Wisdom of the Pharisees Part1

By Chip Brogden "This man cannot be from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath day" (John 9:16ff).                                                                         "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22).    I have made the statement several times that most churches would not recognize the Lord Jesus even if He walked down the aisle on Sunday morning and sat on the altar. This statement is largely designed to shake people out of their complacency. It is highly unlikely that Jesus will actually go to church this Sunday. I do not believe Jesus attends many religious meetings, and this belief has a Scriptural basis: "He does not keep the Sabbath day." For that matter, He does not keep any day, for every day is His Day and He cannot be contained within a particular twenty-four hour period.     When you read the Gospels one thing becomes quite clear. The more religious you are, the less likely it is that you will see, recognize, and appreciate Him for Who He really is.     Sinners, on the other hand, had little trouble recognizing Him. The Samaritan woman may have been a despised outsider to the Jew's system of religion but it only took her a few minutes to realize that she had found the Messiah. The Roman centurion, an unworthy Gentile, nevertheless knew where to go when his servant was sick, and Jesus said this man's faith was greater than anyone in Israel. The Syrophoenician woman had enough faith to ask Jesus for only a few crumbs from the table, and even though she was technically not a Jew, Jesus gave her everything she asked for. Yes, Jesus was indeed a friend of sinners, publicans, tax collectors, and women caught in adultery.     But look at His own people, the Jews. Listen to the religious leaders, the spiritual teachers of Israel, the professionals and the experts of prophecy and the Law. What is their verdict? How do they read Him?     "This man cannot be from God." Cannot be? Are you sure? This man is opening the eyes of the blind, casting out devils, making the lame to walk, raising people from the dead, multiplying food, walking on water and teaching people to love one another - even love their enemies. This man cannot be from God? Why not? On what grounds are we going to reject him? We cannot deny that this man is performing powerful miracles and signs.    "This man cannot be from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath day." Well, I suppose that settles it. Y'shua cannot be from God, he cannot be a prophet, he cannot be the Messiah or the Son of God, or even a good Jew, because he does not keep the Sabbath day! Yes, it is all very clear now. How could we have missed that?    So where does Y'shua get his power? If He doesn't keep the Sabbath then whatever power he has can't come from God. If the power doesn't come from God then it must come from Beelzebub. How else can you explain it? That's why it's so easy for him to cast out demons! Fellow Pharisees, this man Y'shua must be stopped. Not only that, he deserves to die. First, because he calls God his father. Y'shua also says he has the power to forgive sins. No one but God can forgive sins, so he is obviously guilty of blasphemy. Second, he does not keep the Sabbath. Now the Law of Moses says if anyone does not keep the Sabbath they must be put to death. Third...   Friends, you are witnessing the wisdom of the Pharisees in action. Jesus called them fools, blind leaders of the blind, snakes, and hypocrites who will not escape the damnation of hell. Amen, we say. How easy it is to look back on this evidence today and condemn the Jews for failing to recognize their Messiah and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   However, I suggest that the sect of the Pharisees is alive and well today, only it is no longer a sect within Judaism, it is a sect within Churchianity that continues to differentiate people based on external religious rules and customs. The names and customs have changed, but the same old "wisdom" prevails:                                             (Continued)   ©2004 Watchman.Net. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears. As with all things, the reader is encouraged to search the Scriptures and make his/her own conclusion based on prayer, conscience and study of the Word of God.