Daily Writing

Monday, 26 October 2026

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matthew 23:31

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Thus, you witness to yourselves that sons, you are – the ‘having murdered the prophets’.” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus noted the “would have been” nature of the scribes and Pharisees who built tombs for the prophets and adorned the sepulchers of the righteous. They claimed that if they lived in those days, they would not have joined in the guilt of their blood. But Jesus notes that their actions speak against them, saying emphatically, “Thus, you witness to yourselves.”

The building and adorning they participated in were their own witness against them. Think of it. When the North won the Civil War, what did they do? They put up statues of those who won their battles. It was a witness to what they did.

The memorial battlefields at Gettysburg, Antietam, and elsewhere witness to the battles that took place. The statues erected there witness to who lived and who died, and who won and who lost.

The memorials from the South, honoring their generals and heroes, witness to the North’s acceptance that this was a national battle and that despite their victory, they were willing to allow the losing side to maintain its honor and dignity. Military bases and naval ships, to this day, have the names of heroes from both sides of the conflict. These things bear witness to what happened, who prevailed, who lost, and the gracious nature of the victors.

Understanding this, Jesus says, “that sons, you are – the ‘having murdered the prophets’.” The very fact that these men participated in the building and adornment of these tombs and sepulchers witnessed to the fact that they descended from those who were guilty of the blood of those men of the past.

They were taking an abstract structural outline of the deeds of their fathers and reshaping them into a tangible witness of what they had done. It is as if they were proclaiming, “My father was guilty of the blood of this prophet! This tomb bears witness to that. This is my way of atoning for what I would never have done.”

This is what such memorials are for. The problem is that these things do not atone for what the fathers did. Nor do they sever the connection between the fathers and the descendants. Rather, they more firmly establish it.

Life application: Today in Israel, there are monuments to the past that are set up, identifying events that took place, who took part in them, and when these things happened. One, for example, is a model of the temple where Jesus spent much of His last week before His crucifixion.

They testify to the events of the past in order to establish a connection to the present. The intent is that Israel can say, “We have a historical connection to this land. It was ours, and these things prove it.”

This is good because it establishes the truth denied by much of the world. But at the same time, the people are (maybe unwittingly) testifying that they are the people recorded in Scripture. Scripture validates the message of the coming Messiah. It also validates that when He came, He was rejected by His own people –

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” John 1:10, 11

This is fine if Jesus was just another Jew who claimed to be the Messiah and turned out to be false. He would be chalked up on the board of a list long enough to go buy a few more boards. However, if Jesus is the true Messiah, and the Bible bears witness to the truth that He is, then their claims to the land witness against them in this regard.

We cannot disassociate Jesus’ words from the context of them: He is speaking to Israel. They are under the Law of Moses. It is the week of Jesus’ Passion. He is about to be rejected and killed by the leaders. From there, the nation as a whole will follow suit, be destroyed, and exiled.

His addressees are sons of those who “denied and killed their Messiah” (Acts 2:23, etc.). They cannot have it both ways. Nor can we. We cannot say, “I support Israel” unless we have a valid reason to do so that is in line with what the Bible says about Jesus. If we say, “I support Israel because they are God’s people”, we must define what “God’s people” means.

It cannot mean that they are God’s chosen race for salvation at this time. Only Jesus saves. If they are those who rejected and killed Jesus, they cannot be His people for salvation. Those of the church who have received Jesus are in that category.

The Bible tells us exactly how Israel today fits into God’s plans. It tells us who they are in relation to God now and in the future. It tells us why these things are and when they will change. And these things, in turn, tell us of the gracious nature of God as well as His covenant-keeping faithfulness.

If you support the nation of Israel, you must explain it from a properly evaluated analysis of Scripture, or you are actually fighting against God’s purposes. And this is going on in far too many churches around the world.

Many are fighting against them by saying the Jews have been replaced and are permanently forsaken by God. On the other hand, many are fighting against them by calling them God’s chosen people without properly defining what that means. In both, harm to the exalted name of Jesus is the result. Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:31 testify to this.

Lord God, help us to be responsible, sober, and precise in how we deal with the name of Jesus. You sent Him to save. That will not take place if His name is not placed above all else in the hearts and minds of the people of the world. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Sunday, 25 October 2026

and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Matthew 23:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And you say, ‘If we were in the ‘days, the fathers, us’, not if we were ‘sharers with them’ in the ‘blood, the prophets’.’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus began His eighth and final woe to the scribes and Pharisees, telling them that they built the tombs of the prophets and adorned the monuments of the righteous. He next says, “And you say, ‘If we were in the ‘days, the fathers, us’.’”

This is something we will do when we want to correct history. We will look back to a previous time and say, “Well, if I lived then, things would have been different.” The truth of the matter is that we didn’t live in those days, and we probably would not have done anything differently.

Rather, we have the cushion of time and the benefit of hindsight to rethink the past, giving us the ability to rationalize how we would have done things. Jesus knows this. He has stood and watched over human history since Adam. Therefore, He continues, saying, “not if we were ‘sharers with them’ in the ‘blood, the prophets’.”

A new word is seen here, koinónos, a sharer. Thus, it is an associate, companion, partaker, etc. It is from koinos, common (in possession). Thus, it is that which is shared by all or by several.

As for what Jesus says, this is the substance behind building the tombs and fixing up the sepulchers. It is a way of absolving oneself from what is now considered a failed part of the culture. In the Bible, there are recognized prophets, Isaiah or Jeremiah, for example.

There are also righteous people. Noah or Caleb could be considered as such. If something bad had been said about them or done to them, it would be considered appalling to those who came later. History has proven that what they did was proper according to their Scriptures. If they were maligned at some point, those in the present would want to make it up. This is what Jesus is referring to.

Life application: There are an innumerable number of instances of such things happening in our own countries today. In the UK and the US today, the fashionable idea is to remove statues of national heroes, replacing them with statues of people who may have suffered in the process as history unfolded.

The problem with this is that those whose statues are removed or defaced are often the ones who championed the cause of those who suffered. While those doing the destruction were on the side of those causing the harm to those who suffered.

In the UK, noted Christians are lambasted and held in contempt, but it is those Christians who ended slavery. Those on the other side may descend from the pro-slavery side, and yet they claim the moral upper hand and want to erase the truth from these pillars.

In the US, it was the Republican party who fought against slavery. It was the Christians who led slaves out of the South on the Underground Railroad. It was the democrats who fought to keep slavery.

To this day, democrats enslave blacks throughout the land by keeping them under government control in public housing, depriving them of the opportunity of becoming productive citizens through control of welfare and Medicare payments. It is not forced, but it is coerced slavery, nonetheless.

In the US, it was a democrat, Franklin Roosevelt, who signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, that led to the imprisonment of over a hundred thousand Japanese Americans. More than two-thirds of them were U.S. citizens. And yet, it is the democrat party that continually maligns their own country, saying they would never have agreed to what occurred.

If you want to know who is normally guilty in a matter, look for the one that makes the most noise against it later when things have gone back to normal. Stay away from such people. They are warped and depraved. They are unreasoning animals rushing headlong towards destruction.

This will become evident as Jesus continues His words to the religious leaders of Israel.

Lord God, may we carefully and rightly consider history, not being led astray by those who intend to manipulate the truth for their own perverse purposes. Help us to rightly consider the past so that we don’t fall into the same mistakes in the future. Amen.

Saturday, 24 October 2026

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, Matthew 23:29

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you build the ‘tombs, the prophets’, and you arrange the ‘sepulchers, the righteous’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished His seventh pronouncement of woe, saying to the scribes and Pharisees that they appear outwardly righteous, but inside they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. He next begins the eighth and final woe, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!”

By now, any scribe or Pharisee within earshot would have a burning nostril as flames shot out of his nose. Jesus openly rebuked these spiritual leaders for their hypocrisy, exposing one negative trait after another about them.

The thing is, deep down they probably knew His words were true. But because of their upbringing, education, and status, they felt they had a right to get away with their conduct. As for Jesus’ words, He continues, saying, “Because you build the ‘tombs, the prophets’.”

There was a desire to build tombs for those who were noted in Israel’s history as a way of remembering them. This is done throughout the world. People build music halls, rename airports, dedicate highways, etc., to dead people. In Israel, they were building tombs as a way of honoring the prophets of time past. Along with this, it says, “and you arrange the ‘sepulchers, the righteous’.”

The word translated as arrange, kosmeó, was seen in Matthew 12:44, where a house was empty, swept, and put in order. It signifies tidying up, decorating, adorning, etc. They probably found the tombs of the righteous falling into disrepair and decided that it would be good to get them suitably arranged once again.

Though taking care of these things as noted by Jesus seems like a good thing, there is a problem with it that He will address in the words ahead.

Life application: God’s judgment on Israel was because they lived lives completely contrary to what the Lord would have for them. He would suffer their uncaring attitudes, allow them to be troubled in some way, then they would turn back to Him, and He would restore them. After that, the cycle would continue until there was nothing left but destruction and exile.

The US has gone through ups and downs. Each time there has been a national calamity, the churches swell, and the people call out to God. The nation gets back on its proverbial feet, and within no time at all, the nation has forgotten about the Lord. This is true with other Christian nations as well.

There is a problem with things the way they are in the world. National debts are carried around the world like a house of cards. This is why the little country of Greece threatened to bring down the entire world economy in 2009. If Greece had gone, the whole house of cards would have fallen in on itself.

Because of this interconnected system between the nations, things can only be allowed to go so far before trouble will result. As much as the nations of the world may hate President Trump, they can’t unite together and just cut America off. This type of thing may have been possible in the past, but it is not feasible today.

In other words, the whole world is primed for an end-times calamity it cannot get itself out of. There won’t be a way for the world to turn back to God, as most of the world never believed in the true God to begin with. One can see how the Bible presents the end times as not only possible, but inevitable.

If you are saved but have not been living for the Lord, you should redirect your priorities. Nations have in history, but each person must as well. The only remedy to the horrible prospect of eternal separation from God is faith in Jesus. And for those who are saved, all of our actions after salvation will be judged for reward or loss.

Either way, be sure to get Jesus right. Come to the cross, accept what God has done in the giving of Jesus, and be saved. Then spend your life living for Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus and don’t get distracted from pursuing Him all the days of your life.

Lord God, it is so easy for us to stray from You. Life keeps coming at us, and distractions tug at our senses. In what seems like no time at all, we get misdirected from doing the things we should be doing. Help us to stay fixed on Jesus, never deviating from the right and sound path. Amen.

Friday, 23 October 2026

Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Thus, also, you outwardly – indeed – you appear to the men righteous. Inwardly, also, you are replete – hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus began His seventh woe directed at the scribes and Pharisees, noting that they were like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness inside. He continues His words, saying, “Thus, also, you outwardly – indeed – you appear to the men righteous.”

Just as a whitewashed tomb seems innocuous enough, maybe even cheerful if adorned with flowers, the Pharisees had an outward appearance that seemed righteous. People are easily misdirected by externals.

They see meticulously lived lives, formal garments of pious religion, an unwillingness to touch anything unclean, etc., and they assume that the person is the same on the inside. But as often as not, it is just the opposite. As Jesus says, “Inwardly, also, you are replete – hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

A new word is seen here: mestos, replete. It can be literal or figurative. In the case of the Pharisees, they were replete with being double-faced. This included being hypocrites about the law that they were supposed to represent and uphold.

Jesus saw right through them and their wickedness, clearly pointing it out for others to understand as well.

Life application: Religious processions draw a lot of attention. The pope will have lines of people dressed in fancy garb carrying crosses while chants are heard from the choir. This puts on a great show, and it immediately fills people’s minds with a sense of true religion. How could God not be pleased with such a show of piety?

This follows through in lesser denominations. For example, the Episcopal church is big on these externals. They wear special flowing garments that shine like silk. Sewn into them are crosses and other “holy” symbols. They come to the altar with carefully selected tunes playing on an organ as they carry shiny crosses on wooden staves.

Once they are at the altar, arms are raised, and pious benedictions are spoken out over the people. It all seems so God-honoring in appearance. And yet, hanging outside on the same pole as the Christian flag, sometimes above that flag, are gay and trans flags. Their homilies lean toward a communist message, manipulating the Bible for extreme left-wing purposes.

Like the pope in the Vatican, they talk about ecumenism, something that immediately puts the way of man above the word of God. Though not politically established, their choice of wording leaves no doubt that they side with globalism, left-wing causes, and a one-world government hierarchy.

They preach tolerance, and yet, they are intolerant of those who disagree with their warped ideas and world outlook. It is not the externals that have any value. In fact, they only distract from what is truly good.

But this is not limited to mainstream denominations. One can look at how people conduct themselves on a stage in front of thousands of people in a mega church and see that this rings true as well.

There must be a standard by which God either approves of a church or not. And there is. That standard is set on how Jesus Christ is proclaimed and how the word of God is handled. Anything else is just show without substance. Be sure to know the Bible well enough to know when you are being led down a false path.

Lord God, help us to be wise in who we listen to and what we accept. There are many ways to present Your word, but what is said must conform to what it says. Help us to be prudent and responsible as we pursue You through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thursday, 22 October 2026

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you resemble tombs having been whitewashed, which outwardly, indeed, they appear beautiful. Inwardly, also, they swell – ‘bones, dead’ and all impurity.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished His sixth woe to the scribes and Pharisees. He now begins His seventh woe, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!”

Without letting up a bit, Jesus repeats the same thought He has already stated several times. If nothing else, this type of repetitive speech provides its own emphasis for the people to consider. With that introductory thought stated, He next says, “Because you resemble tombs having been whitewashed.”

Three new words are seen here. The first is paromoiazó, to resemble or be like. It is only found here in the New Testament. The next is taphos, a tomb. It is derived from thaptó, to celebrate funeral rites. The third is koniaó, to whitewash. It is derived from konia, dust. Thus, the sense of whitening is understood. It is used only here and in Acts 23:3.

Tombs are places for burial of the dead. Throughout human history, monuments have been set up to honor and remember those who have died. Whitewashing a tomb is something anyone would understand. Because the tombs were whitewashed, Jesus says, “which outwardly, indeed, they appear beautiful.”

Another new word is seen, hóraios, belonging to the right hour or season. By implication, it means to be flourishing or beautiful. That is the point of whitewashing. After time, things break down, appearances get moldy or blasted by heat and wind, etc. In order to keep things looking good, a layer of whitewash is needed from time to time. For those who see it, depending on who is inside, there may be fond memories or feelings of honor.

There is a truth about this, however, that most people don’t take the time to think about. And yet, with one exception, it is universal in its scope. Jesus says, “Inwardly, also, they swell – ‘bones, dead’ and all impurity.”

Two more new words are seen to finish off this verse. The first is osteon, bone. One can see the etymological ancestor of our prefix osteo, such as in osteoporosis. The second is akatharsia, impurity, both physically and morally.

Of this verse, Charles Ellicott says, “Ye are like unto whited sepulchres.—Contact with a sepulchre brought with it ceremonial uncleanness, and all burial-places were accordingly white-washed once a year, on the 15th day of the month Adar—i.e., about the beginning of March—that passers-by might be warned by them, as they were of the approach of a leper by his cry, ‘Unclean, unclean!’”

Life application: The words of Jesus in this woe resemble those of the previous woe in that they speak of outward appearances while the inward is corrupt. Sometimes, this occurs because people think they are better than those around them, or that they have a right to do things they shouldn’t do for whatever illogical reason they make up in their heads.

Others may do things they shouldn’t do without really thinking through their actions. You are at work, and there is something you want, but you have no right to it. In such cases, we may try to justify in our own minds that taking it is ok. Maybe if I swap something else for what I am taking, it will balance things out.

Or we might think, “The boss doesn’t care if I take this. He’s a good guy and won’t mind.” Have you asked if it’s ok to do what you are doing? Probably not, if you have to make up excuses in your head.

We are being evaluated based on how we interact with the world around us. Taking something that doesn’t belong to you is stealing. Saying untrue things is lying. Let each of us continuously evaluate ourselves, determining that we will not do such things, even if it involves something that may seem inconsequential.

Lord God, may our lives and actions be carefully aligned with Your will. Help each of us to be honest, truthful, and always the epitome of integrity to those we come in contact with. Yes, may it be so. Amen.