The persecution of Christ: The Pharisees and many sides of evil.
I am not sure of anyone that has studied this but it doesn't take long to realize just how sickening it truly was in regard to the Pharisees. Jesus no doubt had righteous indignation; and eventually upbraided them severely starting with the initial overturning of the moneychangers table and the later one along with an entire chapter in Mattew where He upbraided them for their various forms of hypocrisy no less than SEVEN times. That; no doubt didn't help matters with their persecution; but He knew His time was coming for the cross and that until that time they couldn't do anything about their seething wrath in order to destroy Him.
Of course; if we step back we realize that it shouldn't have been this way. The Pharisees should have been the first ones to recognize and embrace Jesus as the Messiah and it took some real effort to have such unbelief. What was the law Jesus told men to follow; basically do what they say but do not follow their example ( Matthew 23:3). This was late in the game during His final days on earth before Calvary; but the law was started by God and could not be altered; just overtaken by the covenant of grace established to bring in all men; Jews then Gentiles into the fold of God (see John 10:16). But Christ came for the lost; not for self righteous who "needed no physician" ( Mark 2:17). And that is where we will start at the onset of His ministry.
They started their trash talking (I can't define it as anything else) earlier in verse 6. But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7"Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
After the healing of the paralytic and some time passed the next insult was this When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Thus Jesus responded with verse 17
I am not sure of anyone that has studied this but it doesn't take long to realize just how sickening it truly was in regard to the Pharisees. Jesus no doubt had righteous indignation; and eventually upbraided them severely starting with the initial overturning of the moneychangers table and the later one along with an entire chapter in Mattew where He upbraided them for their various forms of hypocrisy no less than SEVEN times. That; no doubt didn't help matters with their persecution; but He knew His time was coming for the cross and that until that time they couldn't do anything about their seething wrath in order to destroy Him.
Of course; if we step back we realize that it shouldn't have been this way. The Pharisees should have been the first ones to recognize and embrace Jesus as the Messiah and it took some real effort to have such unbelief. What was the law Jesus told men to follow; basically do what they say but do not follow their example ( Matthew 23:3). This was late in the game during His final days on earth before Calvary; but the law was started by God and could not be altered; just overtaken by the covenant of grace established to bring in all men; Jews then Gentiles into the fold of God (see John 10:16). But Christ came for the lost; not for self righteous who "needed no physician" ( Mark 2:17). And that is where we will start at the onset of His ministry.
They started their trash talking (I can't define it as anything else) earlier in verse 6. But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts, 7"Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
After the healing of the paralytic and some time passed the next insult was this When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Thus Jesus responded with verse 17
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