What harsh words for the Pharisees did Jesus have?
In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced woe against the Pharisees eight times. Remember that the Sermon on the Mount began with eight beatitudes. These pronouncements of woe are the polar opposite of those, and in stark contrast these are curses rather than blessings. Yet even in the curses, there is a poignancy that reflects Jesus’ sorrow. He is not expressing a preference for their condemnation, because, after all, He came to save, not to condemn (John 3:17). God takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11). On the other hand, Jesus’ profound sorrow over the hardhearted rebellion of the Pharisees did not move Him to soften His words or soft-sell the reality of the spiritual calamity they had brought upon themselves. If anything, that was why He delivered this final message to them with such passion and urgency.