Jesus's Enemy-Saving Word [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 23:34–39]

Why does Jesus send us preachers? Matthew 23:34–39 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus sends us preachers out of loving desire to save our soul. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary from transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem’s persistent rejection of His messengers, drawing a direct line from the murder of Abel to Zechariah, the last prophet slain in the Hebrew Scriptures, to underscore the uniformity of human resistance to divine revelation. By identifying Himself as the divine Sender—echoing YHWH's voice in Jeremiah—Jesus reveals that opposition to His prophets, apostles, and ordained pastors is ultimately opposition to Him, and thus to God. The passage confronts the illusion of moral superiority, reminding listeners that the same rebellious spirit present in ancient Israel resides within all humanity, even a remnant of it in the regenerate, and that true salvation comes not from self-righteousness but by Christ's transforming grace, as exemplified in Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle. Jesus’ heartbreak over Jerusalem—His desire to gather His people like a hen gathers her chicks—reveals a profound, enduring compassion, yet also a solemn warning: refusal to submit to Christ’s Word and His appointed ministers leads to desolation, while ultimate confession of His lordship will come, either in joyful faith now or in eternal horror at His return. The call is urgent: examine whether one’s response to Scripture and God’s ordained preachers is one of repentant faith or hardened resistance, for the day will come when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord—either in blessedness or in horror.