Was Jesus Ever Hypocritical? Learn What the Bible Says

Many undesirable traits are associated with hypocrisy. But overall, hypocrites intentionally try to make others believe they uphold or represent a certain belief system, character trait, lifestyle, etc., when in actuality, they don’t.

Hypocrisy means living a lie. And it’s common for hypocrites to condemn others for doing the very things they do behind closed doors.

So why would anyone call Jesus a hypocrite?

In the Bible, the Pharisees interpreted Jesus’ actions as hypocritical (Luke 11:37-38; Luke 13:14; Matthew 9:11). And today, some debates continue over whether Jesus ever contradicted Himself or His teachings.

For example, Jesus often taught peace, but some say He acted in a “violent” manner when He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple (Mark 11:15-17). He also taught the importance of the law, but criticized the Pharisees for legalism (Matthew 5:17-18; Matthew 23:23-24). And He called Himself the Son of God, yet lived a lowly, humble life (John 14:10-11; Matthew 8:20).

But would those things really make Jesus Christ a hypocrite?

The Bible answers this—and more. It tells us that Jesus was far from hypocritical. And it sheds light on why His character has been under attack since the world began.

But don’t take our word for it. Let’s walk through the Bible together and get answers to questions like:

• What does hypocrisy really mean?
• Why would Jesus ever be called a hypocrite?
• What can we learn from these accusations?

First, let’s get the full, complete definition of the word “hypocrite.”

What does the word “hypocrite” really mean?

The original Greek word, hypokritēs, means “actor” or “pretender.”¹ And “to play a part.”²

Modern dictionaries give similar but expanded definitions for the words “hypocrite” or “hypocrisy.” For example:

• “The hiding of interior wickedness under the appearance of virtue.”³
• “One who falsely professes to be virtuously or religiously inclined.”⁴
• “Someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in [a] way that shows these are not sincere.”⁵
• “One who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not.”⁶

And the Illustrated Bible Dictionary says that in Hebrew, the word “hypocrite” means “godless” or “profane”⁷ in many Scriptural instances.⁸

False. Fake. Masked. Godless. Pretending. Acting. Insincere. Hiding.

These words don’t appear to describe Jesus, His sincere followers, or even atheists who are trying to live a purposeful, loving life and sometimes falling short (as we all do).

In plain English, hypocrisy means willfully pretending to be something we are not.

Not missteps. Not mistakes. Not trying to make a good impression. But intending to deceive others about who we are inside.

Let’s take some modern examples.

What hypocrisy is…and isn’t

Image by Kindel Media

Imagine a police officer who pulls drivers over for speeding. She warns each driver against the dangers and often issues speeding tickets.

But…sometimes she speeds when she’s running late to drop her kids off at school.

However, she admits her mistakes and works on setting a better example.

Now imagine a different police officer who pulls drivers over for speeding and preaches against the dangers. She’s known as the harshest speed enforcer around—showing no mercy. But outside of work, she speeds on a regular basis. And when asked about it, she claims she never drives over the speed limit. And she condemns other officers who do.

While the first example still involves a person not practicing what they preach, the difference is whether there’s an intent to deceive or not. It’s evident she’s still trying to do what’s right and teach others to do the same. She makes no effort to exalt herself over others and admits when she falls short.

The other is living a lie.

But what are some Bible examples?

Jesus gives us a parable to answer this very thing in Luke 18:9-14. Let’s break it down.

A tax collector went to a temple. But humbled by the weight of his sins, he stood at a distance. And keeping his eyes down, he cried, “God, be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13, NKJV)!

A Pharisee went to that same temple and prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (Luke 18:11-12, NKJV).

In verse 14, Jesus concludes that the tax collector was authentic and went home forgiven. Meanwhile, the Pharisee trusted in his appearance of goodness and despised others. The tax collector was an admitted sinner, but the Pharisee was the hypocrite.

The Bible uses the word hypocrite (hypokritēs) or hypocrisy (hypókrisis) 40 times.⁹ This is based on the King James Version. Other translations may use synonyms or related terms.

And it gives specific examples of what it is. In a nutshell, it’s:

• Doing right only for the admiration of others (Matthew 23:5-7)
• Ignoring personal weakness while condemning it in others (Luke 6:42)
• Keeping up appearances that don’t match the true self (Matthew 23:28)

In short, the Bible says hypocrisy is often shown by keeping up a perfect moral appearance, while hiding a loveless and deceptive heart.

So, how does Jesus stack up against charges of hypocrisy?

Why would Jesus ever be called a hypocrite?

The accusations of hypocrisy by critics today often parallel accusations from Jesus’ day. His character. His claims of divinity. His unusual words and actions in the Bible. All were often called into question by the Pharisees. And critics reference many of those same Bible instances today.

Let’s look at three examples.

Jesus’ peace vs. violence

Bible prophecy describes Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV). The angels proclaimed “peace” on earth at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:14, NKJV). And He said Himself, “Blessed are the peacemakers” at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:9, ESV).

So why do we also find this account of Jesus in the Gospel?

“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade’(John 2:13-16, ESV).

When Jesus was born as a human, He lived a sinless life in a fallen world to save us from eternal death—sin’s consequences. He came to win us a future kingdom of never-ending peace (Isaiah 9:7).

But to teach the way to salvation, Jesus had to point out any misleading or distorted traditions (Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:6-9). He also had to confront hypocritical leaders, like the Pharisees, who were leading people astray (Matthew 15:14).

This put Jesus at odds with the Jewish leaders and how they misinterpreted or misapplied Scripture.

Jesus knew this would create division—both for Himself and His followers. That’s why He said:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34, ESV).

Biblical peace, or Shalom, in Hebrew, isn’t just about peace-keeping—but peace-making (Matthew 5:9).

“Peace takes a lot of work because it’s not just the absence of conflict. True peace requires taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness.”¹⁰

To restore the ultimate peace the Bible speaks of so often requires active defense against injustice and wrongdoing (Romans 16:20; Ecclesiastes 3:8).

It’s very much how Martin Luther King Jr. described the action required in peace-making:

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”¹¹

In many instances, we recognize the need for swift and firm action to restore peace.

Photo by Do Hoang Anh on Unsplash

For example, the main goal of the United Nations (UN) is to promote peace, security, and human rights around the world. They don’t act as agressors. But if civilians are in danger, the UN principles allow them to take the necessary actions to restore peace.¹²

And think of a mother who sees her toddler take a dash toward the street. She could be the most peaceful and loving person in the world. But that protective mama will shout and run and do everything in her power to stop her baby from going into the street and getting hurt.

Her actions don’t mean she’s not a peacemaker. It only proves she’s a responsible and loving mother.

That’s what the scene in the temple was about.

Jesus’ “violence” in the temple shook people up. The Bible doesn’t report any injuries. But it got their attention.

The Pharisees and other Jewish leaders were self-righteous. So it took a lot to get their attention and for them to recognize they weren’t the poster children for holiness (John 5:39-40). That’s why Matthew 23 records Jesus’ entire speech toward the Pharisees. It was to warn them how unaware they were of their need for a Savior.

It wasn’t because He wanted to hurt or embarrass them. This was done in love, because all other efforts didn’t get through to them, and to prevent others from being misled by their teaching. As Jesus said,

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37, ESV)

The Jewish leaders had lost their way and didn’t even know it. Or didn’t want to know it. Jesus told them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13, ESV).

Jesus’ actions were also a sign of peace and hope to those who’d been turned away by the corruption in the temple.

After Jesus restored the temple to its true purpose, here’s what happened:

“The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them” (Matthew 21:14, ESV).

Jesus had brought peace to the temple. But like today, not everyone grasped the big picture:

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple,‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant” (Matthew 21:15, ESV).

Now let’s look at another example.

Jesus judges Pharisees for legalism yet keeps laws Himself

Jesus spoke against religious leaders, like the Pharisees, over their strict law-keeping (Luke 11:42). And this still can be used to fuel debates over whether it was hypocritical on Jesus’ part. Why?

Because Jesus Himself kept religious law. He even said:

“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” (Matthew 5:17, ESV).

But there’s a big difference between legalism and keeping the law.

Legalism means, “paying more attention to rules and details than to the intentions behind them.”¹³

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

Jesus never said to ignore the law. But He confronted self-righteous leaders for misapplying, adding onto, and corrupting the law (Matthew 15:3-9). Especially when it hurt and added burdens on others (Matthew 23:4, Luke 11:52).

The Pharisees claimed to be faithful followers of God, but ignored the needs of fellow humans (James 2:14-17).
That’s what Jesus meant when He said:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23, ESV).

God’s law is based on love for God and love for fellow humans (Mark 12:28-34). That’s why Jesus came down hard on religious leaders about legalism in Luke 11:37-54 and Matthew 23.

They’d also misunderstood that salvation doesn’t come from strict law-keeping, but by God’s grace.

As we saw earlier, Jesus’ words were like those of a loving mother, trying to set rebellious children straight.

But we don’t always like getting hit with tough love—which is clear by how the religious leaders responded (and similar to how some critics might respond today):

“As [Jesus] went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press Him hard and to provoke Him to speak about many things, lying in wait for Him, to catch Him in something He might say” (Luke 11:53-54, ESV).

Let’s look at one last example of hypocrisy accusations against Jesus.

Jesus is the Son of God yet lives a humble life

Today, some argue over whether Jesus’ claims as the Son of God really fit the humble life He lived on earth. In the Bible, Jesus called Himself the Son of God (Matthew 16:15-17; John 5:17-18). But we also know this about Jesus:

• He was poor (2 Corinthians 8:9)
• He had few possessions and no home to call His own (Luke 9:58).
• He came from a humble town (John 1:46).
• He wasn’t attractive (Isaiah 53:2).

Even in the Bible, some doubted Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God:

“Do you say of Him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’” (John 10:36, ESV)?

But on two separate occasions, witnesses in the Bible recorded hearing and seeing God’s acknowledgement of Jesus as His Son.

And prophecy predicted the arrival of a humble King before Jesus was born:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9, ESV).

Jesus even quoted prophecy to remind His followers that He wasn’t coming as an exclusive, power-hungry prince (Isaiah 61:1). Instead, He came to share good news with the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed, and more (Luke 4:18).

And the Apostle Paul explains further why Jesus’ teachings and life reflected humility:

“Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when He had come as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8, CSB).

Jesus left the majesty of Heaven not “to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, ESV).

He came to:

“Break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. … For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:14-17, CSB).

He was fully human. And fully divine. But without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

The Jewish people wanted Jesus to use His power to free them from Roman rule and make Himself King. They even tried to force Him to take the throne (John 6:15).

But this would’ve played right into Satan’s hands.

After Jesus’ ministry on earth first began, Satan tempted Him with power (Matthew 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-7). He wanted to keep Jesus from His plan to save humanity. So Satan encouraged Jesus to forget humility, skip the hard stuff, and take the world by force.

But Jesus didn’t give in to the temptation for worldly honor. It would have cost us eternal life.

Jesus’ humble life was true to who He was and is—a King who cares more about the welfare of His people than His own majesty and recognition.

And His humility is true to His nature as the Son of God. Because the Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”(James 4:6, ESV).

Even at Jesus’ crucifixion, the crowd jeered at Him for not saving Himself and proving He was the Son of God (Matthew 27:39-40).

Those in Jesus’ time struggled to understand a humble, self-sacrificing King. And critics today do, as well.

We’ve only covered three occasions from the Bible that cause modern critics to accuse Jesus of hypocrisy. But when it comes to other debates, we’ve learned that the Bible (both the Old Testament and the New Testament) paints the full picture.

Until the world ends, there will always be opinions on both sides. And that’s been the case since the world began.

And as we close, we’ll talk about why.

What we can learn from “hypocrisy” accusations against Jesus

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Christ’s character has been under attack since before the world began. And until the world ends, we can search for reasons to doubt His goodness if we want to. Why? Because we live in a fallen world. And the one who caused it to fall has been sowing seeds of doubt and deception in the minds of others since the world began.

It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions or do research to learn the truth. Not at all. Searching for answers keeps us from being “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:15-16, NKJV). It helps us decide where we stand and gives us stronger faith.

But we need to recognize that the world is stuck in the middle of a conflict with two sides.

Whether we know it or not, we’re all choosing between the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan. That means we have two choices of what rules our lives—love or selfishness. And Satan’s kingdom is the kingdom of selfishness, fear, greed, death, and so on.

Satan considers himself the rightful ruler on earth (Luke 4:5-7). And like a politician, He’s found the best way to win allegiance is to sling mud on His opponent’s character.

It all started when Satan was a beautiful angel named Lucifer, who held a high position in Heaven (Ezekiel 28:12-19). He became so proud of his looks and power that he planted seeds of doubt among the angels about the current leadership.

He claimed he would make a better leader than God (Isaiah 14:12-15).

He eventually led a rebellion against God (Revelation 12:7-9). But it wasn’t the good of the other angels he had in mind. He was power hungry.

Lucifer, along with the angels he convinced to side with him, lost the battle for power in Heaven. And they were exiled to Earth (Luke 10:18).

So, Satan’s new goal became to set himself up as ruler on earth. And to convince us to follow him instead of becoming followers of Jesus—who represents God.

But no one would choose a leader whom they knew was out to destroy them (John 10:10). That’s why Satan needed to deceive “the whole world” (Revelation 12:9, NKJV)..

How? In the same way, Satan misled his angels by planting seeds that caused them to doubt God’s Word. By making himself appear perfect and noble. And by turning those he tricked into his agents (Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1-3).

That’s how he first deceived Eve. He used a beautiful creature to ask her, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’” (Genesis 3:1, ESV)? And he followed it up by twisting God’s words even more and planting seeds of doubt.

It led to the first sin on earth.

Satan didn’t care that this meant death for the human race. He just wanted to prove himself right—and claim power.

Jesus warned that Satan,

Was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44, CSB).

Pride and deception are the hallmarks of a hypocrite. They desire admiration and success, even at the expense of others.¹⁴ So they hide their dark and selfish motives under a well-crafted exterior.

Here’s what the Bible says hypocrites are like:

“Whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28, ESV).

So far, we’ve seen these descriptions fit the character of Satan. Not Jesus, the Son of God.

Hypocrisy isn’t about falling short. It’s not just about inconsistencies in who we say we are or who we want to be. It’s about intent. It’s false, masked, fake, godless, pretending, acting, insincere, and hiding.

Satan was forced to leave his position in heaven and come to earth. Then he hid in a tree as a beautiful serpent to deceive us and bring our downfall.

Satan is the face of sin, selfishness, and hypocrisy.

But Jesus chose to come to earth to rescue humans. He was humble, authentic, and sought the good of others above Himself.

Jesus is the face of love (John 15:13).

If you still have questions about Christ’s character, it’s okay. You can ask God to reveal the truth. He promises to do this through His Holy Spirit (John 14:26; John 16:13) and through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

We have to get to know the character of Jesus Christ for ourselves. The Bible even invites us to do this:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8, CSB)!

That’s the only way to know if Jesus is the One you can trust to stand beside you and protect you. And as you seek Him with your whole heart, you’ll discover who He truly is (Jeremiah 29:13).

Related Pages

1. “Lexicon: Strong’s G5273 – Hypokritēs,” Blue Letter Bible. [↵]
2. “Hypocrisy,” Oxford Reference, Oxford University Press. [↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. “Hypocrite,” Oxford English Dictionary. [↵]
5. “Hypocrite,” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press and Assessment. [↵]
6. Easton, Matthew George (M.A., D.D.), Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed Thomas Nelson (1897). [↵]
7. Ibid. [↵]
8. Job 8:13; Jeremiah 23:11; Matthew 6:2, 5, 16. [↵]
9. “Shalom/Peace“, BibleProject. [↵]
10. Hall, Brian, “Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial – Quotations,” National Park Service (July 11, 2024). [↵]
11. “Principles of Peacekeeping.” United Nations Peacekeeping. [↵]
12. “Legalism,” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press and Assessment. [↵]
13. Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; Luke 9:35. [↵]
14. Matthew 6:2; Matthew 23:5-7; Matthew 23:13-15. [↵]

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