So I told Dave that I would speak on the rhetoric of Jesus, how Jesus handled the Pharisees as an example for us.

And it occurred to me that most people think that Jesus, his teaching from the sermon on the Mount, is comprehensive.

Because he says that you're supposed to pray for your enemies, and those who spitefully use you, turn the other cheek.

These are the things that we hear people talk about, love your enemies and pray for them. So I wanted to look at the actual example of Jesus.

Well, how did he do this, right? Because he's the one that's going to accomplish his teaching.

He's the example of his teaching more than any of us or more than any

figure in church history. So that's why I think this is important. We need to look at his

example because that's where we're going to actually see how we should apply his teaching.

All right. So understanding how Jesus treated those who vigorously opposed him and the Pharisees

obviously are at the top of that least, I think is crucial in our society where we see Christianity

threatened more and more every day and we don't need to go through all the examples of that.

One thing I do need to say before I get into these examples, some of them are kind of, you know,

harsh or at least

direct. Jesus did seem to make a separation at times between those who are the spiritual

leaders or the political leaders who are leading people astray and then the actual people.

And one of the examples that comes to mind is Nicodemus, right? Because Nicodemus is a member of

the Pharisee class. And Jesus didn't treat him the same way he treated the other Pharisees.

He actually did sit down. He was gentle. He dialoged with him. So it is important to recognize this principle that God does resist the proud and gives grace to the humble.

I think that's a paramount importance before getting into any of this, because all the things I'm going to talk about are examples of prideful leaders

and Jesus dealing with prideful leaders. This isn't, this is not comprehensive either. You also have

to balance that with the gentleness Jesus had towards those who are humble. But Jesus perfectly

exemplified the pattern I think outlined in First Thessalonians 5, which says to admonish the unruly

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