First century bad guys

It’s easy to dismiss the Pharisees as the bad guys of the first century, the religious hypocrites who were destroying God’s truth for their own gain.

Did you know the Pharisees were the ones who determined the final contents of the Hebrew Bible, which we call the Old Testament? After Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, only the Pharisees emerged somewhat intact. The Sadducees and Essenes were scattered but the Pharisees remained together. They met in 90 AD in Jamnia to canonize the Old Testament.

So the Pharisees are a mixed bag for us. Often we hear “Pharisee” and think “hypocrite.” They were often pretenders, men who seemed to hold the secrets of God’s Word. They postured as the experts on righteousness and God’s Word, furious when Jesus exposed their pretense while he showed his own greater wisdom and authority.

The Pharisees were fiercely separatists, refusing loyalty to Rome. You can imagine how popular that made them with the Jews. They were intensely loyal to God and absolutely dedicated to restoring Israel. They were drawn to the many debates with Jesus because of their zeal

Jesus deftly revealed that, although they shared knowledge with Jesus, they didn’t understand what they had learned. Their pride had blinded their eyes. Ultimately, it was those religious zealots who brought about Jesus’ death.

They thought they were experts on the law, but Jesus labeled them “whitewashed tombs,” which looked good on the outside but dead on the inside. Their zeal had drifted from the heart to the skin, there to impress others. They lost their first love.

I’ve wondered often what we would do with Pharisees today. Could we see past the fanaticism to discern their motivations? Would we follow their separatist zeal for the law? Their formulas and external motivation are a lot easier to follow than the way of brokenness and humility.

They tried to elevate themselves in their pride but, when they were whipped and exiled, God used them to preserve his Old Testament Word.

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Luke 23:34