Ok, close your eyes and get a rock solid picture in your mind of the Pharisees, the #1 enemies of your Savior, Jesus, the Christ. Got it? Now hang on for a shake your head, this just can’t be true, fact, straight out of your Bible. Ready? Here we go, hang on tight.
When the Pharisees first appear in the Gospels, got any idea where we find them? I’ll bet you can’t guess. They are hanging out with their political enemies, the Sadducees, getting baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist in Mt. 3:7-10.
Is that not crazy? And on top of that they are the target of John’s hellfire and brimstone preaching, calling them a “brood of vipers.” And they don’t leave. Surely doesn’t fit that rock solid picture you stirred up in your mind, huh.
The second appearance is a little closer to home, when a group of Pharisees, definitely not the baptized ones from Mt. 7, are sent to ask John a question: “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” But that’s all they do. No accusations, no attacks. Strange again, huh.
The third time absolutely freaks out the average Bible student. One of the Pharisees who is on the ruling council shows up where Jesus is living and states, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jn. 3, Nicodemus, searching for the truth.
The first three appearances of the Pharisees in God’s Word don’t fit our image of them at all. So where does our image come from? The fourth time they show up is where their image begins to shift. Jn. 4:1 “The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John …” This may seem innocent, but Jesus’ response makes their intent clear. “When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.”
Jesus knew that their minds and hearts resented his popularity. They were losing followers and they hated that and now they hated him. Now they had two prophets to resent: John the Baptist and Jesus. And one of them was a miracle worker.
Everything began to tumble faster downhill. Their fifth arrival was in Lk. 5:21 “The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” From this point forward, it was nothing but investigations, inquisitions, stalking, plotting and planning his destruction.
What began so innocent, now turned into a bitterness that would lead to a murderous plan and end with the words, “Crucify him.”
Lesson? Just because you are on the mark today, doesn’t mean that you will always have those same feelings in your heart. Things can change. The remedy to prevent that downward change?
Lk. 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Rom. 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 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.
