Examples of those who criticized Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is well-known for being a great and inspiring figure. While he is revered by millions as the Son of God and the savior of humanity, some criticized Him during His time on Earth, as recorded in the Bible. To criticize someone means to express disapproval by pointing out their faults or identifying problems with their work, actions, or behavior. Though criticism can be helpful sometimes, it often involves judging someone or something as wrong or bad. Here are some of the criticisms served to Jesus:
1. The religious leaders
One group that criticized Jesus was the religious leaders of His day, such as the Pharisees, the scribes, and the Sadducees. These individuals, who held positions of authority within the Jewish community, often clashed with Jesus over matters of religious doctrine and interpretation. They saw Him as a threat to their power and influence and therefore sought to discredit Him. Examples of their criticisms are (NKJV):
On one Sabbath day, while Jesus was walking through the grainfields, His disciples became hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” (Mt 12:1-2; Also, Mr 2:23-24; Lu 6:1-2)
One day, the Jews brought Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. Astonished by this miraculous healing, the people began to suspect that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. But when the Pharisees heard this, they criticized Jesus, reasoning that His power was not from God but from the devil. They said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” (Mt 12:24; Mt 9:34)
The Jews observed that Jesus’ disciples ate without washing their hands as their tradition demanded. Then the scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to criticize Jesus for allowing this disregard for traditions. They said, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” (Mt 15:1-2; Mr 7:1-5)
And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mr 2:16; Mt 9:11; Lu 5:30; Lu 15:2)
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21)
Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. (Joh 9:16)
2. Members of the general public
Another group that criticized Jesus was some members of the general public. Some people found His teachings challenging or difficult to understand, while others simply did not believe in His claims to be the Messiah. These individuals may have voiced their skepticism or even openly opposed Jesus during His ministry. Examples of their criticisms are:
Lazarus was sick, and Jesus was called to come and heal him, but he could not go. When Lazarus died of the sickness, He went to Bethany with His disciples to meet Lazarus’ family, Martha and Mary. Upon seeing them weeping out of grief, He wept too. While weeping, the people criticized Him, blaming Him for Lazarus’ death, and they said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37 NKJV)
One day, while Jesus was preaching in the temple courts, the atmosphere was tense, and in the course of the blunt exchange of words between Jesus and the Jews, Jesus made claims of being the Messiah, which the Jews could neither understand nor accept. In addition, Jesus mentioned that they were not God’s children but Satan’s. The Jews, greatly offended, responded with a criticism, accusing Jesus of being a Samaritan and preaching under the influence of demons. They said, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” John 8:48
Still in John 8, as the conversation progressed, Jesus said that whoever obeys His word would never see death. In shock, the Jews responded with criticism, affirming that indeed, Jesus was demon-possessed. They said, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” John 8:52-53
3. The disciples of John the Baptist
Another group who criticized Jesus were the disciples of John the Baptist, who realized that Jesus’ disciples were not like them nor like the disciples of the Pharisees, for they, the disciples of John, and those of the Pharisees fasted and prayed often, but Jesus’ disciples did not. Realizing this, they went to Jesus to ask a question about it. Their question was much of a criticism as it was a question. They said to Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” (Mt 9:14; Also, Mr 2:18; Lu 5:33)
4. Some of Jesus’ disciples
Not everything Jesus said went down well with His disciples. One day, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum, and many of His disciples came to listen to Him. He said He is the living bread that came down from heaven and if anyone ate His body and drank His blood, he would have life for His body is bread and His blood is wine indeed (John 6:22-71). Many of His disciples were thrown into confusion, strongly disapproved of what He said, and criticized Him, saying, “This is a difficult and harsh and offensive statement. Who can [be expected to] listen to it?” (John 6:60 Amplified Version)
Conclusion
It is important to note that not everyone criticized Jesus. Many people were drawn to His message of love, forgiveness, and salvation. His followers believed in Him wholeheartedly and saw Him as a source of hope and inspiration. In short, while Jesus had many devoted followers, he also faced criticism from religious leaders and others during His time on Earth. This criticism shows the diverse range of opinions surrounding His teachings and claims.