The Pharisees
A Sermon on Luke 16:14-15
Originally preached March 27, 1955
Scripture
14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Sermon Description
Why was Jesus opposed to the Pharisees? In the gospels, no one is condemned more by the Lord Jesus than the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. Throughout the gospels, they oppose Jesus and seek to trap Him in His words. In this sermon on Luke 16:14–15 titled “The Pharisees,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that eventually the Pharisees—with the help of the Romans—crucify Him. Jesus condemned them because they claimed to follow the law of Moses and the prophets, yet they were religious hypocrites who loved public praise and recognition. Jesus condemned them because they claimed to be experts in the law and not only added their own traditions to the law of Moses, but they opposed Jesus, who is the fulfillment of the law. They pretended to be holy and righteous, yet they were dead on the inside. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims that there are many today in the church just like the Pharisees. They are self-righteous hypocrites who love to be thought of as holy but do not believe in the gospel, and they trust in their own works for salvation. This false righteousness that is only concerned with looking good is condemned by Jesus because the true righteousness of the kingdom of God comes not by anything one does. It comes by Christ Jesus who is the righteousness for all who believe.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Pharisees and scribes were religious leaders who opposed Jesus.
- They attended Jesus’ teachings out of curiosity and suspicion.
- They tried to trick Jesus and find reasons to accuse Him.
- They ultimately plotted to have Jesus killed.
- The Pharisees followed their own standards rather than God’s.
- They were self-righteous and cared mostly about outward appearances.
- Jesus rebuked them for neglecting love, mercy, and justice.
- Many people today have the same attitude as the Pharisees.
- They do not see their need for Jesus and dismiss Him and the Bible.
- They follow their own standards and justify themselves before others.
- But God knows their hearts and sees their sin and pride.
- What people esteem highly is detestable to God if it leaves out Jesus.
- The Pharisees’ attitude insulted God’s lordship, greatness, holiness and grace.
- Dismissing Jesus, the Son of God, is detestable to God the Father.
- We must see our need for Jesus and rely on His sacrifice, not our own efforts.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Say About the Pharisees' Attitude Toward Christ?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Luke 16:14-15, here's an examination of the Pharisees' attitude toward Christ and its modern parallels.
What was the main scripture passage Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached on regarding the Pharisees?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached on Luke 16:14-15: "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. And he said unto them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men. But God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God."
Why did Dr. Lloyd-Jones call the Pharisees the most tragic people in the Bible?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones described the Pharisees as "the most tragic people in the whole Bible" because "there they are, face to face with this blessed son of God, the savior of the world, and yet this is the term used - they derided him. They dismissed him. They regarded him with contempt. They had no use for him at all." Their rejection of Christ despite being in His very presence made their condition particularly tragic.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what is the root cause of the Pharisees' rejection of Christ?
The root cause was that they set up their own standard instead of God's standard. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explained: "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts." They established their own righteousness rather than submitting to God's righteousness. They were concerned with external appearances and conforming to human standards, not God's.
How did Lloyd-Jones describe the modern equivalents of Pharisees?
Lloyd-Jones described modern Pharisees as: 1. People who are moral and respectable but reject Christianity 2. Those who "make no pretense to being religious" but are "good people" by worldly standards 3. People who are "highly moral," "very respectable," and "do a great deal of good" 4. Those who believe they're "perfectly all right without Christ" 5. Even religious people who are "offended by certain aspects of the Christian faith" like Christ's blood and the need to be born again
What makes someone a Pharisee according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones stated: "What makes one a Pharisee is not to make a profession. What makes one a Pharisee is to deride Christ and to see no need of him." The essence of being a Pharisee is self-sufficiency and rejecting one's need for Christ, regardless of one's moral or religious standing.
Why does God consider human standards of righteousness "an abomination"?
According to Lloyd-Jones, even the highest human standards are an abomination to God because: 1. They dispute God's lordship and majesty by not submitting to His standard 2. They insult His greatness and power by suggesting He cannot do what He says 3. They insult His holiness by suggesting human efforts are good enough 4. They insult His grace and love by seeing no need for them 5. Most seriously, they dismiss Christ and His sacrifice, seeing no point or purpose in it
What is the only solution to the Pharisaical attitude according to Lloyd-Jones?
The only solution is to recognize one's complete inability to meet God's standard, see the absolute necessity of Christ's coming and His death on the cross, and "fly to Christ and cast yourself at his feet." As Lloyd-Jones concluded: "Face God's standard and fly to Christ and cast yourself at his feet and say nothing. In my hand I bring simply to thy cross I click [cling]."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.