Every religion has different camps that debate tips on how to practice its beliefs. During the 70 years when the Jews were separated from their homeland, different ideological camps arose—most notably, the Pharisees and Sadducees. In Jesus’ time, these two sects were still around and have become a serious a part of the story of Jesus’ ministry. Scripture provides over 99 references to the Pharisees and over 15 references to the Sadducees.
What made the Pharisees and Sadducees so distinguished in Jesus’ story? How did their ideology affect their views of Jesus when he got here on the scene?
What Made the Pharisees Different from the Sadducees?
Sadducees were the rich, powerful priests in Jesus’s time. While each Pharisees and Sadducees served within the Sanhedrin, Sadducees held to a special set of beliefs. They believed:
Since the Torah was only the primary five books of the Bible, they didn’t consider the main or minor prophets or the wisdom books as nearly essential.
Since the Sadducees were generally a part of the upper class, they tended to associate with the Romans, avoiding anything that would create huge social conflicts. Hence, as Pamala Palmer notes, “the Sadducees are portrayed versus Jesus and feared that he would overthrow them in power.”
The Pharisees were generally less wealthy and believed in lots of things that the Sadducees didn’t. Most notably, the Pharisees believed in:
- The existence of angels, the afterlife, and the supernatural realm.
- The written Torah and oral traditions about it, in addition to later written books just like the wisdom and prophetic books.
- That people had free will, but additionally that God had a foreknowledge of individuals’s destinies.
- The immortality of the human soul, although not within the resurrection of the body.
- The importance of creating religious practices a part of on a regular basis Jewish life.
Bethany Verrett explains that the last belief led the Pharisees to develop “strict interpretations of the Law, even where rules were absent. They lived based on these strict rules about cleanliness, work on the Sabbath, what material to wear, and lots of other day by day tasks.”
While they held to a stricter view of tips on how to follow God than the Sadducees, that didn’t necessarily make them more moral. Jesus called them hypocrites six times (Matthew 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27, and 29).
While the Pharisees and Sadducees had their differences, the one thing they may agree on was that Jesus of Nazareth was a threat. Unified under the assumption that Jesus’ teaching would undermine their power among the many Jewish people, they sought to place him on trial and kill him.
Were Pharisees and Sadducees the Only Important Religious Groups?
The Pharisees and Sadducees weren’t ancient Judea’s only religious groups.
Another Jewish sect that grew out of the conflicts through the Maccabean age was the Essenes. The gospels don’t mention them, possibly because they weren’t a part of the crowds following Jesus. Michael A. Hall notes in his book The Promise and the Blessing that the Essenes lived in secluded communities within the desert. However, ancient writers like Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, and Pliny the Elder mention them.
The Essenes were a separatist group. They had lots of the same beliefs because the Pharisees but viewed the priesthood, temple rituals, and sacrificial systems in place as corrupt. While the Pharisees and Sadducees sought to do God’s work inside society, the Essenes avoided society. That separation, living within the desert and doing their work, had some surprising effects centuries later: they left hidden records and survived catastrophes just like the sack of Jerusalem. Dr. John Barnett states, “The precise nature of the Essenes continues to be not certain, though it is mostly agreed that the Qumran community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls was an Essene group.”
The Zealots were one other group that existed during Jesus’ time. While the Pharisees, Essenes, and Sadducees originated shortly after the Babylonian exile, the Zealots were founded much later—around AD 6 by a person named Judas (not Iscariot). This Judas was a Galilean who revolted against Rome in response to a census tax. The original group led by Judas was quickly overtaken by the Romans and crucified. Following their leader’s crucifixion, individuals who sympathized with the Zealot agenda became an underground society that used covert attacks to overthrow the Roman occupation. Josephus stated that the Zealots had “an insatiable passion for liberty.” (Antiquities 18.1.6). They believed that Israel shouldn’t have any master aside from God.
The Zealots are mentioned several times within the New Testament. One of Jesus’ disciples, Simon the Zealot, had been involved within the group (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13). It appears that Barabbas, the insurgent in prison for collaborating in a revolt, was a Zealot (Mathew 27:11-26, Mark 15:6-15. Luke 23:13-25, John 18:38-40). Ultimately, the Zealots’ revolt had short-term success: they retook town of Jerusalem in AD 66. However, the emperor Titus took brutal motion: Jerusalem, including its temple, was destroyed in 70 AD.
While the Pharisees and Sadducees weren’t the one religious groups in Jesus’ day, they were probably the most successful since they were probably the most moderate (no exiles, no paramilitary agendas). So, as probably the most notable Jewish leaders on the time, how did they get together with Jesus?
Did Any Pharisees or Sadducees Like Jesus?
While we don’t get many details in regards to the Sadducees interacting with Jesus, we will see that not less than some Pharisees are cordial to Jesus. For example, Luke 7:36-50 mentions one Pharisee inviting him to dinner. One notable Pharisee who seeks out Jesus for advice is Nicodemus in John 3:1-21. Nicodemus could have called on Jesus at night to maintain his visit private to avoid causing conflict with other Pharisees. The proven fact that Nicodemus uses the term “rabbi” suggests he had respect for Jesus (John 3:2). Later within the book of John, we see Nicodemus’ name come up again after the crucifixion of Jesus. In John 19:39, Nicodemus is mentioned together with Joseph of Arimathea, preparing Jesus’ body for burial before placing him within the tomb.
Who was Joseph of Arimathea? Scripture says that Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43) who had not voted to sentence Jesus. It’s unclear whether Joseph was a Pharisee or a Sadducee, however the proven fact that he was wealthy suggests he might have been a Sadducee. Joseph is thought for requesting the body of Jesus from Pilate (John 19:38) and burying Jesus within the tomb Joseph had prepared for himself. Dr. Thomas L Constable notes, “Joseph’s courageous act doubtless alienated him from a lot of his fellow Sanhedrin members.”
Why Did the Pharisees and Sadducees Hate Jesus?
Many verses mention that Jesus may very well be controversial. We are told that “the Jews persecuted him” (John 5:16) and “tried all of the harder to kill him” (John 5:18). We don’t know if these Jews were Pharisees or Sadducees.
We see many occasions where the leaders (sometimes defined as Pharisees or Sadducees, sometimes it’s not defined) clashed with Jesus. For example, in Luke 20, we’re told that the scribes and chief priests sought to arrest Jesus.
Since we see way more references to the Pharisees clashing with Jesus than the Sadducees, we may assume they hated him more. However, no definitive verse tells us which group hated him of course. We can ask why Jesus’ teachings and ministry threatened each the Pharisees and Sadducees.
First, they hated Jesus out of jealousy. Pharisees and Sadducees were teachers of the law. They spent much time teaching and rebuking people but rarely drew huge crowds like Jesus. Jesus often taught 1000’s. Many of the formal religious leaders didn’t receive Jesus’ popularity among the many people. Not surprisingly, then, they often tried to place him down or discredit them—the again and again after they are recorded as “testing” Jesus.
Second, they hated Jesus because his conversations with them often exposed their flaws. They sat in the best places of honor within the Jewish community. Jesus challenged and rebuked their behavior again and again. In Matthew 23, Jesus even calls the teachers of the law and Pharisees ‘snakes’ (Matthew 23:33), whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27), blind (Matthew 23:16), and hypocrites. Particularly for the Pharisees, who emphasized following rules and saw themselves because the experts on getting the whole lot right, being called hypocrites was galling.
Third, they disliked Jesus because they feared that what Jesus was teaching would result in an rebellion. While the Sadducees especially cared about keeping the Romans completely satisfied, they maintained their social positions, and each groups held power through (spoken and unspoken) agreements with the Roman government. If these crowds of Jesus’ followers staged a revolt, they may very well be held responsible and suffer imperial wrath.
This jealousy, pride, and fear led the Pharisees and Sadducees to agree on one thing: to eliminate Jesus. They arrested Jesus, unjustly tried him, and called for his crucifixion in front of Pontious Pilate . . . all to avoid wasting their position. However, in the long run, their actions led to the achievement of the Law they loved. Jesus’ death and resurrection brought forth a latest covenant, the Messiah offering salvation and freedom that ran deeper than anything they expected.
Photo Credit: Public domain (nineteenth-century painting by James Tissot) via Wikimedia Commons
You can discover more about Valerie, her books, and her blog at www.valeriefentress.com.
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