Sermon Discussion Questions Jan. 31

Discussion Questions

Matthew 23:13-15: ³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. ¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

• 1. In this text Jesus is clearly angry. Yet, in the larger context it is clear that this anger stems not only from wrath, but also from the sadness of a heart that is broken over His wayward children. In the parallel account in Luke, we see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem just before He enters it. At the end of this chapter He once again mourns over the fact that the nation of Israel has not turned to Him. How does knowing that Jesus weeps over our sin and rebellion change your response to Him?
• 2. Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees came from their acceptance of an external religion rather than His Gospel message. Even as His followers, we are still tempted to find our confidence in things other than repentance, faith, and Christ’s blood. What are things you are tempted to put in this position in your life?
• 3. Jesus’ message throughout His ministry is that entrance into His Kingdom is not given because of religious works, but because of repentance and faith. If you have not shared this with your group already, discuss briefly the circumstances that led you to first repent and come to Christ.
• 4. Again, even as believers, repentance can be a challenge. We often become comfortable with our sin, rather than grieving over it and asking God’s forgiveness and His power to change. Why do you think repentance is so hard? What are things you can do in your life to have a more consistently repentant heart.
• 5. Finally, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees specifically because they, as spiritual leaders, were leading the flock astray. Indeed the Bible is full of warnings against false teachers. What if one of your coworkers sat next to you at lunch and said this, “You know, I have been going to this great community Bible study. And last week we learned about how Christ didn’t really rise from the dead physically, but that it was just a spiritual resurrection. His spirit is still active in the world today.” What is the best way to respond to something like this?