Why Did the Pharisees Hate Jesus?

Jessa (age 5) asked,

“Why did the Pharisees hate Jesus?”

Good question, Jessa!

First, who were the Pharisees?

The Pharisees were leaders and teachers in the synagogues of the Jewish people. They thought the way to be righteous (without sin before God) was to strictly follow traditions and the law of Moses (found in the first five books of the Old Testament). The Pharisees focused on the outward practice of following the law, which sometimes led them to ignore practicing justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23).

The Pharisees disliked Jesus because he challenged their teachings and often called them hypocrites (someone who says one thing but does another).

Because Jesus challenged the Pharisees, they felt like he threatened their power. As people began to follow Jesus and listen to his teachings, the Pharisees felt jealous and worried that they would lose their power over the Jewish people.

Also, during his life on earth, Jesus often rightly claimed that he is God and has the power to heal people and forgive sins. But the Pharisees had hard hearts and did not think Jesus was really the Messiah, as he claimed to be. They hated him because they thought he was blasphemous (BLAS-feh-muhs), or disrespectful to God.

The Pharisees were blinded by their hatred of Jesus and completely missed the truth of who he is and how only he could save them.

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