FIRST WOE
"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men; for ye neither go in
yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are
entering to go in" Matthew 23:13
The scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses seat.
They had custody of the Scriptures.
They were looked up to by the people.
They were too proud to enter into the kingdom
themselves: "Have any of the rulers or the
Pharisees believed on him?" John 7:48
It was bad enough not to enter it themselves,
but their greater sin was to shut it up to the
others and to prevent them from entering.
How terrible their judgment would be!