“Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” ~Jesus

The Romans controlled the land and civilian laws, but these groups controlled people's lives. If you read about them, I bet they will sound familiar to types we are still dealing with today in politics and religion.

Together they would help to destroy even the son of God rather than grasp the truth of the true Kingdom and the spirit of it's laws living within. That would have required them to give up their power over the lives of others. These same kind of people are in power today.