“The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on Moses’ seat.”
Jesus speaks before the people, noting that the scribes and Pharisees have taken the “seat of Moses,” which symbolizes the office from which God’s law was taught for the people’s guidance and judgment. Thus, Jesus does not deny their official authority, but, as we will see next, he points out that they use the sacred position not to serve, but to seek their own glory.