John Chapters 7-8 describe Jesus attending the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Arriving late and in secret, he found a massive crowd of all social and religious layers of Jewish society in heated discussion about him.
Just before this national celebration, certain Jewish religious authorities had begun to collaborate on plots to kill Jesus. There were two dominant Jewish religious groups at the time, the politically influential and compromised Sadducees and the Torah educated Pharisees. These groups rarely agreed on anything but were ready to take all actions necessary to eliminate Jesus. They failed to see that the Son of God was "tabernacling" with them in human form.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV
What puzzles me most is the blindness of the Pharisees. Their consistent myopia led New Testament writers to portray them in unflattering ways. "Pharisee" became a pejorative term.
A search of various sources reveals that Pharisees didn't qualify to be part of the Levitical or Aaronic priesthoods through ancestry. Nevertheless, they were deeply committed to the Torah (first five books of the Tanakh) and its interpretation. They emphasized piety, ritual purity, and adherence to oral traditions. They were primarily householders from the "middle class", including tradespeople and professionals. Their professions varied widely, for example, tent-makers such as Paul and educators such as Nicodemus. Their practices eventually developed into rabbinic Judaism which has withstood centuries of the absence of any Temple in Jerusalem. Such faith featured many tangible, measurable characteristics.
So why did they desire to kill Jesus? The short answer is most of them assumed a worldly perspective that corrupted their hearts. This worldliness also led them to despise the common people they claimed to care about.
Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
"No one ever spoke the way this man does," the guards replied.
"You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them." John 7:45-49 NIV
Originally Pharisees saw themselves as practical scholars, helping uneducated Jews answer the question: "What is true Judaism, and how do you practice it in everyday life wherever you find yourself?" Their goal resembles that of the plethora of our contemporaries' books, videos, conferences, YouTube, etc., teachings labeled as "Christian", purporting to answer the question: "What is true Christianity and how do you practice it in everyday life?"
Some modern Christian teachings are heavily intertwined with worldly perspectives, advocating how to achieve step by step success in the Here and Now. Furthermore, some teachers are motivated by attaining worldly gain – not only money but popular reputation. So evaluating "Christian" teachings is wise: rejecting systems heavily laced with ways to succeed or avoid pain in this life while lacking encouragement to follow Jesus in the hard places.
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." John 15:18-20 ESV
Like the Pharisees, one of our most insidious enemies is worldliness. The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee, gave us this injunction:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV
Ask the Holy Spirit to examine the desires of your heart; then pick your encouragement accordingly.
by Kathleen Petersen
