Was Jesus a Pharisee or Sadducee?

Answer 1

In the wake of the Maccabean Revolt, the Pharisees represented a political party which opposed the Hellenization by the aristocratic Sadducees. The Hasmonean kingdom or Judea was a religious monarchy, so all political parties were also religious interpreters. The Pharisees emphasized the importance of other Mosaic laws, including Oral tradition, as opposed to the Sadducees who emphasized only those rules and regulations concerning cultic rites of priesthood.

The origination of the Pharisee party was as a separatist party to the ruling Hasmonean dynasty on issues such as Hellenization and purity laws. Around 100 BCE the Pharisees tried to force Alexander Jannaeus to choose between being king and being High Priest. As a result Alexander sided with the Sadducees and killed some 50,000 Judeans and crucified 800 Pharisees.

When Alexander died, his widow, Salome Alexandra, became queen. Her family were Pharisees, and she favored the Pharisees over the Saducees. With the Pharisee party in control of both the kingship and High Priesthood, they made a comback and by the time of Jesus were once again a firmly established political party.

Answer 2

A: The New Testament theology is too different for Jesus to have been a Sadducee. On the other hand, the teachings attributed to Jesus are sometimes remarkably similar to what we know about Pharisee beliefs. Nevertheless, Jesus was not a Pharisee. The earlier gospel criticisms of the Pharisees suggest rivalry rather than objections.

Answer:

Neither. He was the Son of God. Throughout His ministry, you will never read of Jesus belonging to any religious or political group.

A: The New Testament theology is too different for Jesus to have been a Sadducee. On the other hand, the teachings attributed to Jesus are sometimes remarkably similar to what we know about Pharisee beliefs. Nevertheless, Jesus was not a Pharisee. The earlier gospel criticisms of the Pharisees suggest rivalry rather than objections.

Answer:

Neither. He was the Son of God. Throughout His ministry, you will never read of Jesus belonging to any religious or political group.

ADDITIONALLY:

"Halley's Bible Handbook; with the King James Version" [Classic Edition] says of the Sadducees:

"...Being guided by secular considerations, they were in favor of adopting Greek customs... They were a priestly clique, and though they were religious officials of their nation, they were avowedly irreligious... To a great extent they controlled the Sanhedrin, even though they were rationalistic and worldly-minded." (HBH; w/the KJV: Classic Ed. - pg.411)

Jesus was not of the Sadducee sect. He spoke of the coming "Resurrection" constantly, and was actually called out by the Sadducees on that issue: [see Matt.22:23-33].

Jesus was usually at odds with the hypocritical Pharisees, also, as revealed in Matthew 23:

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, 'The teachers of religious law [the scribes] and the Pharisees are THE OFFICIAL INTERPRETERS OF THE SCRIPTURES. So PRACTICE AND OBEY WHATEVER THEY SAY TO YOU, but DON'T FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE. FOR THEY DON'T PRACTICE WHAT THEY TEACH..." (Matt.23:1-3 NLTNew Living Translation).

"Halley's Bible Handbook" says of Matthew 23:

"Pharisees were the most numerous and influential of the religious sects in Jesus' day. They were strict legalists. They stood for the rigid observance of the letter and forms of the Law, and also for the Tradiitions. There were some good men among them. But in the main they were known for their covetousness, self-righteousness and hypocrisy..." (HBH; Matt.23 - 'Woe to Scribes and Pharisees' - pg.445).

While Jesus was ALL FOR THE LAW... He MAGNIFIED it, raising the Law to a higher SPIRITUAL PLANE; illuminating and bringing the "spiritual aspect of life" to a conscious level. Where human nature is predominantly rooted in the world, governed by the "five physical senses" which normally guide us, and to which men naturally "react." Jesus brings to Light a consciousness of the SPIRIT IN MAN [see Zech.12:1] that "slumbers" within most men; blinded and deceived by the god of this world, Satan the Devil [Rev.12:9].

Of course, Jesus was [and IS] FOR THE LAW... and is against MURDER -- but He "RAISED THE BAR" on the Law when He declared that if YOU'RE [merely] ANGRY WITH SOMEONE WITHOUT A CAUSE -- YOU ARE SUBJECT TO THE PENALTY OF THE LAW [death] AND ARE SUBJECT TO JUDGMENT [see Matt.5:22].

Jesus made the Law infinitely HARDER TO KEEP by raising the level of the SPIRIT OF THE LAW to the consciousness of [some] men's slumbering spirits. A level that is essentially absent in Satan-blinded and deceived men... and to which the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day were utterly oblivious. He awakens in the spirits of some men the consciousness to "govern their actions [works] by FIRST LEARNING TO GOVERN THEIR THOUGHTS!"

Jesus isn't interested in man's [be they Pharisees, Sadducees, or any other worldly entity's] vain, petty and pointless philosophical and religious arguments. God has been working on the SPIRITS WITHIN MEN. It's a separate creation that's been going on since man's physical creation was completed with the first two people; one man and one woman. Jesus never sided with any political or religious group, or sect, or clique, or whatever you want to name.

Jesus and His Father have been, and are, working on the SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH of those whom the Father is choosing.

Writing to God's church, Paul declares: "For we know that THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL: but I am carnal, sold under sin." (Rom.7:14)

For sin [which is disobedience to the Law - I John 3:4], taking occasion by the Commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore THE LAW IS HOLY, and THE COMMANDMENT HOLY, and JUST, and GOOD." (verses 11-12)

Jesus is neither Pharisee nor Sadducee. He is a humble "carpenter's son." A simple man who Loves God... and He Loves that which HE CREATED [see John 1:3]. He especially displayed His Divine Selfless Love for MANKIND, created in His Father's image - through His death [and subsequent resurrection] -- so that they may one day be born into His Father's Divine, Immortal Family:

"The [Holy] Spirit itself beareth witness WITH OUR SPIRIT, that WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD: and if Children, the HEIRS; Heirs of God, and JOINT-HEIRS WITH CHRIST; if so be that we suffer with Him, that WE MAY BE ALSO GLORIFIED TOGETHER." (Rom.8:16-17)

Most importantly, Jesus is not a Pharisee nor Sadducee... but His Father's Firstborn Son [among many brothers and sisters - Rom.8:29]

"And having CHOSEN THEM, He called them to come to Him. And He gave them Right Standing with Himself, and He Promised them HIS GLORY." (verse 30 NLT)