Articles
Leavening of the Pharisees
Leavening of the Pharisees and Sadducees
In Matthew 16 we read that the Pharisees and the Sadducees had joined together to test Jesus. The teachings of these two religious groups were different: "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all" (Acts 23:8).
Yet there was a common problem with their teaching. The Sadducees in denying the plain teaching of the Scriptures concerning resurrection, angels, and spirit, rejected the Word of God. The Pharisees raised their man-made commandments to the level of the Word of God and by doing so 'made void the commandments of God (Matt. 15:1ff). Neither of them kept God's word and by their teaching they taught others to not keep it.
Yet, in response to Jesus they also shared a hatred for Him and a rejection of all the evidence that He gave to show them He was the Son of God. It wasn't that the evidence was insufficient; it was because they had closed their minds to it. Hearing, they hear but do not understand. Seeing, the see but do not understand. Such was not just ignorance, but willful ignorance. It was a rejection of Jesus, His claims, and the evidence. So strong was this reaction that they would lay aside their differences with each other in order to exert a united effort to destroy Jesus.
Even after seeing the signs that Jesus did, they got together and came to Jesus to tempt him and ask for 'a sign from heaven'. They had already requested such a sign (Matt.12:38-39). That time he had cast out a demon in their presence and they attributed it to the power of Satan. They had already such signs and they had rejected all such efforts. Doing another one would not change things. They were not seeking truth but an opportunity to denounce and destroy Jesus. This was not the first time, so it is a 'life-style' and not a 'slipup' (cp. Matt. 9:3, 11, 34; 12:2, 14, 24, 38; 15:1 and especially 12:14). Hence, to such an evil and adulterous generation there would be no sign except the sign of Jonah.
Although Jesus did more signs, he did none for the viewing of these religious teachers. They would later see the proof of the resurrection: Jesus rising from the tomb even as Jonah came forth from the great fish.
Thus the warning of Matthew 16:6: "Beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees," for they teach against Jesus. Later, it would be said of the noble Bereans that upon hearing such stories about Jesus, "they searched the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed…" (Acts 17:11-12). Hugh DeLong
