God...I carry Your name...Nothing's going to take it away.🎶
"Good, Good Father" performed by Chris Tomlin: 🎶You're a good, good Father / It's who you are...And I'm loved by You / It's who I am.🎵

Sources:

Bible Hub commentaries on Matthew 22:36; Matthew 5:34; Leviticus 19:12; Exodus 20:7
"Names Reveal Value and Meaning" by Esther Fleece Allen at Faith Gateway
NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

Reflection

And now we begin to glimpse a portion of Jesus' frustration. Recently, I listened to a podcast that explored how the God of the Old Testament compared with the Jesus of the New Testament (linked below). The concern was that many people struggle to connect with the vengeful God of the Old Testament but adore the compassionate Jesus in the New Testament. The truth is, they are one.

God is a God of compassion, love, and endless mercy. The Old Testament shows these characteristics of God over and over again. In fact, one could argue that this is the main point of the Old Testament: to get the Israelites to understand and accept God's mercy; to convince them to stay with Him.

But they don't.

Instead, God sends Jesus to be with us. And, as Jesus laments here, He still feels like a mother hen who is attempting to gather and protect her chicks, but they keep running away. The same goal God worked toward accomplishing in the Old Testament is the same goal Jesus is working toward in the New Testament: to convince us that the best possible place for us is to be in His presence.

But we want our own way.

So, we create our own laws that do not follow God's way. Then, we are met with the sorrow, frustration, and wrath of Jesus. When we choose to sully what is pure. When we forsake the truth of who we are. When we lead others away. Just as God did in the Old Testament, Jesus stands against our filthiness, our lies, and our manipulation.

God can only be where holiness dwells, so Jesus first cleanses the physical temple by overturning all impurities (in Matthew 22) and now turns to guard the spiritual temples here. Using sharp, pointed words He targets the "teachers" who defy His name. They confuse others. They lead His precious chicks away. Jesus pleads to all those who listen: Listen only to My teachings. Know your true identity is found in the Father. Follow where I lead.

*Referenced Podcast: "Why Does the Old Testament God Seem So Mean?" by the Clearly Podcast

Songs I'm Singing:

"Holy Forever" performed by CeCe Winans: 🎵So I'm gonna stay right here / Cause You will always be Holy🎶
"I'm Already There" performed by Lonestar: 🎵I'm already there / Take a look around / I'm the sunshine in your hair / I'm the shadow on the ground / I'm the whisper in the wind / I'm your imaginary friend🎶
"Who Else" performed by Gateway Worship: 🎶You are the infinite / God of the ages / Yet You chose to make my heart Your dwelling place...Who else is worthy? / There is no one only You Jesus🎵

Respond

Connect

God is truth.

Reflect

Who is your teacher? Who are you letting explain the world to you? When you have a question that needs answering where do you turn? What habits can you begin so that the Bible and prayer allow the Holy Spirit to be your teacher with more consistency?
Who is your father? Who do you seek to honor? What can you do to daily accept and be reminded that the Father you long to honor is God in Heaven. That this Father is better than any earthly Father and that to truly honor Him means to truly honor yourself?
Who is your leader? When you have a choice to make, whose advice do you seek? Whose motivations do you mimic? What steps can you take to seek His advice, study His motivations, and obey His way with more intentionality?

Act

Arise, listen to the Spirit within you.
Arise, honor your Father.
Arise, follow your Leader.

In Closing

Father God, all You want is for us to realize the truth of who You are and who we are in You. But we stumble, fall, and run away from You. We keep putting our own ideas above Yours. We keep letting other people tell us who we are and determine our worth. We keep following people who lead us astray. Save us, God! Save us from the muck of our own creation. Draw us, as little chicks, back under Your wings of protection as our hearts proclaim, "Blessed indeed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.", because we know, through Your grace, we carry Your name.

Sample these related posts:

Matthew 22 | The Wolfe Notes

Review our Matthew 22 notes. Includes an outline of our thoughts, an exploration of the greatest commandment, a reflection on the unending celebration, and an invitation to respond to God's invitation.

Matthew 5 & 6 | The Wolfe Notes

Return to the beatitudes which speak to the truth of who we are and who God is. Includes chapter outlines of our thoughts, research on how Jesus fulfilled the law and different endings for the Lord's prayer, reflections on being Christian and having Kingdom perspectives, and an invitation to respond to God's expectations for us and our motivations.

Matthew 13 & 14 | The Wolfe Notes

Read our attempt at connecting ugly ducklings to the Kingdom of Heaven where we find belonging. Includes chapter outlines of our thoughts, an exploration of using new & old, research into Herod's explanation of Jesus, reflections on teaching with stories and faith through grief, and an invitation to respond to a God of truth and emotion.

Isaiah 5 | The Wolfe Notes

See that God proclaimed woes over Israel just as Jesus proclaims woes to the Pharisees here. Includes CEB and NKJV comparisons, an outline of my thoughts, research on God's vineyard, thoughts about the final battle against Satan, reflections on God's character and how I can respond to it.

World Turtle Day | JOY for Today

Connect with receiving new names and practicing vulnerability. Includes facts, scripture, quotes, and activity suggestions.

Interested in more faith-related blogs? Then you're looking for Faith Food. At Faith Food, you'll find links to all our faith-related blogs and a short description of each.

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Matthew 23 | The Wolfe Notes