Why Did The Pharisees Hate Jesus

Why Did They Hate Jesus?

It is sometimes said that Jesus was killed on account of his inclusion and tolerance, that the Jews hated him for hanging out with sinners and tax collectors. A small amount of truth can be found in this type of sentiment, but it is a very small amount of truth. No doubt, Jesus upset many of the Jewish leaders because he extended fellowship and mercy beyond their constricted boundaries. However, it is inaccurate to assert that Jesus was despised simply because he was too doggone loving, as if his awe-inspiring tolerance was the root cause of his enemies’ unyielding intolerance.

By my reckoning, Jesus is opposed once for eating with sinners (2:16), once for upsetting stereotypes about him in his hometown (6:3), a few times for violating Jewish scruples about the law (2:24; 3:6; 7:5); and several times for “blaspheming” or for claiming too much authority for himself (2:7; 3:22; 11:27-28; 14:53-64; 15:29-32, 39).

As Mark’s Gospel unfolds, we see the Jewish leaders increasingly hostile toward Jesus.

There are many things about Jesus that the Jewish leaders dislike, but their most intense and murderous rage is directed at him because he believes “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (14:62).

Luke, for instance, makes more of Jesus’ identification with the society’s cast-offs as an issue for the Jewish leaders, while John makes more of Jesus’ unique status as God’s equal.
As Jesus’s reputation as a healer and miracle worker grows, the people rush to him in bigger and larger numbers, driving the elites to loathe him more and more.
There were a variety of reasons why the Jewish leaders despised and eventually came to despise Jesus.
They looked down on him for eating with sinners and associating with those deemed unclean or unworthy.
That’s why they hated him; that’s why the crowds turn on him; that’s why Jesus was put to death.
Jealousy was no doubt part of it (Matt.
(Matt.

But deeper than that, they simply did not have the eyes to see or the faith to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.

26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71; and less clearly in John 18:9-24).

In the end, it was the implicit and explicit claims Jesus made to authority, Messiahship, and God-ness, not his expansive love, that ultimately did him in.

But we must put to rest the half-truth (more like a one-eighth truth, really) that Jesus was killed for being too inclusive and too nice.

If Jesus simply loved people too much he might have been ridiculed by some.

So as we approach another Holy Week, let’s certainly talk about the compassion and love of Jesus (how could we not!).

Kevin DeYoung(PhD, University of Leicester) is senior pastor ofChrist Covenant Churchin Matthews, North Carolina, Council member of The Gospel Coalition, and associate professor of systematic theology atReformed Theological Seminary(Charlotte) (Charlotte).

He has written numerous books, includingJust Do Something. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children: Ian, Jacob, Elizabeth, Paul, Mary, Benjamin, Tabitha, Andrew, and Susannah.

Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus so much?

It’s possible that the Pharisee is the only figure that fared worse than a Nazi in the calculus of evil, but that’s just speculation. These were the very first black hats ever made. They are the no-stories in each of the gospel accounts, and they are the precise antithesis of Jesus himself. For the simple reason that we are sinners just like them, we impute to the Pharisees every imaginable fault that we do not believe ourselves are responsible for. It’s possible we’ll have to confess to this or that vice, but at the very least, we’ll convince ourselves, we’re not like those other men.

This is the scapegoating scenario we have in mind.
He healed a puppy, and the owners booted it out of the house.
He exposed their hypocrisy and called them out on it.
However, their hate for Him was not only a result of their dissatisfaction with His popularity rating, nor was it based on a fundamental difference between good and evil.
They despised Jesus not because he called them names, but because he posed a danger to their financial stability, social standing, and livelihood.
The Pharisees had negotiated a tense truce between the powers of Rome and their own people, which had been a source of contention for them.
Nations who were prepared to surrender to the military and political power of Rome were free to go about their business.

The advent of the Zealots, a group inspired by the Maccabees and dedicated to removing the burden of Rome, was a result of this development.

The Pharisees were the ones who had their finger in the dike all this time.

It was Jesus, on the other hand, who kept sticking his finger into the levee.

As soon as the people rallied around Joseph’s son, Rome would come to life and begin slaughtering Jews on an indiscriminate basis, making no distinction between the Pharisees and the followers of Jesus.

The Pharisees despised Jesus not because he made them appear untrustworthy in the eyes of the people, but because he made them all appear untrustworthy in the eyes of Rome.

However, when persecution does occur, it comes first and foremost from those elements in Christianity who wish to satisfy the state.

People who strive for respectability, those who want to eliminate the gospel’s offensive, those who trade in their prophet’s mantle for something more fashionable, these are the ones who betray Christ and His bride, according to the scriptures.

Last but not least, persecution does not split the church, but rather shows where the boundary between wheat and chaff is drawn. It is possible that the real church may be burnt during times of persecution, but those who escape will merely be blown away.

Why Did the Religious Leaders Want to Kill Jesus?

According to the New Testament, the religious authorities despised Jesus to the degree that they seized Him, tried Him, and took Him before Pilate to be sentenced to death for His actions. What was it that made them so enraged with Jesus that they desired to have Him executed? There were a variety of reasons why they desired Jesus’ death. There were a lot of aspects of Jesus’ character that upset the religious authorities. These are among them.

What He claimed
What he did
What he said
His challenge to their religious system
His threat to their way of life
The individuals with whom He interacted
And the people with whom He interacted It was his lack of regard for their religious traditions that bothered me.

The religious leaders were enraged by these six items on the list above. As a result, they want to see Jesus put to death. We shall take each of these arguments into consideration. 1. The claims of Jesus outweighed the authority of the authorities. Whenever Jesus declared Himself to be the Messiah, it implied that His authority trumped their authority. He said that the religious authorities did not believe Him, and they were outraged that some of the people did. They inquired, “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees placed their faith in him?” However, this mob of people who do not understand the law is cursed (John 7:48, 49).

However, the leaders’ hostility and envy were heightened as a result of the attention Jesus was receiving.
2.
Aside from the religious authorities, Jesus’ actions enraged them as well.
The miracle was evident, considering that the man was demon-possessed as well as blind and deaf.
As a result, their “official” explanation for Jesus’ power was that it originated from Satan.
3.
Jesus was also a danger to their religious structure, which they viewed as a menace.

The Bible relates that on two separate occasions, He entered the temple precincts and drove out the moneychangers, according to the accounts.

And he discovered people who were selling oxen, lambs, and doves in the temple, as well as the money changers who were sitting at their tables.

Jesus posed a threat to their way of life in four ways.

The relationship between the Jews and the Romans was in shaky shaky shape.

He was enraged by the people with whom he interacted.

Those in authority were brimming with self-importance and arrogance.

In response to one Pharisee’s observation that Jesus allowed a woman to wash His feet, he remarked, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what type of woman this lady this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39).

“When the Son of Guy came eating and drinking, they exclaimed, “Look, a gluttonous man and an intoxicated man, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” 11:19) in the Bible.

When Jesus hung out with these people, it upset the Pharisees and other religious leaders who were accustomed to being in charge.

Jesus Showed Little Respect For Their Customs And Traditions The religious authorities were particularly enraged by Jesus’ lack of regard for their religious traditions, which was more than anything else.

He was well aware that these were regulations imposed by humans rather than rules originating from God.

God had instructed that the Sabbath be observed as a day of rest from labor and a time of worshiping the Lord Almighty.

When Jesus saw how they had distorted the Sabbath observance, he was very saddened and enraged.

They, on the other hand, remained mute.

Then Jesus performed a miracle in their midst, healing a man.

They came to the conclusion that the actual Messiah would never do something like that.

They were sure that Jesus would have to die for their sake.

The religious authorities did not wish to send Jesus to death for any reason that was divine or moral in their eyes.

They were adamant about not hearing the truth of God.

In the first place, the assertions he made indicated that he possessed higher power than they.

Because of the supernatural miracles that he performed, which revealed his greater power, they desired him dead for another reason.

He visited the temple and expressed his displeasure with the procedures.

They were apprehensive about how the Romans might react.

Their urge to kill him stemmed mostly from a lack of regard for their religious traditions, which they felt compelled to do so. This is especially evident in regards to Jesus’ attitude toward the Sabbath day. Every one of these factors led to their nefarious intention to have Jesus crucified.

Why Were the Pharisees the ‘Bad Guys’ in the Bible?

Jesus barely loses his temper a couple of times in the New Testament (just ask the moneychangers in the Temple), but inMatthew 23, he launches one of his fiercest tirades against the Pharisees and other “teachers of the law,” which is a reference to the Jewish religious establishment. In the seven sorrows, which are found in lines 13-39, Jesus refers to the Pharisees as “hypocrites” six times. Additionally, Jesus refers to them as “blind” (five times), “children of hell,” and “a brood of vipers,” and compares their phony piety and pretensions to “whitewashed tombs,” which appear lovely on the surface but are filled with the bones of the dead and everything filthy on the inside.

Traditionally, the Pharisees are depicted as nitpicky enforcers of Jewish law who are so preoccupied with the text of the law that they completely overlook the spirit of the law.
However, you have failed to address the most significant issues of the law, such as justice, kindness, and loyalty.
You deafening guides!
During our conversation with Bruce Chilton, a religion professor at Bard College and co-editor of the book ” In Quest of the Historical Pharisees,” we gained a deeper understanding of what the Pharisees truly thought and why they were at odds with the first century Christians.

Who Were the Pharisees — and the Sadducees?

During Jesus’ lifetime, in the first century C.E., the Pharisees formed as a religious movement inside Judaism, rather than as a distinct sect or movement. The Temple, which was still standing in Jerusalem, served as the focal point of Jewish life. One of the most important considerations in Temple ceremonies was purity – that both the individuals who entered the Temple and the animals killed there were “clean” enough to meet God’s requirements for sacrifice. Pharisees asserted that they had additional divine instructions that had been passed down through centuries of oral tradition that were not contained in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, beginning with Genesis).

‘The Pharisees were under the impression that they possessed a unique reservoir of knowledge about cleanliness,’ explains Chilton.
What was remarkable about the oral tradition of the Pharisees was that it extended the discussion of purity to include aspects of one’s life outside the Temple complex.
Consequently, according to Chilton, the Pharisees grew into a movement dedicated to maintaining the purity of the Jewish people.
That group was comprised of the Sadducees, a priestly class that controlled Temple worship and wielded the greatest amount of political power with the Roman Empire, which ruled over Palestine.
Known as a working-class movement, the Pharisees were concerned with the establishment of a distinct and consistent Jewish identity in everyday life.

The Pharisees also thought that a messiah would come who would bring peace to the globe, however they did not believe that messiah to be Jesus, as the majority of them did.

Jesus Had Friends (and Followers) Who Were Pharisees

The Pharisees are depicted as a monolithic group in the New Testament, but according to Chilton, while all Pharisees were concerned with cleanliness, there was vigorous discussion within the Pharisees over the most effective means of achieving it. In the ancient world, there were probably Pharisees who felt that purity could only be gained from the outside in, who taught that ritual baths (mikvahs) and ceremonial cleaning of cups and cooking tools were the only ways to achieve purity. In Matthew 23, Jesus criticizes the pharisaic habit of cleansing the outside of cups and plates while the “insides are full of greed and self-indulgence,” as the practice is known.

“If you accuse someone of being impure, you are not implying that cleanliness is unimportant; rather, you are implying that there is a more effective method to obtain it.” However, according to Chilton, there were some Pharisees who would have agreed with Jesus that the genuine process of cleansing begins with a pure heart and confidence in God, and that the true labor of purification begins with the heart.

If you pay great attention to the New Testament, you’ll see that Jesus gained sympathizers and even disciples within the ranks of the Pharisees, who were reputedly despised by the Jewish people.

In addition, in Luke 13:31, a Pharisee arrives to inform Jesus that Herod has ordered his death.

The Pharisees maintained an ideological stance in opposition to powerful apostles such as Paul and Peter, as Chilton notes, which may explain why the Pharisees had such a terrible reputation in the New Testament.

The Meeting That Doomed the Pharisees

A gathering or “council” is held in Jerusalem in Acts 15 that is attended by apostles and followers of Jesus from all over the world. Paul, Peter, James, and Barnabas are among those who attend. The conference’s agenda included settling a crucial dispute that had arisen among the early church: did non-Jewish males need to be circumcised in order to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit? The answer would be revealed during the meeting. The first to speak up were the Pharisees who were in the audience.

It is important to note that the Pharisees were listed among the “believers,” providing more evidence that some Pharisees were among Jesus’ early disciples.
The apostles are in complete disagreement with the Pharisees, and they assert that everyone, whether circumcised or not, may have their souls pure by trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
No!
“Anyone who advocates the widespread practice of circumcision is branded a hypocrite, a legalist, and a person who has been cut off from Christ by the apostle Paul.
There is evidence to suggest that it was an internal conflict among Jesus’ disciples that resulted in the sharp line of demarcation between Christians and Pharisees being drawn at this time.
Because of this, it’s plausible that Jesus himself did not have such animosity for the Pharisees during his lifetime, but that the writers of the New Testament did, as a result of their bitter divorce with the Pharisees over circumcision, and that this was reflected in their writings.

In Chilton’s words, “the gospels are written from the perspective of a rupture that had not yet occurred at the time of Jesus.”

What Happened to the Pharisees?

A gathering or “council” is held in Jerusalem in Acts 15 that is attended by apostles and followers of Jesus from all over the world. Paul, Peter, James, and Barnabas are among those who participate. There was a pressing dilemma on the minds of the early church members: did non-Jewish males need to be circumcised in order to be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit? The meeting’s agenda included resolving this matter. One of the first people to speak up was a group of Pharisees who were in attendance.

Consider the phrase “believers” in the passage above; this is even more indication that certain Pharisees were among the first followers of Jesus to come forward.
With regard to the Pharisees, the apostles are in complete disagreement, stating that anybody, whether circumcised or not, may have their souls cleaned through trust in Christ.
No!
“The apostle Paul accuses anybody who advocates for universal circumcision of being a hypocrite, a legalist, and a person who has been cut off from the fellowship of Christ.
There is evidence to suggest that it was an internal conflict among Jesus’ disciples that resulted in the sharp division between Christians and Pharisees.
Because of this, it’s likely that Jesus himself did not retain such animosity toward the Pharisees during his lifetime, but that the authors of the New Testament did, as a result of their bitter divorce with the Pharisees over circumcision, to write the gospels with a chip on their shoulder.

Why Did the Pharisees Dislike Jesus?

It’s possible that the Pharisee is the only figure that fared worse than a Nazi in the calculus of evil, but that’s just speculation. These were the very first dark hats ever made. They are the no-tales in every one of the gospel accounts, and they are the ones who stand in the way of Jesus himself. We, since we are heathens just like them, impute to the Pharisees any and all sins that we believe we are not responsible for on our own will. We may have to acknowledge to this or that offense, but at the very least, we make it clear to ourselves that we don’t care for such people.

The people on the street mumbled and spat as he walked along the path.
In truth, the Pharisees despised Jesus, and He is not well-known for exhibiting much beauty to them, as is the case with many other religious leaders.
He discovered the graves that were hidden within them.
It was a little more timid in its approach.
He would wreck all they had fought so hard for and have them all slaughtered in the process.
You will recall that Rome desired to change the style of life that had been established by its military forces.
Whatever the case, Israel was not a government that valued its citizens’ ability to maintain a separation between their political and religious allegiances.

As a result of the rebellion in 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem was demolished in its whole, according to tradition.

Jesus – Scribes and Pharisees

Scribes and Phariseeswere two generally different organizations in the first century, however it is possible that some scribes were also Pharisees. Scribes were well-versed in the law and were capable of drafting legal papers (contracts for marriage, divorce, loans, inheritance, mortgages, the sale of land, and the like). Every community had at least one scribe, and some villages had several. The Pharisees belonged to a religious group that believed in the resurrection and in obeying legal norms that were attributed to “the traditions of the fathers,” rather than to the Bible as a source of authority.

According to later rabbinic sources, however, the majority of Pharisees were minor landowners and tradesmen, rather than professional scribes as is commonly assumed.

Both of these seemingly opposing viewpoints are easily reconciled: those versed about Jewish law and tradition would have investigated Jesus thoroughly, and it is probable that both scribes and Pharisees disputed his behavior and teaching, as indicated by the Gospels; (e.g., Mark 2:6, 16; 3:22; Matthew 9:11; 12:2).

If the account of this scheme is correct, however, it appears that little came of it, as the Pharisees did not appear to have played a substantial role in the events that led to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Some individuals in Galilee may have had reservations about Jesus, and legal experts may have questioned his interpretation of the law, but he was never charged with a significant legal infraction, and resistance in Galilee did not result in his execution.

Jesus’ last week

Around the year 30CE, Jesus and his followers traveled from Galilee to Jerusalem to honor the Feast of the Passover. According to Numbers 9:10–12 and 19:1–22, they may have arrived a week early, along with tens of thousands of other Jews (perhaps as many as 200,000 or 300,000), in order to be cleansed of “corpse-impurity,” as required by the law of Moses. Although the Gospels make no mention of cleansing, they do position Jesus in close proximity to the Temple in the days surrounding the Passover holiday.

Although Matthew refers to “crowds,” which implies that a large number of people were present, it is likely that the demonstration was rather modest.
Caiaphas and Pilate were prepared for this possibility.
A massive demonstration would very certainly have resulted in Jesus’ arrest right away, but given that he survived for many more days, it seems likely that the throng was quite modest in number.
The day before a day of cleansing was observed.
As soon as he arrived, he went to the section of the temple grounds where worshippers exchanged money to pay the yearly temple fee of twodrachmas or purchased doves to sacrifice for accidental violations of the law and as purificatory sacrifices after delivery.
Mark 14:1–2) by “the chief priests and the scribes” (and the “principal men of the people,” as Luke adds).
One of the Twelve, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus to the authorities, and he was executed.

Also, he claimed that he would not drink wine again until after he had shared it with Jesus’ disciples in the kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

1495–98, before the restoration was finished in 1999; it is located at Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Meanwhile, Judas was leading armed men ordered by the chief priests to apprehend him (Mark 14:43–52), and he was captured.

Jesus was first accused of threatening to demolish the Temple, but this accusation was later found to be unfounded.

According to Matthew (26:63–64), he responded by saying, “You say so, but I tell you that you will see the Son of Man,” which appeared to indicate that the answer was nay.

The New International Version (NIV) of the Bible (some academics think that the NIV misrepresents Jesus’ response in Matthew and Luke.) Whatever the answer, it appears that Caiaphas had already made up his mind that Jesus would have to die.

It was a powerful gesture, and the councillors unanimously decided that Jesus should be sent to Pilate with the proposal to have him executed.

According to Mark’s depiction of the scenario, after the attempt to have Jesus murdered for endangering the Temple failed, Caiaphas merely proclaimed anything Jesus said (about which we must remain unsure) to be blasphemy.

It’s possible that this is what persuaded the council to approve Jesus’ death.

As recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, Pilate is portrayed as having a decent character and as being concerned by his choice but ultimately succumbing to Jewish demand (Matthew 27:11–26; Luke 21:1–25; and John 18:28–40).

This verse shows that the early church, confronted with the challenge of establishing itself in the Roman Empire, did not want its leader to be perceived as really guilty in the eyes of the Romans.

300–302).

In addition to being insulted on the cross as the would-be “king of the Jews” (Mark 15:26, which mirrors Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:38; John 19:19), Jesus was mocked as the one who would demolish and restore the Temple (Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:38; John 19:19).

These two charges lend some support to the decision to put him to death.

It was nearly clear in his own mind that God would destroy the Temple as a part of the new dominion, maybe reconstructing it himself (Mark 14:58).

Caiaphas and his advisers probably understood Jesus well enough to know that he was a prophet, not a demolition expert, and that his disciples would not be able to seriously damage the Temple even if they were allowed to attack its walls with picks and sledges.

Someone, on the other hand, who warned of the Temple’s destruction and who flipped over tables in its precincts was plainly a risk to the community.

According to John 11:50, Caiaphas possibly formed the notion that “it is better to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed,” which the Bible attributes to him.

The charge that Jesus claimed to be “king of the Jews” was sufficient to justify his execution as well as his crucifixion.

Roman control was reviled by a large number of people, and the Romans were eager to execute anybody who proved too outspoken in their resistance.

If he had believed it, he would have ordered the execution of the disciples as well, either at the moment of the execution or when they returned to Jerusalem to begin their new mission.

They dragged him and two thieves outside of Jerusalem and nailed them to a cross.

Jesus had a large following, the city was jam-packed with pilgrims commemorating the exodus from Egypt and Israel’s deliverance from foreign servitude, and Jesus had committed a little act of violence within the hallowed precincts.

To the best of their abilities, Caiaphas and his counsellors carried out their task to maintain peace and quash any signs of an insurrection.

It is unlikely that the persons responsible for the decision lost any sleep over it; they were just carrying out their responsibilities.

It’s probable that he hoped for supernatural assistance right up until the death, because one of his final utterances was “My God, my God, why have you left me?” (Mark 15:34).

TheResurrection

What occurred next altered the course of history in a way that was diametrically opposed to what Jesus seems to have foreseen. His disciples claimed to have seen him after his death, according to certain accounts. According to the sources, there is disagreement on who saw him and where he was seen (the closing parts of Matthew, Luke, and John; the beginning of Acts; and the list in Paul’s first Letter to the Corinthians, 15:5–8). According to Matthew, an angel appeared to Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” and directed them to inform the disciples that they should travel to Galilee to find Jesus.

The resurrection tale of Matthew is indicated in Mark 14:28 and 16:7, yet the Gospel of Mark does not contain a resurrection story, instead concluding with the empty tomb (Mark 16:8; translations print scribal additions in brackets).
“Two men in sparkling clothing” approached them and said that Jesus had been risen from the dead.
The Gospel of John (which now includes chapter 21, which was formerly considered an appendix) cites sightings in Galilee and Jerusalem.
However, they are all set in or near Jerusalem, as is Luke.
Because of the ambiguous evidence, it is difficult to determine what actually occurred.
In the Gospel of Luke, the first two disciples to encounter Jesus traveled with him for several hours before recognizing him (Luke 24:13–32).
Christian believers’ bodies will be converted into the likeness of the Lord’s, and the resurrection body will not consist of “flesh and blood,” according to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:42–53).

This is plainly stated by Luke (24:37–39), and Paul insists on using the wordbodyas part of the phrases spiritual bodyrather thanspiritorghost rather thanspiritorghost.

Although Luke’s account demands adaptation, it does so in the best possible way.

It is impossible to accuse these sources, or even the early believers, of deliberative deception or deception.

“I saw him,” “I saw him,” “I saw him,” and so on, with variations such as, “the women saw him first,” “no, I saw him; they didn’t see him at all,” and so on.

Fraud is also less likely as a result of this.

We can say about the disciples’ experiences of the Resurrection something similar to what we can say about the life and message of Jesus based on the sources available to us: we have a good general understanding, though many details are uncertain or dubious at this point. E.P. Sanders

Woes of the Pharisees – Wikipedia

It is documented inLuke 11:37–54 and Matthew 23:1–39 as the “Woes of the Pharisees,” a collection of Jesus’ complaints of the Pharisees and the Scribes. Mark 12:35–40 and Luke 20:45–47 both include cautionary statements concerning scribes. Matthew lists eight of them, and as a result, Matthew’s version is referred to as the “eight sorrows.” In Matthew 23, verses 13–16, 23, 25, 27, and 29, you will find a list of them. Only six are stated in Luke’s version, which is referred to as the “six sorrows” in English.

They serve to demonstrate the distinctions between inner and exterior moral states of being.

Context and background

It is referenced twice in the accounts of Matthew and Luke, both of which occur about the same time. They are referenced in Matthew following Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when he teaches in the Temple, however they are mentioned in Luke after theLord’s prayer is offered and thedisciples are first sent forth over the nation. Immediately before introducing the woes themselves, Matthew adds that Jesus rebuked them for assuming the position of honor at feasts, for dressing in showy apparel, and for pushing others to address them as rabbi.

The Pharisees, according to Jesus, were restless with external, routine adherence of details that made them appear acceptable and good publicly but left their inner selves unreformed and corrupt.

The seven woes

The seven ills are as follows:

These people educated people about God, but they did not love God themselves. They neither entered nor allowed others to enter the kingdom of heaven. Their sermons preached God, but their conversions were to a dead religion
They taught that an oath taken in front of a temple or altar was not binding, but that if taken in front of the temple’s gold ornamentation, or in front of a sacrificial gift on the altar, it was binding
And they preached God, but converted people to a dead religion. Unlike the temple and altar, which were holy in and of themselves, gold and presents were not sacred in and of themselves, but gained a measure of lower sanctity by being associated with the temple or altar. The teachers and Pharisees went to the temple and gave sacrifices at the altar because they were aware that the temple and altar were sacred places to be worshipped. When they denied oath-binding value to what was truly sacred and accorded it to objects of trivial and derived sacredness, how could they explain it? They taught the law but did not put it into practice, especially when it came to the most important aspects of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness to God. Although they complied with the petty rules of the law, such as tithing spices, they did not comply with the more important aspects of the law
They gave the appearance of being ‘clean’ (self-restrained, not involved in carnal matters), but they were filthy on the inside: they were rife with hidden worldly desires and carnality. These people were brimming with greed and self-indulgence
They presented themselves as righteous on the basis of their strict observance of the law, but in reality, they were not righteous: behind their outward appearance of righteousness lay a secret inner world of immoral ideas and sentiments. It seemed as though they were filled with malice. They looked like whitewashed tombs on the outside, but on the inside, they were filled with the bones of deceased men. Their reverence for the deceased prophets of old was accompanied by the assertion that they would never have persecuted and murdered prophets, notwithstanding the fact that they were cut from the same fabric as the persecutors and murderers: they, too, had homicidal blood coursing through their veins.

References

Is it possible that you’ve never stopped to consider why Jesus is so despised in our society? It’s important to realize that disliking Jesus has always been a popular viewpoint among people of many various cultural backgrounds. To be sure, any civilization that rejects God will eventually reject Christ as well. Historically, this has been true since the beginning of time. The people of Jesus’ day despised him for three basic reasons, which we can discover when we read through the Scriptures. That same animosity is passed down from generation to generation, compounding over time.

Jesus Confronted Empty Religion

Taking a quick look at Matthew’s Gospel’s 23rd chapter will illustrate the polemical nature of Jesus’ mission. The scribes and Pharisees’ hollow religiousness was something that Jesus confronted directly, even though he was not always confrontational in his approach to preaching and teaching. Seven times in one chapter (Matthew 23), Jesus is reported as having spoken the ominous phrase “woe to you.” In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus admonished the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites. In this regard, you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside seem lovely, but on the inside are filled with the remains of dead people and all manner of filth.

“A pastor needs two voices, one for collecting the sheep and the other for driving away wolves and thieves,” according to John Calvin.

Jesus, in his role as the Good Shepherd, summoned his sheep to him, and they responded positively to his call.

As the greater Prophet than Moses, Jesus spoke with authority and stood up for the truth of God’s Word against the hypocrisy of the legalists and false teachers of his day, defending the truth of God’s Word. Jesus was despised as a result of this.

Jesus Loved the Outcasts

Jesus was despised by the religious authorities of his day. He didn’t spend much time with them, and he didn’t treat them with the respect that they were accustomed to getting from the rest of the community. Instead, Jesus chose to spend his time with outcasts, the poor, the lowly, the ill, the hungry, and the defenseless, among others. For example, consider the fact that Jesus gathered a group of disciples from the fishing sector and tax collecting to be his disciples. However, Jesus summoned those individuals to himself and then sent them out on a mission after he had discipled and trained the people in his own way.

“The Son of Man arrived eating and drinking, and they exclaimed, ‘Look at him!'” says Matthew 11:19.

Wisdom, on the other hand, is vindicated by her acts.” The religious establishment was at a loss as to what to do with Jesus since he challenged their preconceived notions and befuddled their reasoning.

Despite the fact that it was deemed inappropriate by cultural norms, Jesus practically embodied how the church of Jesus should relate with people from all walks of life.

Jesus Forgave Sinners

When Jesus revealed his power and authority to forgive sin among the multitudes of miracles he performed—including turning water into wine and walking on water—the greatest miracle was revealed when he revealed his power and authority to forgive sin. This miracle occurred when Jesus revealed his power and authority to forgive sin to the multitudes of people he fed. According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus healed a disabled man who was brought before Jesus on his bed and healed by him. Because of the large number of people there, the companions carried the guy up to the roof, dismantled the roof, and dropped him into the presence of Jesus before the crowds.

When Jesus witnessed their trust, he told the guy, “Your sins have been forgiven you.” Immediately, the scribes and Pharisees raised their voices in opposition.

Only God has the ability to pardon sins.

What is it that you are questioning in your hearts?

But in order for you to understand that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And soon after that, he stood up in front of them, picked up what he had been resting on, and returned home, praising God (Luke 5:22-25).

They didn’t think Jesus was the prophesied Messiah since he didn’t look like him.

When Jesus was finally put on a Roman cross, it was because the Romans had a basic rejection and hate of Jesus’ divine authority on their part.

It was a huge source of concern for them when they received the news of the resurrection.

Even as they were departing, a contingent of soldiers walked inside the city and reported back to the senior priests on what had transpired.

And this narrative has continued to be passed down among the Jews to this day (Matthew 28:11-15).

Continue to propagate and believe lies about Jesus, completely oblivious to the reality of what is going to take place before the throne of God in the very near future.

The original version of this article may be seen here.