Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Why They Opposed Jesus)

Hypocrites. Brood of vipers. Whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones. A blunt public statement of, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29 ESV).

These are the very phrases Jesus used when confronting opposition from Pharisees and Sadducees—two prominent groups of Jewish religious leaders.

What could have prompted Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to address them in these ways?

First, let’s note that not all of these first-century religious leaders were hostile to Jesus. Some had more positive, constructive interactions with Him, and some became His followers and defenders.¹

But interestingly enough, of all the people who publicly conflicted with Jesus’s teachings or methods, almost all of them were not “common” people but those who were supposed to be respected spiritual leaders.

These leaders had a different view of what the Messiah should be like. And they were suspicious (and jealous) of Jesus’ popularity and the way He spoke with divine authority.

(Not to mention that His teachings tended to contradict many of their legalistic beliefs and practices.)

So they tried everything to entrap Him in His words, hoping for an opportunity to discredit Him or get rid of Him somehow.

Eventually, they would take part in having Him crucified.

So it makes sense that Jesus’ strongest words were reserved for their outright hypocrisy. They were people with great spiritual influence, yet they opposed His character and mission.

But what led up to all this? What kinds of religious beliefs or traditions did Jesus challenge?

Let’s get to know the Pharisees and Sadducees a bit better.

• Who the Pharisees and Sadducees were
• What Jesus’ relationship with them was like
• Lessons we can learn from Jesus’ interactions with them

We’ll start with what defined these two groups of religious leaders.

Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees?

The Pharisees and Sadducees were two distinct groups of Jewish religious leaders during the time of Jesus’s earthly ministry.

Both groups were part of the Sanhedrin, or the supreme council of the Jews in Jerusalem.² And ultimately, they had a shared key motive—the restoration of Israel.

But their similarities don’t go much further than that. They typically considered each other to be rivals.³

Pharisees

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The Pharisees came from among the common people. They focused on obedience to every aspect of the law of Moses.⁴

Perhaps they hoped that by their efforts—whether in keeping the law to perfection or leveraging their political connections—they could usher in the national greatness their ancestors had lost by straying from God’s guidance (as described in the Hebrew Scriptures).

The Pharisees existed from about 515 BC to AD 90.⁵ They were “a group of mostly lay, not priestly, members that focused upon interpreting the law—both written and oral.”⁶ (The apostle Paul was also a Pharisee, according to Acts 23:6.)

The Hebrew word for Pharisee means “separate ones,” and this aptly describes what they attempted to do: separate themselves from anything that could make them ritually impure or disobedient to God.⁷

At the time, the Jewish people had the written law—the first five books of Moses, also called the Torah (or the Pentateuch in Greek).

The oral law was separate from the written law. This “tradition of the elders” comes from the Greek word paradosis and refers to “the massive body of oral, rabbinical regulations that had grown up around the Torah.”⁸

It contained instructions and guidance that the Jewish leaders added over time to help them keep the written law.

And the Pharisees believed in upholding both the written law and the oral law.⁹

But despite these very formal, legalistic methods, the Pharisees were more popular among the Jews than the wealthy Sadducees because they lived among common people and related better to them.

Sadducees

The Sadducees, on the other hand, were wealthy, “upper-class aristocrats”¹⁰ and emphasized political matters. The word “Sadducee” is thought to be derived from Zadok, the first high priest of Solomon’s temple, with the root form of the word meaning, “to be right, just.”¹¹

So while the Pharisees represented the laity and focused heavily on day-to-day obedience to the law of Moses, the Sadducees occupied most of the positions of the Jewish priesthood, as well as the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin.¹² The high priest during Jesus’ ministry, Caiaphas, was a Sadducee.¹³

Even with this level of authority and influence, however, there were much fewer Sadducees than Pharisees.¹⁴ But they had significant political sway and maintained good relations with the Roman rulers of Palestine.¹⁵

And when it came to spiritual matters, while the Pharisees considered the oral law to be equal in authority to the written law (Torah), the Sadducees held only to the written law.

Because of this, they also upheld a literal interpretation of the more harsh practices of early Israel, such as frequent use of the death penalty and what is commonly referred to today as the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” principle.¹⁶ They also oversaw temple proceedings and placed high importance on temple rituals as a means of purity.¹⁷

Despite a more fundamentalist approach to Scripture, however, Sadducees held some unique beliefs that conflicted with the Torah, such as:¹⁸

1) Claiming that God had little, if any, involvement with people on a personal level

2) Denying the existence of spirits, such as angels or demons (Acts 23:8)

3) Denying any kind of a resurrection or afterlife (a point they even questioned Jesus about in Matthew 22:23-33)

So the Sadducees were focused on the here and now. They wanted to preserve their heritage and keep their positions of power, having little interest in serving others.

These beliefs clashed with those of the Pharisees, who regarded God as a strict, intensely involved eternal father who expected perfection.

Despite these differences, though, neither group agreed with Jesus.

Like most Jews during their time, both these groups had expected a Messiah who would bring earthly power, allowing them to conquer the Romans. They saw this as how they could reclaim their former freedom and influence as a proud, set-apart nation, favored by God.

So when Jesus gained a sizable following while preaching an inclusive, service-oriented kingdom of heaven, this threatened the authority of both groups.

What was Jesus’ relationship to the Pharisees and Sadducees?

The Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ relationship with Jesus was one of conflict and friction. Their pride, hypocrisy, and thirst for power and influence had blinded them to who Jesus was—the Son of God. So instead of receiving Him as the prophesied Messiah of the Scriptures, they denied His divinity and did everything possible to discourage the people from following Him.

In the Bible, most of Jesus’ interactions were with the Pharisees, since they more commonly crossed paths with the laity and had more opportunities to interact with Him or His followers.

The Pharisees’ pride led them to critique His every move. They thought that if they could trip up His words, they could arrest Him and discredit Him in the eyes of the people (Matthew 22:15).

They also publicly questioned His authority, asking Him repeatedly for signs—even though He’d already given them many indications of who He was (Matthew 21:23; Mark 8:11-12).

They even went so far as to plot His death after His incredible miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45-53). And they would eventually get what they wanted: Jesus’ arrest and death (John 18:3)

But what led them to that point?

Let’s look at some key interactions Jesus had with these religious leaders. In them, we’ll see some of the biggest differences they had with Jesus and why they sought to kill him.

(See the box below for a full list of these interactions.)

Eating with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9:10-13; Mark 2:16-17; Luke 5:30-32)

Photo by iMattSmart on Unsplash

“Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” the Pharisees asked the disciples (Matthew 9:11, NKJV). The question itself shows their prejudice.

Tax collectors were widely shunned among the Jews because they worked for the Roman government and were also known to charge people more than necessary so they could make a profit. The religious leaders likely saw this profession as a betrayal of loyalty to the nation of Israel.

And the other label the Pharisees use is “sinners.” This likely meant people whose struggles with sin were more obvious, those who might be ceremonially unclean, or those who simply didn’t follow all the rigorous rituals and laws and thus weren’t “righteous” like they considered themselves to be.

Jesus, though, had come to save sinners (Jews and Gentiles—i.e., everyone) and reveal the heart of God to them. He responded to the Pharisees with a quote from the Old Testament Scriptures—something they should have known:

“It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13, CSB).

Jesus didn’t subscribe to human laws or rituals that pushed people aside. He saw beyond people’s sin and came to bring hope and healing to broken hearts.

Accusations of Sabbath breaking (Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6; Luke 6:1-11)

In this situation, the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath in two ways:

1. Allowing His disciples to pick and eat handfuls of grain to satisfy their hunger
2. Healing someone with a withered hand

In both cases, the Pharisees were setting up their human traditions as the standard of behavior. They categorized these two acts as “work,” thus breaking the command not to work on Sabbath—even though these acts had nothing to do with their professions or economic gain.

This shows how the Pharisees missed the true purpose of the Sabbath: rest, connection with God, and blessing others.

Jesus wasn’t there to break the Sabbath. Instead, He proclaimed Himself, the Son of Man, as the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and showed what it truly meant to keep it. Adventist scholars note the following about Jesus:

“Throughout His ministry on earth Christ was in conflict with the Jewish leaders over the validity of man-made laws and traditions.”¹⁹

In this story, Jesus challenged the Pharisees:

“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4, NKJV)

But they refused to answer Him and went out to plot His death (verse 6).

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22-45)

Jesus had just healed someone possessed by a demon—something that should have been cause for rejoicing.

And it was for some. Many who had witnessed the miracle were eagerly inquiring whether Jesus was the Son of David—the Messiah.

As if to shift the attention away from the miracle and blunt its impact, the Pharisees suddenly accused Jesus of casting the demon out “by Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Matthew 12:24, NKJV).

This was contradictory, and Jesus pointed it out. How could He set someone free from Satan’s power by the same power? It didn’t make sense.

Jesus went on to warn the Pharisees of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (verse 31). In other words, by ignoring the conviction that Jesus was God, they were in danger of rejecting the Holy Spirit’s voice in their hearts.

Even as they hardened their hearts against Him, Jesus was still trying to show the Pharisees their deep need for salvation and His willingness to save them.

Ritual purity or inner purity (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23)

Photo by George Becker

The Pharisees were hyperfocused on following the oral law—the traditions passed down from one generation of Jews to another. These laws expanded on the law God gave to Moses, and they were the Pharisees’ way of being extra sure they weren’t breaking God’s law. They were considered “a fence around the Torah.”²⁰

Think of a building with a restricted area, and the rules state that anyone who enters it is forced to leave the building. But to be extra safe, building management also makes the room next to it restricted as well. That might sound harmless or even smart, but it becomes a problem if someone receives the same punishment for entering that room instead of actually entering the restricted area. That would mean that the “just in case” instruction the management came up with was treated as if it had the same authority as the building’s official, original rule.

As for the oral laws the Pharisees followed, one in particular had to do with ritual hand washing. When Jesus’ disciples didn’t follow this tradition, the Pharisees were quick to protest:

“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread” (Matthew 15:2, NKJV).

Jesus got right to the heart of the matter in His response:

“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3, NKJV)

Then He gave an example of how they’d done this.

“Corban” was a practice among the Jews during that time that allowed someone to neglect caring for their elderly mother and father if that person chose to devote their land and money as a gift to God.²¹

The Pharisees encouraged people to make these kinds of gifts to God because they benefited the religious leaders.

The motive was money.

Jesus explained that the motives of the heart—including greed and covetousness—are what make someone impure, not failure to follow ritual hand washing (Matthew 15:19-20).

Woes on the Pharisees (Matthew 23; Luke 11:37-54)

Matthew 23 contains one of Jesus’ longest rebukes of the Pharisees. It consists of eight “woes” that point out and give examples of their hypocrisy, greed, and pride.

In summary, He denounced them for:

1. Hindering people from experiencing the kingdom of God
2. Making long prayers but neglecting to care for those in need
3. Trying to convert people into their selfish, prideful, hypocritical ways
4. Becoming so particular about making an oath rather than focusing on the importance of keeping the oath²²
5. Focusing on minute details of the law while ignoring justice, mercy, and faithfulness
6. Presenting a holy exterior while being full of greed and self-indulgence.
7. Appearing righteous on the outside but being impure of heart
8. Revering the prophets of the past while persecuting those who served God in the present

Though Jesus no doubt wanted to awaken the Pharisees to their condition, scholars also believe He denounced them for the sake of the people listening.

He wanted to “break the chains that bound the people to tradition and those who perpetuated it.”²³

Rebuke to Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50)

Simon was actually one of the Pharisees who wasn’t hostile toward Jesus and even invited Him to eat at his house. But in this situation, Jesus had to call out a serious issue that Simon and others in attendance needed to learn from.

While at Simon’s house, a woman, whom the account tells us was “a sinner,” came up to Jesus while He was at the table and, in an act of sacrificial love, anointed His feet with fragrant—and pricey—oil (Luke 7:37-38, ESV).

Here’s how Simon reacted:

“Now when the Pharisee who invited Him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man [Jesus] were a prophet, He would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner” (verse 39, ESV).

His comment revealed His pharisaical mindset. “Sinners” were to be avoided.

Ironically, Jesus knew who the woman was, and He knew what Simon was saying to himself. So He told Simon a parable:

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” (verses 41-42, NKJV)

Simon correctly responded that the one who’d been forgiven more would love more.

Then Jesus drove the point home:

“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (verses 44-47, NKJV).

Did Simon receive the rebuke?

Or did he harden his heart to Jesus’ teachings the way the other Pharisees did? The Bible doesn’t record what happened in Simon’s life after this moment.

But it does tell us about one Pharisee who allowed the Gospel to change him.

A night meeting with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21; 7:50-51)

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Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews who had come to believe Jesus was a teacher from God (John 3:1)

Intrigued, he wanted to talk with Jesus. But perhaps out of fear that others would know, he went to Him at night, under cover of darkness.

In their conversation, we see Nicodemus wrestling with his need for salvation.

After all, the Pharisees believed they had it all together. They were saved.

But Jesus turned that upside down and showed Nicodemus the heart change that was necessary to understand God’s character and the kingdom of heaven:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, NKJV).

In this conversation, Jesus also shared some of the most precious truths in the Word of God. Bible verses that are very familiar to us today:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17, NKJV).

John 3 doesn’t tell us the conclusion of the conversation. It leaves us wondering whether Nicodemus chose to believe in Jesus or not.

But later, we’re let in on more of the story.

During a meeting of the chief priests and Pharisees who wanted to kill Jesus, Nicodemus defended Him before the Sanhedrin (John 7:50-51). And after His crucifixion, he showed himself a follower of Jesus by helping to respectfully bury His body (John 19:39).

Nicodemus was one Pharisee who chose to let go of his pride, choosing to follow Jesus even if it cost him.

What are lessons we can learn from Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees and Sadducees?

Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees and Sadducees teach us a lot about the reality of following God in a world hostile to Him and His principles.

The Pharisees and Sadducees longed for the Messiah they’d created in their minds. They wanted someone who would free them from oppression and support their hunger for wealth and power.

But Jesus didn’t do so.

He came to break people free from much more than that—the chains of selfishness, pride, corruption, greed, etc.

When the Pharisees realized that He wasn’t someone who would free them from Roman rule, they were unwilling to acknowledge that the Messiah might be different from what they expected. They allowed pride to get in the way, leading them to persecute Jesus through their words and actions.

Here are some takeaways we can gather from their stories.

The reality of persecution

Photo by Keira Burton

Jesus experienced persecution throughout His life and ministry because He lived His life so differently from those around Him.

His principles of self-sacrificing love and true justice, and His full confidence in His Father, angered those who were seeking gain for themselves or prioritizing the systems that benefited them.

Jesus Himself said,

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you” (John 15:18-19, CSB).

Similarly, when we as Christians choose to live for principles that are different from the world around us, we will face opposition. Opposition from society, co-workers, friends, and sometimes even family.

But we can take courage that Jesus experienced it before us and will strengthen us to go through it (John 16:33).

Handling opposition with love

When confronted by the Pharisees who were trying to entrap Him at every turn, Jesus didn’t retaliate. Yes, at times, He spoke some strong words to them (after all, He is God, and they were grossly misrepresenting Him), but He didn’t try to argue, prove Himself, or defend Himself to them.

When they would ask Him for a sign, He wouldn’t take the bait. Instead, He would often ask them a core question that revealed the state of their faith (Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 11:27-33). He didn’t enter into their mind games.

Likewise, when we face opposition, silence is often the best answer, rather than trying to justify ourselves. And we can also remember that if there is something we’re supposed to say, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will give us those words:

“Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said” (Luke 12:11-12, CSB).

Danger of pride and self-importance

Pride and self-importance can lead us to categorize ourselves apart from others while also relying on our own efforts for achievement, salvation, contentment, etc. And if we feel like there isn’t anything more we need to learn or that we never need any help, that often blinds us to the truths right in front of us.

This was the downfall of many of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

When Jesus spoke to these religious leaders of His mission to set people free, they were quick to react:

“We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” (John 8:33, NKJV).

Their pride closed them off from receiving what Jesus offered. Likewise, when we feel that we have everything together or that we don’t need to learn anything, we may be closing ourselves off to what God wants to do in our lives.

The Pharisees’ example serves as a warning and reminder to keep a tender, open heart toward God. And the Bible promises us:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).

Meeting people where they’re at

Jesus knew how to approach people. He knew when He needed to be firm and straightforward with the hardhearted Pharisees, even to the point of rebuking them publicly. And He also knew when someone was sincerely seeking, as in the case of Nicodemus.

A survey of the Gospel accounts reveals that Jesus was never harsh to anyone who came to Him in desperation or brokenness. He knew they needed tenderness and care, and that’s exactly what He gave them.

His way of approaching people reminds us that different people need different approaches. Yes, there may be a time when you have to be firm with someone who is pushing boundaries or causing harm to others, and something needs to be stopped immediately. And at other times, someone who has made mistakes may need your kindness and encouragement.

And if we’re ever not sure which approach to take, we can ask God for His Holy Spirit to help discern what is best in each situation (Luke 11:13).

The Pharisees and Sadducees’ missed opportunities

The Pharisees and Sadducees were quite different from one another—one group cared about adherence to the oral law, while the other cared about secular and political activities.

But they were united in their desire for influence, power, and authority. And their collective pride caused them to oppose Jesus.

They didn’t understand His ways of self-sacrifice, humility, and mercy.

And their anger would lead them to call for His execution.

Yet, Jesus still wanted to reach them, still desired to show love to them—as we see in the example of Simon or Nicodemus.

Jesus gave the Pharisees and Sadducees many opportunities. And He does the same for each one of us.

Jesus’ Interactions with the Pharisees and Sadducees

Most of Jesus’ interactions were with the Pharisees, who were more present in day-to-day life while the Sadducees tended to separate themselves from the laity. Passages that included the Sadducees are noted.

• Matthew 9:10-13; Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:30-32
• Matthew 9:32-34
• Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6; Luke 6:1-11
• Matthew 12:22-45
• Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23
• Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:11-12 (Pharisees and Sadducees together)
• Matthew 19:3-12; Mark 10:2-9
• Matthew 21:23-46; Mark 11:27-33; 12:1-12 (“Chief priests and elders” include Sadducees)
• Matthew 22:1-14
• Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17
• Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27 (Sadducees)
• Matthew 22:34-46; Mark 12:28-37
• Matthew 23
• Luke 5:17-26
• Luke 5:33-39
• Luke 7:36-50
• Luke 13:31-33
• Luke 14:1-24
• Luke 15
• Luke 16:14-18
• Luke 17:20-37
• Luke 19:37-40
• John 3:1-12
• John 8:3-20
• John 9:35-41

1. To name a few: Nicodemus (John 3:1-21; 7:50-51; 19:39); Joseph of Arimathea (Luke 23:50-51; John 19:38-42); and Paul, a former Pharisee (Acts 23:6). [↵]
2. “Sanhedrin,” Britannica. (1954), p. 679. [↵]
3. “Sadducees,” Britannica. [↵]
4. “Pharisee,” Britannica. [↵]
5. Ibid. [↵]
6. Klingbeil, Gerald, “Religious Groups in First-Century A.D. Palestine,” Adventist World, April 2015, pp. 16-19. [↵]
7. Horn, Siegfried, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, p. 872-873. [↵]
8. Ibid., p. 622. [↵]
9. Ibid. [↵]
10. “Sadducees,” World History Encyclopedia. [↵]
11. Ibid. [↵]
12. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, p. 872-873. [↵]
13. “Caiaphas,” New World Encyclopedia. [↵]
14. Klingbeil, “Religious Groups in First-Century A.D. Palestine,” [↵]
15. “Sadducees,” Britannica. [↵]
16. Ibid. [↵]
17. “Sadducees,” World History Encyclopedia. [↵]
18. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary., pp. 874, 967 [↵]
19. Nichol, F.D., Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 586. [↵]
20. “Pirkei Avot 1”, Mishnah, translated by Dr. Joshua Kulp, Sefaria, https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.1.1?lang=bi [↵]
21. The Pulpit Commentary, comments on Mark 7:11, Bible Hub. [↵]
22. Nichol, p. 338. [↵]
23. Ibid., p. 486 [↵]

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