John 14:6
Jesus is the Way to God
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus Fulfills the Law and the Prophets
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus Came for the Lost Sheep of Israel
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Luke 11:37-54
Woes to the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law
37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.
Matthew 23:1-12
Jesus Warns Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Jesus said He came only for the lost sheep of Israel...A primary reason for His coming to earth, was to teach the people of Israel about God...The nation of Israel's religion was basically Judaism and taught by the Pharisees and teachers of the Law and chief priests...In Jesus' time there were open discussions about religion...Jesus did not say much about or against the atheists of His time...He never said much against the other faiths of His time...So Jesus was not really critical to any degree of atheists of His time or other religions...I am sure He would have corrected any atheist or one of a different faith had their statement or statements been inconsistent or contrary to the Bible's teaching or incorrect about His Father...This is because He is the Bible...He knows the Bible completely and nothing about it confuses Him...He said He fulfilled the Old Testament Books of the Law and the Books of the Prophets...So He understands the Good Book completely...And to get to God, we must go through Him...He is the Way to God...No one comes to the Father except through Him...
Jesus' severest criticisms about religion and the Bible were to those of His own faith...Jesus was harshest to the ones who were from Israel and the ones who were supposed to be the most competent in the Old Testament...He critiqued the Pharisees and the teachers of the law...He even gave them woes...It was like the Pharisees and teachers of the law knew what to teach, but they did not obey their own teachings...Jesus said this about the Pharisees and teachers of the law..."The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat...So you must be careful to do everything they tell you...But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach...They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them...Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others."...
Jesus actually told His followers to be careful and do everything the Pharisees told them...The Pharisees knew the rules of the Scripture, but added more...However, do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach...The Pharisees and teachers of the law did not follow the Bible properly, and Jesus told His followers about this hypocrisy...Jesus gives us a picture of a clean cup that is very clean on the outside...But on the inside they cup is very unclean and dirty...The Pharisees are like this cup...The Pharisees looked like and sounded like (on the outside) they knew the Bible, which they did...But on the inside their humbleness about carrying out its teachings did not come to pass (they were full of greed and wickedness)...
We learn that the way to God is not through the Pharisee...The way to God was not through the teachers of the law or chief priests...The way to God is not following a set of rules without having mercy and having compassion for others...The way to God is through Jesus and His teachings...He is the Only Way...