The Sign of the Leaven

Speaking to the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said,

John 5:45-47
⁴⁵ "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶ "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

Even thought Moses and the Queen of the South lived many years before Jesus was born, they could judge and condemn the religious leaders of Jesus day, Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31. This was because Moses and the Queen of the South heard the testimony of lesser prophets and believed that testimony about the promised Messiah. Jesus' testimony was the greatest testimony of the Father because it was a three-in-one testimony, 1 John 5:5-6. Yet, the religious leaders in Jesus' day became arrogant by knowledge, 1 Corinthians 8:1. Therefore, they were guilty of searching the scriptures to gain eternal life, John 5:39, RATHER THAN to recognize their Messiah. Thus, they could not see the fulfillment of those scriptures, Matthew 23:16, 24; Luke 6:39, Ezekiel 12:1-2.

So, why did the religious leaders of Jesus' day refuse to receive Jesus' testimony? Answer: They did not have the words of God abiding in them, John 5:38. In Deuteronomy 4:2, Moses gives us the reason they did not receive Jesus' testimony. When one adds a traditional teaching of men to the words of God, that addition actually causes a portion of God's words to be nullified or subtracted from God's words. This is what causes sin and confusion in the hearts of man.

God's words do not contradict themselves, however, man's traditional teachings do contradict God's words, Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:13. Any contradiction between one scripture passage and another passage is from the human interpretations assigned to those passages which is why it is written "Do NOT lean upon your own understanding..." Proverbs 3:5-6. Thus, the leaders in Jesus' day became blind guides misleading many to fall into pits, Ezekiel 12:1-2; Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:3.

How is this relevant for today? Simple, when those who sit in Moses' seat today add to the scriptures by passing on their own understandings rather than use the scriptures to prove scriptures, they also become blind guides who will lead their followers into pits, Ecclesiastes 1:9; Matthew 15:14. This is a sign to watch for because it is the very reason Jesus warned us when He said the following: 

"How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Matthew 16:11.

The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is defined by Jesus as hypocrisy in Luke 12:1. Jesus calls the Pharisees and Saducees hypocrites right after rebuking them for adding to the words of God and thus nullifying God's words, Matthew 15:6-7; Mark 7:6-13.

This, indeed, is what has happened today and has been happening for may hundreds of years. There are many traditions that have leavened the entire body of Christ. These traditions are false precepts that have been taught by men as if they are doctrines from God, Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7. This is why there is so much confusion on the issues of the end times, the beginning of time, on who Jesus is, Luke 24:25-27 and on Israel's role in God's plans, Romans 9-11. It is also why signs and wonders do not accompany the teachings of man, Mark 16:17; Luke 11:29 as signs and wonders are not given to a wicked generation, Matthew 12:39, 16:4; Luke 11:29. If the righteousness of religious leaders today does not surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees, the leaders today will not enter into the kingdom of Heaven any more than the Pharisees did in Jesus' day, Matthew 5:20.