The Jews
The Jews' cruel treatment of Christ has led to their continued hardness of heart and blindness, resulting in their destruction and scattering.
Thomas Brooks addresses the tragic rejection of Jesus by the Jews, emphasizing their persistent refusal to acknowledge their sin in crucifying the Lord of glory. He highlights the consequences of this rejection, including their suffering and scattering throughout history, and notes their continued animosity towards Christians, particularly those who convert from Judaism. Brooks reflects on Jesus' lament over Jerusalem, illustrating the missed opportunity for peace due to their blindness and hardness of heart. The sermon serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of recognizing and accepting Christ.
Text
"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?"
Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify Him!" "Why?
What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they
shouted all the louder, "Crucify Him!" Mat. 27:22-23
"Him . . . you have taken, and by wicked hands
have crucified and slain!" Acts 2:23
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has
made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord
and Christ!" Acts 2:36
O, since their crucifying of the Lord of glory--the Jews
have never laid their finger upon the right sore; to this
very day they won't acknowledge their sin in crucifying
of the Lord of glory. They realize that God has sorely
afflicted them; but their cruelty to Christ, their crucifying
of Christ, which ushered in the total ruin of their city and
country--they cannot be brought to acknowledge to this
very day, though the Lord has burnt them up on every
hand, and has scattered them as dung all over the earth
to this very day!
A learned writer tells us that the Jews call Christ, "a
bastard;" and his Gospel, "the Volume of Lies," or "the
Volume of Iniquity;" and us Christians "heathen". When
they greet a Christian, they call him, "Devil". They hate
all Christians--but none so much as those who are
converted from Judaism to Christianity, and all this
after so great a burning and desolation that the Lord
has made in the midst of them!
"As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept
over it and said--If you, even you, had only known on
this day what would bring you peace--but now it is
hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you
when your enemies will build an embankment against
you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
They will dash you to the ground, you and the children
within your walls. They will not leave one stone on
another, because you did not recognize the time
of God's coming to you." Luke 19:41-44
It is certain that the majority of the Jews are under
woeful blindness and hardness to this very day!
Sermon Outline
- I. The Jews' Cruelty to Christ
- A. Their rejection of Christ and His crucifixion
- B. The consequences of their actions
- C. Their continued hardness of heart
- II. The Jews' Hatred of Christians
- A. Their name-calling and insults
- B. Their persecution of Christians
- III. The Lord's Judgment on the Jews
- A. The destruction of Jerusalem
- B. The scattering of the Jews
- IV. The Jews' Continued Blindness
- A. Their refusal to acknowledge their sin
- B. Their continued hardness of heart
Key Quotes
“O, since their crucifying of the Lord of glory--the Jews have never laid their finger upon the right sore; to this very day they won't acknowledge their sin in crucifying of the Lord of glory.” — Thomas Brooks
“When they greet a Christian, they call him, 'Devil'. They hate all Christians--but none so much as those who are converted from Judaism to Christianity,” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must pray for the Jews to be shown the love and mercy of Christ.
- We must be aware of the consequences of rejecting Christ and the peace that comes from knowing Him.
- We must be prepared to face persecution for our faith in Christ.