Blaine Rogers @Mark 12:13-17 Day 1 This verse tells us that the men who approached Jesus came from two very different groups that held opposing beliefs. The Pharisees were the religious conservatives of the day. They were very legalistic in that they tried to keep the very letter of the Law of God perfectly. The very name “Pharisee” means “the separatists”. Still, they were marked by pride and self-righteousness. Jesus often rebuked them because their ‘faith’ was merely external. They had no relationship with God. Yet, the Pharisees were very nationalistic in their political views. They hated being under Roman rule and wanted to be free from it. Then there were the Herodians. They were a political party among the Jews who were supporters of King Herod. They enjoyed the benefits they received because of the Roman occupation. While the Romans controlled their country, the people enjoyed religious freedom, protection and prosperity. King Herod supported the Romans and sought to bring Roman culture to Israel. Here is the interesting part; normally, these two groups had nothing to do with one another. They were polar opposites. They hated one another. Yet, they came together for the common goal of destroying Jesus. As one person said, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. This is going to be true in Jesus’ ministry from this point forward. Everyone is going to have his or her own axe to grind against Jesus. Why do you think everyone, including enemies, is opposing Jesus?