The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 22:1-2,
"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people."
In his introduction to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Luke provides some background detail. The religious leaders of the day sought "to get rid of Jesus", but were afraid of the people. They needed a way but would have to do it in a manner that would not arouse the possible opposition of the people.
The opportunity came their way through the agency of Satan. We are told that "Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve." Verse 3. This prompted Judas to approach the chief priests and officers of the temple and work out a plan with them. Money would be given Judas and so he watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd would be present.
What captures my attention is that these religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus. Why? Jesus taught the people about God from the Scriptures, he performed wonderful miracles that freed people from demon possession, illness, infirmity, even death. He fed people and manifested a deep compassion for them. Why would these religious leaders want to get rid of Jesus?
They did not know God. These religious leaders held enviable positions in society, commanding respect and a living. But, they did not know God. It was not that they were ignorant of the Scriptures, it was they never embraced God who inspired the Scriptures. For this, Jesus called them out, threatening their status as the religious leaders of the day. Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes and a brood of vipers! See Matthew, chapter 23. They were threatened by Jesus and so they sought to get rid of him.
This is true for all who fail to embrace God. Any mention of God brings the cold reminder that all are condemned to spend an eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur for their sins in this life. Since all sin, all are condemned. Any thought, any mention of God often brings opposition and anger. We see it in the tireless campaign to remove any vestige of Christmas in the public square during that season. We see it in the willful exclusion of the major influence of the Judeo-Christian heritage that resulted in western civilization in curriculum taught in schools. We see it in the many and various crusades of political correctness in political and public discourse. Indeed, in many quarters, any discussion of God is simply not considered polite conversation. God has become a taboo subject in the rising tide of a desperate effort to get rid of God.
The truth is that those who embrace Jesus Christ escape God's condemnation and enter into his family. The efforts to get rid of God is a complete misdirection. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
God exists, as well as his judgment, and the objective reality of this is not contingent upon our acknowledgment or consent of it. Try as we might to get rid of God, he isn't going anywhere. Just as futile the efforts of the chief priests and teachers of the law to get rid of Jesus, so is the futile effort of those today who attempt to get rid of God. As I say, he isn't going anywhere.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people."
In his introduction to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Luke provides some background detail. The religious leaders of the day sought "to get rid of Jesus", but were afraid of the people. They needed a way but would have to do it in a manner that would not arouse the possible opposition of the people.
The opportunity came their way through the agency of Satan. We are told that "Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve." Verse 3. This prompted Judas to approach the chief priests and officers of the temple and work out a plan with them. Money would be given Judas and so he watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd would be present.
What captures my attention is that these religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus. Why? Jesus taught the people about God from the Scriptures, he performed wonderful miracles that freed people from demon possession, illness, infirmity, even death. He fed people and manifested a deep compassion for them. Why would these religious leaders want to get rid of Jesus?
They did not know God. These religious leaders held enviable positions in society, commanding respect and a living. But, they did not know God. It was not that they were ignorant of the Scriptures, it was they never embraced God who inspired the Scriptures. For this, Jesus called them out, threatening their status as the religious leaders of the day. Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes and a brood of vipers! See Matthew, chapter 23. They were threatened by Jesus and so they sought to get rid of him.
This is true for all who fail to embrace God. Any mention of God brings the cold reminder that all are condemned to spend an eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur for their sins in this life. Since all sin, all are condemned. Any thought, any mention of God often brings opposition and anger. We see it in the tireless campaign to remove any vestige of Christmas in the public square during that season. We see it in the willful exclusion of the major influence of the Judeo-Christian heritage that resulted in western civilization in curriculum taught in schools. We see it in the many and various crusades of political correctness in political and public discourse. Indeed, in many quarters, any discussion of God is simply not considered polite conversation. God has become a taboo subject in the rising tide of a desperate effort to get rid of God.
The truth is that those who embrace Jesus Christ escape God's condemnation and enter into his family. The efforts to get rid of God is a complete misdirection. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
God exists, as well as his judgment, and the objective reality of this is not contingent upon our acknowledgment or consent of it. Try as we might to get rid of God, he isn't going anywhere. Just as futile the efforts of the chief priests and teachers of the law to get rid of Jesus, so is the futile effort of those today who attempt to get rid of God. As I say, he isn't going anywhere.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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