#1152: Who were Sadducees and Pharisees? | Matthew 22 | Isaiah 13-14 | Proverbs 12:16-28

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Original airdate: Tuesday, July 21, 2020

(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)

Focus Question:

Who were Sadducees and Pharisees?

Intro:

You’ve heard the names of these groups before, Pharisees and Sadducees. And in Matthew 22 today, you’ll hear about a strange relationship between the two. It’s useful, then to understand a little more about these two groups – at least at a high level – because that’ll add context to the story.

The Pharisees were the strictest of sects. Generally middle class, they were known for being utterly scrupulous about knowing and keeping the law – and going beyond it in things like incredibly restrictive dietary laws, ritual purity, observance of the Sabbath, etc. They’d be a good group to call legalists, because they had rules like a woman being forbidden to look in a mirror on the Sabbath because she might see a gray hair, be tempted to pluck it out, and thereby be guilty of working on the Sabbath. Nonetheless, they were generally respected and considered the most accurate interpreters of the laws.

The Sadducees were a bit different. They only held that the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible were authoritative. They didn’t believe in spirits or the afterlife. They controlled the priesthood, were usually wealthy, and held political clout. And unlike the Pharisees who almost might have been considered the progressives because they kept applying OT law to new circumstances, the Sadducees had a vested interest in keeping the status quo the status quo.

New Testament segment:

Passage: Matthew 22
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 46
Words: ~972

So’d you catch that. The Sadducees tried to trick Jesus asking about a heaven they didn’t believe in. And Jesus puts them in their place by arguing for angels and heaven from the very Scriptures they held to be authoritative.

So here comes the Pharisees, probably tickled pink Jesus had shut up the Sadducees, and they tried to trick Jesus, too. No dice.

And now in Isaiah we hit the next major section. We just got done hearing that God redefined the future for the Israelites, and now we move into an extended section of oracles or judgments against the surrounding nations. A big theme: God is sovereign over both enemies and allies, and God’s people don’t need to worry or look to foreigners for aid.

Old Testament segment:

Passage: Isaiah 13-14
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 54
Words: ~1573

Wisdom segment:

Passage: Proverbs 12:16-28
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 14
Words: ~762

The bottom line:

I say it a lot, but I think we need to hear it a lot: God wouldn’t be perfectly holy and loving if He wasn’t perfectly fair…and that’s why His grace is SO amazing.

Love you!

Roger


ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org


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