The Pharisees were a prominent religious group during Jesus’ time. Known for their strict adherence to the law and traditions, they often clashed with Jesus, who exposed their hypocrisy and legalism. Though they held religious authority, their hearts were often far from God. Scripture reveals their attitudes and actions, providing lessons for us today about humility, sincerity, and true righteousness. The following headings explore how the Bible portrays the Pharisees and what we can learn from their example and failures.
Also Read: Bible Verses About Hypocrisy
The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees
One of Jesus’ most frequent rebukes toward the Pharisees was their hypocrisy. Outwardly, they appeared righteous, but inwardly they were prideful and spiritually dead. They loved public praise, but their hearts were not aligned with God’s will. Jesus warned His followers not to imitate their behavior. These verses challenge us to examine our own lives, ensuring that our actions and hearts truly reflect God’s righteousness and love.
Matthew 23:27
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.”
Matthew 6:5
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”
Luke 12:1
“Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed.”
Matthew 23:3
“So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.”
Mark 7:6
“Jesus replied, ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”
Legalism and Burdening Others
The Pharisees were known for adding burdensome rules to God’s commands, turning faith into a heavy yoke. They emphasized outward obedience to traditions while neglecting mercy, justice, and the love of God. Jesus constantly confronted their legalism, reminding us that God’s law is rooted in love and grace. These verses warn against turning faith into a checklist and encourage us to walk in the freedom Christ offers.
Matthew 23:4
“They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.”
Luke 11:46
“Yes, said Jesus, what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.”
Mark 7:8
“For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
Matthew 23:23
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe… but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.”
Romans 10:3
“For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.”
Pride and Self-Righteousness
The Pharisees were often filled with spiritual pride. They considered themselves superior to others and looked down on those they judged as sinners. Jesus warned that such pride distances people from God’s grace. He uplifted the humble and brought down the proud. These verses highlight the danger of self-righteousness and call believers to walk in humility before God and others.
Luke 18:11-12
“The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’”
Luke 18:14
“I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:12
“But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
John 9:34
“You were born a total sinner! they answered. Are you trying to teach us? And they threw him out of the synagogue.”
Matthew 9:11
“But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?'”
Opposing Jesus and His Teachings
The Pharisees frequently opposed Jesus and tried to trap Him in His words. Their hearts were hardened, and they refused to accept Him as the Messiah. Despite witnessing miracles and hearing truth, their envy and stubbornness blinded them. Their opposition reminds us how pride and tradition can keep us from recognizing God’s work. These verses show how they resisted the truth of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 12:14
“Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.”
John 11:47-48
“Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together… If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him…”
Matthew 22:15
“Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.”
Luke 6:7
“The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.”
John 8:13
“The Pharisees replied, ‘You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.'”
Also Read: Bible Verses About Opposition
The Blindness of the Pharisees
Jesus referred to the Pharisees as spiritually blind because they could not see the truth even when it was right before them. They were blind guides, leading others astray by their ignorance and arrogance. Spiritual blindness results from hardened hearts and unwillingness to repent. These scriptures challenge us to remain open to God’s truth and to humbly seek His guidance over human wisdom.
Matthew 15:14
“Ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 23:16
“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’”
John 9:40-41
“Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, ‘Are you saying we’re blind?’ ‘If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,’ Jesus replied. ‘But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.'”
Romans 11:7-8
“So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for… as the Scriptures say, ‘God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see…'”
Isaiah 42:19
“Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger?”
The Warning to Believers
Jesus warned His followers to beware of the influence of the Pharisees. Their teachings and example could corrupt sincere faith. The warning is still relevant today. Religion without relationship, outward form without inward change, and pride without repentance are dangers every believer must guard against. These verses are both a caution and a call to pursue authentic, humble, Spirit-led faith.
Matthew 16:6
“Watch out! Jesus warned them. ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'”
Luke 12:1
“Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed.”
Matthew 5:20
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
Philippians 3:5-7
“I was a member of the Pharisees… I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.”
Galatians 1:13-14
“You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews… and was very zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.”
Some Pharisees Turned to Faith
Though many Pharisees opposed Jesus, the Bible shows that not all remained hardened in unbelief. Some, like Nicodemus and Paul, came to believe in Jesus and followed Him. Their stories are powerful reminders that no one is beyond God’s grace. Even those caught in religion and tradition can be transformed by truth and mercy. These verses highlight how the gospel reaches even those who once resisted it, showing God’s power to save anyone who truly seeks Him.
John 3:1-2
“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘we all know that God has sent you to teach us…'”
John 7:50-51
“Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. ‘Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?’ he asked.”
John 19:39
“With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.”
Acts 15:5
“But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, ‘The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.'”
Philippians 3:7-9
“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done… I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.”