Matthew 23: 33
"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"
This passage comes toward the end of Jesus earthly ministry. This was quite strong language used by Jesus here. To understand how the Jews would feel about being called snakes; you need to go back in Genesis to the fall. Since God cursed the snake, Jews have hated snakes ever since. Jesus does not just call them snakes, but vipers, these are poisonous. These snakes are worse. Jesus in the previous verses has shown them their hypocrisy and how they were causing their students to stray. This is a very strong warning that even we as teachers today must be careful of. We must always declare the truth, and make sure that we teach with God's understanding and not our own.
This is the first time where God makes it clear, that teachers are to be held to a higher standard than the rest of people. This is not the first time God gave this message, He gave it through Moses in the wilderness. The Pharisees had not worried about this, and continued to teach in their own understanding, instead of God's. Jesus rebukes them with the authority of God, because He is God. They would put Jesus to death, not long after this, because they did not believe that He was the Son of God. If Jesus asks you "Who do you think that I am?" How would you answer??
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