Matthew 23:29-33: “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

Remember, this is part of my series going through the animal analogies of Jesus. Yesterday, I cautioned against saying that, because Jesus Christ described people in this way, I can describe people in that way.

I am saying: no, you cannot do that. They saw Elijah call fire down, and James and John said, “Let’s call fire down.” He said, “No, you cannot do that” (Luke 9:54–55). You cannot also call fire down just because somebody did it. No. You have been shaped differently.

You do not know the manner of spirit you have been made of. So you are different. There is a way you behave because you are different. There is a way you pattern yourself because you are different. And also, do not call people hypocrites. Do not do name‑calling.

Do not do that. And I am going to come back to the fruit of the Spirit again: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self‑control (Galatians 5:22–23). How is that kind? How is that gentle? “The Lord’s slave must not engage in heated disputes but be kind toward all” (2 Timothy 2:24). The servant of God must not quarrel but be gentle toward all.

You are different. When Miriam and Aaron confronted Moses and said, “You, you, you—you are doing this, you are doing that,” the repercussion was not good (Numbers 12:1–10). He is in a different category altogether. You cannot talk to him like that. You cannot address him like that. So also Christ and us. He is in a different category.

You cannot call people hypocrites. Do you know how many times Jesus Christ called people hypocrites? It might begin to enter into our heads that that is also a language we can use. No. Do not. Being called a hypocrite is not good. Do not call people hypocrites. Do not call people hypocrites.

And remember, He says, “You brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). In this context, He is talking about their murderous nature—how they were soon going to murder Him. They were planning to kill Him. He knew what was in their minds. He knows what they are planning. “Snakes, brood of vipers.” It is so clear it is almost as if you cannot argue with it. They are going to strike Him. They are going to kill Him. They wanted to end His life.

In another place, Paul said, “I fought with wild beasts in Ephesus” (1 Corinthians 15:32), which of course is about human beings who were very dangerous to him. They wanted him gone. There was a beast‑like response to swallow him up, and God spared his life.

I am trying to explain the kind of danger Jesus Christ faced. He called them hypocrites because He is trying to remove the false cover. He says, “Experts in the law”—that is a cover. But inside, they are evil. They use being “experts in the law” as a cover. They use being “Pharisees” and the long prayers they offer as a cover. But Jesus Christ saw through them, and He is saying, “You are hypocrites,” because whatever they are presenting is a cover.

So it was true that they were vipers and a brood of vipers. This is also an example of the animal analogies of Jesus. I see that as people who are very dangerous. When you see a snake, you run. When you see vipers, you escape for your life. That is what you do. That is what I would do anyway.

And what do we see Paul do when they wanted to kill him in one place? He went to another place (Acts 14:5–6; Acts 9:23–25). So, in a way, do not say, “I am going to stand my ground,” when these venomous people are trying to strike you. You probably need to leave and escape for your life.

But Jesus Christ, because of His task, did not escape for His life. He gave His life for us. And that is why He is in a different order of His own. He does not exist on our level. He is the Lamb of God. You are not the Lamb of God.

God bless you.