Matthew 23:34Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe how earnestly Christ cautioned them! He declared, "Ye condemn your forefathers, saying, Ye would not join in their wrongdoing," and with this, He did not shame them lightly. He went on to say, "You, by condemning them, commit even greater wrongs," which was sufficient to humiliate them further. Ultimately, He added, "This will not escape punishment," instilling in them profound fear, as He reminded them of Gehenna. Yet, since Gehenna felt distant, Christ brought their attention to the calamities of the present, stating, "All these things shall come upon this generation."

He condemns the deceitfulness of their claims, stating, "If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have slain the prophets." Look, He declares, "I am sending prophets, wise individuals, and teachers, yet you will also put them to death." It is the apostles; empowered by the Holy Spirit, they serve as teachers and prophets, overflowing with divine wisdom. Through the phrase "I send," He reveals the power of His divinity.

As previously mentioned, the phrase ‘But add to the measure of your fathers’ pertains to the Lord, who was destined to be put to death by them. This phrase can equally apply to His disciples, of whom it is stated, ‘Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall put to death, and crucify on the cross, and scourge in your assemblies, and persecute from city to city.’ Additionally, consider the words of the apostle addressed to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:17-24), which highlight the diversity of gifts among the Christ’s disciples: some serve as prophets who predict future events, others possess the wisdom to know when to speak, while others are learned in the law as scribes. Among these, Stephen was stoned, Paul was beheaded, and Peter was crucified; the book of Acts recounts that the disciples faced scourging and were driven from city to city, ultimately being expelled from Judea and scattering among the Gentiles.

The empty devotion of the Jews is vividly illustrated here, as they construct the tombs of the prophets to condemn their ancestors. Yet, in mirroring the sins of their forebears, they bring condemnation upon themselves. By raising grand monuments for the prophets, they publicly denounce the acts of murderers, but in replicating such actions, they reveal themselves to be the genuine successors of their fathers’ wickedness. It is not the act of constructing graves that signifies wrongdoing, but rather the emulation of their misdeeds. Those who engage in greater wickedness cannot escape the consequences of inherited sin, particularly when they have crucified the Son of God, thereby intensifying the burden of their ancestors' transgressions.

For this reason, in order that you may increase the measure of your forefathers’ iniquity, He declared: I will send, highlighting His divine authority. He designates the Apostles and their successors—pastors and educators of the Church—as prophets, wise individuals, and scholars. They possess the gift of prophecy, wisdom in Him, and understanding of the Scriptures. Their messages reveal that not everyone will face punishment, and not all will be put to death.

I, the incarnate Wisdom of God, am sending to you prophets, wise individuals, and teachers. I send forth my apostles, who are genuine wise men and teachers, not merely learned from books, aware in advance that you will not show them mercy; indeed, you will put to death those whom I send (including Stephen the first martyr, James the son of Zebedee, and many others). You will crucify them, just as Simeon, a relative of the Lord, was crucified. You will also strike them in your places of worship, similar to how the apostles endured beatings at the hands of the Sanhedrin and within the synagogues, and you will pursue them from one city to another, as was witnessed with the other apostles of Christ. The jealousy, a malady of the adversary, has such a grip on your hearts that you have shown no mercy to the righteous and will similarly not spare my apostles.

Regarding the discussion on the murderous plots of the Pharisees against Him, Christ foresaw all the killings of God's messengers outlined in the Old Testament and those that would transpire in the New Testament. He then rendered a solemn judgment on the Jewish people, indicating that they would face consequences for the shedding of innocent blood throughout history, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachias. Upon delivering this pronouncement, the Lord affirmed that this judgment would indeed be realized upon this generation, specifically noting that the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish populace were manifestations of this decree.

I will continue to send my disciples, who will proclaim my message with the integrity of the prophets and the insight of the teachers; yet I am aware that you will respond to them with the same hostility as your forefathers showed to the prophets they murdered. Some of my messengers you will put to death and crucify, others you will flog in the synagogues and drive from town to town. By doing this, you will bear the guilt for the blood of all the righteous shed by your ancestors, starting from the blood of righteous Abel, slain by his brother Cain, all the way to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the altar and the temple. (For clarification regarding Zechariah, refer to Luke 11:51.)

“Behold, I am sending prophets to you,” which signifies the commissioning of the apostles and their companions (Eph. 4:11). These individuals served the church of Christ in a manner similar to how the prophets functioned in the Old Testament, alongside the wise men and scribes who followed. The use of these titles resonates with the Jewish tradition, as they generally referred to their religious teachers in this way.

With these statements, the Lord profoundly communicated to His audience that a time of judgment was approaching for all injustices committed on earth, beginning with the murder of Abel (Gen. 4:8) and extending to the killing of Zacharias, likely the one stoned within the temple courts (2 Chron. 24:21). These two significant incidents, one at the dawn of Old Testament history and the other at its close, captured the Lord's attention, even though the saga of the Jewish people was rife with violent acts that demanded retribution.