Getting to Know Jesus: Jesus the Confronter of the Powerful

Painting by James Tissot of Jesus confronting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy in the temple courts.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 4:14–16 Matthew 26:38–39


Jesus Confronts the Powerful

Jesus, although kind and compassionate, was not afraid to confront those in power. He was direct and bold, often scolding those whose actions caused injustice to the powerless. He called out both his friends and his enemies. Whether confronting His disciples or the religious leaders, Jesus consistently spoke truth where correction was needed. In getting to know Jesus, we see the One who loved deeply yet also confronted the powerful without hesitation.

Examples of His Rebukes

Painting by Artemisia Gentileschi of Jesus blessing children, reminding His disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.He reprimanded His disciples for turning little children away from Him (Mark 10:13-16). He called the synagogue leaders hypocrites for condemning Him for healing on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17). He called the Pharisees foolish for their focus on outside appearances instead of inside motivations (Luke 11:37-43).

He rebuked the experts in religious law for crushing people with unbearable religious demands and for not teaching the truth (Luke 11:44-54). He admonished the Pharisees and scribes for their attitude towards sinners and made it clear that they should not ignore sinners, but minister to them (Luke 15:1-7).

Why the Powerful Felt Threatened

Jesus’ words and actions did not endear Him to those in power. In fact, they caused the powerful to feel threatened by Jesus and hate Him, and eventually nail Him to the cross.   

Why Jesus Still Confronts Today

Today, the powerful may be called by a different name, but their characteristics and motivations remain unchanged. They still treat the powerless unjustly. Even after His death Jesus—through His followers, continues to confront the powerful, and the powerful continue to feel threatened by Him. Although they may not want to nail Jesus to a cross today, they still want to suppress His truth. They want Him out of government, out of schools, and out of media.  This raises the question: Who is this Jesus that the powerful, even after 2,000 years, still feel threatened by Him? 

Questions for Reflection

  1. Jesus hated hypocrisy and often confronted it. Is there hypocrisy in the church today? If so, how does it turn people away from Him?

  2. Jesus ate with sinners and ministered to them. Like the Pharisees of His day, does the church today ever reject sinners instead of ministering to them?

  3. Who holds power in our culture today? Do Christian values threaten some in power? If so, how?

Prayer Focus

Thank You, Father, for showing me the real Jesus—the Jesus who is kind and compassionate and loves me, but also the Jesus who stands up for me. Thank You that Jesus is more powerful than the powerful and that He will always fight for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Series Navigation

Previous in the Series:

Getting to Know Jesus: It’s The Heart That Matters

Next in the Series:

Getting to Know Jesus: Hard Things He Said

If you missed earlier posts in this series, you can catch up here:

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