(Why did he have so many?)

It is hard to understand how meek and mild Jesus could have stirred up so much antagonism among Israel’s leaders that they would want to get rid of him. But he did. And it did not take long. As Jesus’s public ministry grew and his reputation spread from Galilee to Judea, there was an accompanying rise in animosity toward him. As early as Mark 3, the Pharisees (whom St. Paul characterized as Judaism’s strictest sect), began plotting Jesus’s ruin. This happened within the first year (possibly even within the first six months) of Jesus’s ministry.

The Pharisees were a religious sect, but they were joined in their opposition to Jesus by what might be called a political party: the Herodians. While the Pharisees objected to Jesus on religious grounds, the Herodians’ objections were political. When Jesus burst on the scene with talk about a kingdom, the Herodians began a threat assessment. When he started attracting crowds that numbered in the thousands, they concluded that he posed a threat. Since their hold on power depended on their ability to detect and disarm threats to the political status quo, they wanted to be ready to move against Jesus, should that become necessary.

Along with the Pharisees and the Herodians were the chief priests and the Sadducean party, to which they belonged. If the Pharisees were a religious sect and the Herodians were a political party, the Sadducees were a little of both. Though they considered the Pharisees rivals (and inferiors), they also thought it was in their best interests to silence Jesus. They feared that the whirlwind surrounding him might move the Roman governor to act. He did not usually intervene, preferring that Jewish leaders deal with potential problems, but he expected them to keep things under control. If they failed to do so, he would punish them by removing and replacing their leaders. The high priest, for example, was supposed to hold office for life, but several had been unseated within a matter of months. The Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Herodians all had reasons for wanting Jesus out of the picture.

Consider these Scriptures, beginning with that very early passage from Mark: “Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus” (Mark 3:6). John 5:18: “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” Matthew 12:14: “But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.” Luke 13:31: “At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’” Mark 11:18: “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” Luke 19:47 “Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.” Mark 14:1 “Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.”

I’ll stop there, rather than risk lengthy and boring repetition, but I wanted to make clear that Jesus’ life was threatened by one or more groups for nearly the entire time of his ministry. Three attempts (that we know about) were made on his life prior to the crucifixion, one in Galilee and two in Judea. As early as the events in John 7, the Sanhedrin – Israel’s ruling council – met to discuss the “Jesus problem” and formulate a plan for getting rid of him. During the final months of his earthly ministry, the danger to Jesus increased even more. The various parties that comprised Israel’s coalition government – never friends and frequently adversaries – were working hand in hand to get rid of Jesus. From their perspective, it was no longer a question of if, but of when, they would act.

Jesus’s enemies were enemies because they feared him. It was not his well-oiled political machine that evoked fear. They were not afraid of him because he commanded armies (though they should have been—see Matthew 26:53). They feared him because he spoke the truth, and that truth threatened their control.

The “friend of sinners” did not set out to make enemies, though he had many. But he loved those enemies (Matthew 5:44). He blessed those who cursed him, prayed for those who misused him (Luke 23:34), and did good to those who hated him (Luke 6:27). He laid down his life for them.

There is no better friend than Jesus. But if someone insists on having him as an enemy, they will have the best enemy anyone could ever have.

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