Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 7/5/2008

Question
QUESTION: I am confused about the differences between the sadducees and pharisees of the new testament.  Which of these groups were the more conservative and traditionalist? And which of these groups hated Jesus and had him killed?

ANSWER: Hi Chris,

Basically, the Sadducess were associated with the Holy Temple as priests. When Jerusalem and the Temple fell to Rome circa 70 CE they ceased to exist for all practical intent and purpose.

The Pharisees still exist and today are known as the Rabbis. Rabbinical Judaism (which includes the Ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism) forms the majority of the Jewish religion. Non-rabbinical Judaism, like the Karaite Movement, is of little importance but also continues to exist. Some argue that the Karaites are what remains of the Sadducees sect but that is debatable and in my opinion unlikely.

NONE of the Jews had Jesus killed.

Jesus was executed under Roman law by the Romans.

The main issue that angered the first century Jewish leaders was Jesus' rejection of the Oral Torah (the Talmuds etc). Throughout the Gospel accounts he criticizes their reliance on "the traditions of men." These "traditions" are talking about the Oral Torah.

According to the Pharisees (the principle Jewish teachers) the Hebrew prophets presented the Moshiach (Messiah) as a political leader who would defeat Israel's enemies and establish a global reign of peace based in Jerusalem: ie the Kingdom of God. There are a great many references in the Hebrew Scriptures that support this understanding.

We read in the Gospels how people wanted Jesus to lead an army and overthrow Rome and establish God's Kingdom and yet he did not do this. He said, 'Give to Rome the things that are Rome's and to God's those things that belong to God.' This is not the function of the Moshiach according to the Hebrew Prophets and so the Jews, who were very concerned about the serious threats posed by Rome to their people, rejected him as a dangerous appeaser. Some of these leaders determined that, 'its better for one man to die than for the entire nation to fall' according to Acts, but while they did not seek to prevent his execution and many supported it, they did not order it nor did they have the authority to do so, Rome did. Of course, the nation did fall in 70 CE as Jesus' predicted at Matt 24:1-.

Hope this clarifies things for you,

Maranatha,
~ John of AllFaith


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your response.  I understand that Jesus was crucified by the Romans, but I thought that there were some Sadducee and/or Pharisee leaders that handed him over to Pilate and pressured him into sentencing Jesus to death.  I am confused about which group was involved and what their roles were.

Answer
Hi Chris,

At the time the Jews of Judea were deeply divided about Y'shua (Jesus). Both the Sadducees and the Pharisees were concerned about his movement and about what they regarded as his anti-Torah teachings (due to mainly to his rejection of the Written Torah) and his apparent appeasement of Rome. Members of the Zealot Party, like Judas, wanted him to clearly claim to be the Moshiach (Messiah) and to lead them against Rome. When Y'shua refused, the Zealots joined other Jews in disliking his activities and those of his followers. Groups like the Essenes doubtless felt he was too accepting of what they regarded as the general impurity of the Jewish people and had little if anything to do with him.

In short, most Jews who did not follow the Master opposed him and viewed him as a heretic to some degree and none sought to rescue him (which would have been not only suicidal but disastrous for the Jewish  people as it would have incited a harsh Roman reaction). One can not accurately point to any one group as being responsible. Judaism, at large, rejected his message because Y'shua did not do and teach what the Torah called for in their opinions.

The leaders of the Sanhedrin (other than Nicodemus it appears) decided to allow him to be treated as a scapegoat in order to cool the tensions then building.

John 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

As the story unfolds the leaders of "the Jews" are involved in the events, however beyond that one can't really point to any particular faction. The Pharisees held the most public power in such areas but they certainly worked with certain leaders of the Sadducees. Both factions had many reasons, justifiable in their opinions, for opposing Y'shua.

I would not therefore point to any one group of Jews for this.

~John of AllFaith