Explanation of Scripture read by Orthodox Christians on the 11th Wednesday after Pentecost 2 Corinthians 3:4-11 Matthew 23:29-39 Answers ANSWER 1 Jesus spoke these words shortly before His passion, death and resurrection. His murder would be arranged by the children who killed the prophets, but they were to murder no mere prophet, but the God-man, the Son of David. this act of wickesness truly "filled up the cup" of their fathers - it was infinitely worse and more wicked. ANSWER 2 St Zacharias was the son of St John the Baptist. When Herod desired to kill all the infants in Bethlehem and the surrounding area, he tried to kill the Holy Baptist John. the boy had fled into the hills with his mother, as Zacharias was fulfilling his priestly obligatoins in the temple in Jerusalem. He refused to tell the whereabouts of his son, and was slain. his blood stainsed the stones in the courtyard, and could not be washed out. ANSWER 3 ANSWER 4 ANSWER 5 ANSWER 6 ANSWER 7 ANSWER 8 ANSWER 9 ANSWER 10