There were four main Jewish groups living during Jesus’ time. They were the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and the Zealots. 

Pharisees 

• A large group that strictly observed the Sabbath, purity rituals, and food restrictions.
• The word “Pharisee” may mean “separated ones” in Hebrew.
• They were political and religious rivals of the Sadducees.
• The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead.

Sadducees 

• A devoutly Jewish group that was a political and religious rival of the Pharisees.
• The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Essenes 

• A devoutly Jewish group that was influential in Jewish society.
• The Essenes did not believe in the resurrection of the body.

Zealots

• The Zealots, were passionate about liberty and God.
• They believed that God would punish the nation if they didn’t act on His behalf.
• The Zealots were an aggressive political party whose concern for the national and religious life of the Jewish people led them to despise even Jews who sought peace and conciliation with the Roman authorities.
• The Zealots did not believe in resurrection. Instead, they believed in overthrowing the Roman Empire and establishing the Kingdom of God with their help.

To get into the kingdom of God, none of the above groups would be eligible to enter. For each of these sects were self centered in nature. Instead of recognizing who Jesus Christ was, they were creating a barrier within their own fellow Jewish people.

We all live in a similar world today. Creating our own barriers by limiting our thoughts and actions. When we closely examine the above groups, it seems that they all were competing against each other. Trying to dominate one over the other. The common denominator between these groups was that they all were thinking in flesh rather than being spiritual. This is called carnally minded thinking.

Christ came into this world to teach us the way to get into the kingdom of God. For He Himself is the way to God. He came to set the Jewish people free from the world they were living in. After their rejection of the Messiah, the Gospel was preached to the end of the world. When we read from the Book of Acts we see this:

Acts 1:8b

and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

So, the Gospel was preached first to Jews in Jerusalem as it was the capital of Israel. The Gospel was then preached to the mixed Jewish people in Judea and to the gentiles in Samaria and to the end of the earth. Two thousand years later the Gospel is still being proclaimed to the lost. The Jewish people who rejected Christ two thousand years ago are still rejecting Him today.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!