Jesus and the Pharisees

Jesus And The Pharisees

Text: Matthew 15:1-9

Introduction:

The Pharisees of Jesus day were wrong in their theology and in their practice. Jesus, who I must add, was the Messiah, undermined their authority and condemned their empty religion at every encounter. The teaching and practice of the Messiah was incompatible with the teaching and practice of the Pharisees. The Pharisees saw themselves as the inheritors of truth both positional and ancestral. In our text a challenge is issued from the Pharisees to Jesus about his disciple's transgression of the "tradition of the elders." Jesus' charge back to them concerns their transgression and that of their elder's transgression of the commandments of God. The religious leaders of Israel had applied their interpretation of the Law of God in such a way that it led to externalism and religious professionalism. The "elders tradition" had found forty-nine reasons for pronouncing each animal clean or unclean. They had pronounced seven hundred kinds of fish and twenty-four kinds of birds unclean. No wonder Peter was shocked when he was told of the Lord, in a vision, to "rise, Peter, kill, and eat." (Acts 10:9-16). Their "traditions" were extensive and ridiculous. One such lengthy rule on the Sabbath included the following. "To untie the knot of camel drivers and of sailors is a sin, while a knot that can be untied with one hand is allowed. One must not kindle a fire on the Sabbath. Vinegar could be used for a sore throat if it was swallowed, but not as a gargle." (A.T. Robertson's book). Yet along with this they devised cunning ways one could avoid the laws by the rule of intention. Men do prove that they love darkness rather than light don't they?

Baptists have long claimed to be the heirs the New Testament churches by theological and genealogical heritage. Stress is often laid upon our unbroken succession to the very time of Christ. Is this enough? I think not. Anyone who claims to be the people of God must know the frailties of those same people and the ease with which we fall prey to the errors of Israel chronicled for us in the Old Testament.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees of some seven different errors and I am sure we all know them. I won't be able to deal with but two.

I. There Was A Lack Of Spiritual Perception: (Spiritual Blindness)

A. Of the new birth - (John 3:9)

1. Nicodemus was an accepted teacher of religion. He was supposed to know the most difficult points of theology along with the most elementary. Yet he showed his ignorance of one of the most fundamental matters.

2. Here is a man that is representative of those who are sympathetic towards Jesus and yet hindered by his own theology, blinded by his own knowledge. Whatever light this man thought he had Christ shows it to be nothing less than darkness.

3. Luke 11:52-54, These men who were supposed to know God's word had removed the truth of the kingdom of God and replaced it with the traditions of men. When confronted with this fact they became vehement in their anger. (Robertson's word pictures - They themselves refused to go into the house of knowledge and learn. They then locked the door and hid the key to the house of knowledge and hindered those who were trying to enter. It is the most pitiful picture imaginable of blind ecclesiastics trying to keep others as blind as they were, blind leaders of the blind, both falling into the pit.)

4. While Baptists would all reject the notion of baptismal regeneration there are some so-called Baptist who have picked up the mantel of the Pharisees and teach a works salvation. Repentance and faith do not bring about regeneration but follow after the sovereign regenerating power of God. (This is the historic Baptist position.)

B. Of the Scriptures - (Matthew 9:13)

1. Here Christ quotes Hosea 6:6, and tells them to "go ye and learn."

2. Their system of ceremonial ritualism along with their tireless and worthless traditions grew because of a blindness of the spiritual reality of God's word.

3. They are literally closed to any discussion or thoughts on scripture because they had built up their own traditions above and beyond the scriptures.

4. In Mark 8:11 the Pharisees sought a sign from the Lord. In verse 12 Christ's sighs deeply in his spirit and give his answer, The fuller version is in Matthew 16:1-4. They could look at the sky and know the weather, but could not discern the signs of the times.

a) The Pharisees failed as interpreters of spiritual reality from scripture.

b) They could not understand what was happening in their very presence because it did not correspond with their false conceptions and humanistic traditions.

5. How many churches and preachers when asked to provide scripture and verse become angry and will refuse to even consider that such a possibility of tradition has invaded their own theology? They need to go and learn.

C. Of Christ's Glory and God's Sovereignty - (Matthew 13:13-17)

1. Christ here quotes Isaiah 6:9-10. It is God's sovereign will that gives spiritual sight to some and blindness to others.

2. They heard the outward voice of Christ but the message was sealed, or closed up to them.

3. ROM 11:7-8 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

4. JOH 12:40-41 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

5. Would to God that we would preach the Glory of Christ and the Sovereignty of God and His work among men today and not worry about offending religious counterfeits.

6. MAT 15:12-14 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

II. Formalism:

A. Misplaces righteousness: (Matthew 5:20; 6:33)

1. Both Jesus and the Pharisees appealed to the Old Testament but Christ pointed out that the righteousness of the Pharisees fell far short of that required.

2. Jesus put the kingdom before righteousness while the Pharisees put righteousness before the kingdom. Sounds like works salvation, which is prevalent today.

3. The Pharisees believed the determining Factor was their interpretation of the Law and in fact saw that as more binding than the Law itself. They could not see the spirit of the Law.

4. It wasn't that there were not some among them who were straight in their keeping of the Law.

5. Christ is not mocking or ridiculing righteousness but he is exposing them as in bondage to sin and being concerned with the outward man rather than the inward man.

6. They were concerned with dirty hands but not with a dirty heart. "And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness." (Luke 11:39)

7. The problem was that they were satisfied with an external obedience to the

III. Prejudice:

IV. Traditionalism:

V. Hypocrisy: