Jesus and the Pharisees: A Misunderstood Relationship

We sometimes have this imagination that the Pharisees were harsh and therefore hated by the people, as opposed to Jesus, who was loved by all the common folk. The truth, however, is more nuanced, and the Pharisees were largely considered the liberals of the day, and that made them quite popular. For example, from inter-Testamental Jewish writings that we know of, the Pharisees were often the group that downplayed religious punishment and were most often criticized for being too lenient with religious penalty.