The seven 'woes' in this chapter warned the hypocritical Pharisees to repent (and warned the disciples not to be like them when they became church leaders). In today's reading Jesus presents Himself as their Judge. He asked, "How will you escape being condemned to hell"? Hell is the inevitable end for every liar, hypocrite, control freak, greedy person (and all the other expressions of sin), unless they repent, believe in Jesus and let Him make them clean (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Reject Jesus and the gospel, and face hell.
 
God gives sinful people opportunities to repent. He sent His servants and His Son, but they were all rejected. The Old and New Testaments are full of righteous people being violated by persecutors who have no fear of God or hell. Abel to Zechariah are book-ends to the stories of Old Testament martyrs. The apostles and others in the Early Church would soon join them in the grave. Jesus prophesied that persecution: “I am sending you …” Martyrdom would be the theme of the church in the first century, as it may be in the twenty first.
 
The judgement of God on those who rejected Jesus came in AD70 when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed along with the much-revered temple. The priests were slaughtered and all remnants of their Christless religion were destroyed. If they could not accept the sacrifice of Jesus, then Father God made sure they would not be able to offer any sacrifices in the temple. And no Jewish sacrifices have been offered from AD70 right up to the present time.
 
Snakes are biblical pictures of the work of Satan. The religious leaders were being manipulated by their devilish masters, they were 'sons of hell' (Matthew 23:15). Christless religion (in its many forms) has demonic inspiration: pretending to be wise and good as long as Jesus is not worshipped or obeyed. Believers who stand up for Jesus will get caught in the crossfire. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28). Do not be worried about what humans can do to you; be in awe of the judgement of God.