What Jesus Hates Series

What Jesus Hates?

Part 2 in the series, The Journey To Jerusalem

March 17, 2002

Last week we discussed “Who Matters To Jesus”. Despite how the world gives value to the attractive, outspoken & impressive people, Jesus seemed to have a different value system. As we watched Him move throughout Luke 18 & 19 we saw the Son of God pay special attention to the “nobodies” of the world. Jesus healed a blind man, blessed children, cured 10 lepers & had dinner with a tax collector. Each of these individuals had nothing to offer in the world’s eyes, but in Christ’s eyes, these people had infinite value. What’s more, the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, would have nothing to do with these nobodies, these insignificant peasants.

This is precisely why Jesus loathed the existing religious system. So today the title of the message is, “What Jesus Hates.” Our Savior could not tolerate a religious system that, in the name of God, condemned, punished or ignored the needy in the name of Jehovah, God. This was entirely unacceptable to the Messiah. At every turn this Nazarene carpenter chastised and condemned the pharisaical tradition for its coldheartedness and hypocrisy. Listen to what the Lord had to say about it.

As the passover approached, Jesus confronts the Jewish religious leaders face to face. Listen to this:

Matthew 23:29-30: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, [30] and say, ’If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

Here they were claiming how righteous they were. Claiming that had they lived in the days of their forefathers, they would never have shed the blood of the prophets and yet, and yet, they are just days away from crucifying the Son of God. Can you see why Jesus bristled at these men? The entire Jewish religious structure was corrupt and wicked. The pharisees, the saducess and the scribes were all guilty of the same sin their fathers were guilty of… murder.

In Luke 11:42-54 Jesus finally has His fill of it all and has a showdown with these religious leaders. Watch what happens:

"But how terrible it will be for you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things.

[43] "How terrible it will be for you Pharisees! For how you love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the respectful greetings from everyone as you walk through the markets! [44] Yes, how terrible it will be for you. For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."

[45] "Teacher," said an expert in religious law, "you have insulted us, too, in what you just said."

[46] "Yes," said Jesus, "how terrible it will be for you experts in religious law! For you crush people beneath impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to help ease the burden. [47] How terrible it will be for you! For you build tombs for the very prophets your ancestors killed long ago. [48] Murderers! You agree with your ancestors that what they did was right. You would have done the same yourselves. [49] This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ’I will send prophets and apostles to them, and they will kill some and persecute the others…[53] As Jesus finished speaking, the Pharisees and teachers of religious law were furious. From that time on hey grilled him with many hostile questions, [54] trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him.

It wasn’t a pretty sight. The Messiah, the One these supposed leaders were waiting for was standing in their midst and yet their hardened hearts could not see Him. Because Christ was playing hardball and making His feelings plain about their hardness, the Pharisees, Saducess and Scribes were all taking offense. Their pride was in their religiosity, their security was wrapped in their system of rules and regulations which they believed made them impressive to God and others.

Luke 11:53 sums it up pretty well, [53] As Jesus finished speaking, the Pharisees and teachers of religious law were furious. So here’s the scenario, Jesus has made it clear that He despised the whole religious scene and those leaders who were living lives of utter hypocrisy. This has put the Messiah at odds with the very men who should have recognized His coming.

As Jesus approched Jerusalem things were about to reach boiling point. The Messiah, Israel’s Redeemer, makes His entrance into Jerusalem. All of His followers are filled with such joy they begin to celebrate in the streets. Listen to the description, Luke 19:36-38: As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. [37] As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, [38] shouting: