Pharisee or Forgiven
Teacher’s Guide
January 10, 2010

Handout
Lesson Pla

  1. Give a brief history of the Pharisee’s and what they believed in.

    At the time of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, the Jewish religious leaders were divided into several groups.  One of the more prominent groups was the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were an extremely religious group that separated themselves from anything non-Jewish. They carefully followed both Old Testament laws and the spoken traditions handed down through the centuries.  They came from all classes of people.

     

    The Pharisees were very religious.  They were committed to obeying all of God’s commands and were admired by the common people for their noticeable “righteousness”.  They believed in a bodily resurrection and eternal life as well as believing in angels and demons. 

     

    The Pharisees lived their lives relying on their own righteousness.  To them, their religious rules were more important than anything else.  Their righteousness was often hypocritical and their efforts forced the people around them to try to live up to standards that even they could not live up to.  They believed that in order to receive salvation, one had to live in perfect obedience to the law.  They did not believe that Salvation came from the forgiveness of sins.  The Pharisees became so passionate with obeying the law that they totally ignored God’s message through Christ of mercy and grace.  They were more concerned with having a good reputation and being good rather than obeying what God really wanted which was a true heart for HIM

     

    The Pharisees rejected Jesus and His claim to be Messiah because He did not follow all of their traditions and associated with sinners.  They were against Him and hated Him because He spoke out about their hypocrisy. 

     

    In Matthew 23 among other scripture we see Jesus speaking out against the ways of the Pharisees.  (Matthew 23:23-27)

     

    1. Which Are You?  Read Story in Luke 7:36:50

     

    Break down the verses.  Luke 7:36-38  Explain about the Woman and why she was weeping and washing the feet of Jesus.

     

    Luke 7:39-47  Explain that we are not to judge others and that God is the only Judge.  No matter how righteous we may think we are, we are not above anyone and we all need Christ the Savior alike!  (Matthew 7:1-3)

     

    1. Explain that in Christ we are a new creation and that Christ wants to make us new and whole.  There is no condemnation in Christ!  (Romans 8:1)

     

    No, it’s not ok to live a life of sin and to continue in sin however, once we turn over that sin and our lives and hearts to Christ, we are no longer condemned and those who have been forgiven much, loves much!  Praise You LORD!  Satan doesn’t have a leg to stand on!  God’s word is truth and we can stand on it and hold to it and live by it!  Wonderful words of life!  When Satan comes at you telling you that you are not worthy and reminding you of past sins, you tell him on the authority of God’s word that you are a child of GOD most high and that through Christ you are forgiven and that you are under no condemnation!  God can use your life and there is NO strong hold strong enough that God cannot break the chains, there is NO pit deep enough that HE can’t reach down and pull you out!  No matter where you are, no matter what you have done, No matter what you have been through, and no matter what has happened to you,  Dear one, you can be forgiven.  You can be free, you can be healed and whole again!  Through Christ you can live!  There are no conditions on His love and mercy.  He said that whosoever will let them come and drink of the water of life freely, no conditions on that.  Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved! (Romans 10:13; Revelation 22:17)

    Christ wants to heal your heart, your emotions and your mind.  He doesn’t expect you to just forget what has happened in your life.  He doesn’t expect you to push it down and go on like a brave soldier!  NO!  He wants you to give it to Him, whatever it is and trust Him to heal it and make you new again!  (Luke 7:48  )

    He came so that you could have life yes…but life abundantly!  Yes we can live in heaven when this life is over, but HE wants to give us a life of victory here while on the journey.  You can be healed, whole, made new in Christ!  Just as Jesus forgave and healed and made this sinful woman free, He longs to do the same for you and me.  He wants us to go in peace because by faith we are saved, healed, made new! 

    Think about your own life and heart today.  Have you been in the place of this woman or in the place of Simon the Pharisee?  Perhaps you have been in both places at one time or another.  In JESUS CHRIST there is hope.  He can forgive us our sins and He can give us a pure heart that is for God.  He can help us to not live in judgment of others so that we can be a guiding light to lead them to Christ and to freedom.  He makes all things new, whatever state you are in, He is HOPE! 

    Let us go with a love in our hearts for CHRIST and for others realizing that we are sinners saved by grace and are sons and daughters of our FATHER GOD!  We can live in that promise now because that is what we are through Jesus and accepting Him as LORD and SAVIOR of our lives!  (Act 4:12)