He had finally gone too far. The news about what he had done spread quickly. Some of those who had witnessed Lazarus being raised from the dead ran back to Jerusalem to inform the Pharisees that it was Jesus who had brought Lazarus back to life, and that many of the Jews believed in Jesus. Immediately Satan’s human battalion scrambled to devise their wicked plan of defense. Led by Caiaphas who was the chief priest, the Pharisees plotted to murder the Son of God.
These men, the leaders of the religious body of the nation of Israel, diabolically reasoned that if they allowed Jesus to continue to perform his signs and wonders everyone would believe in him. Their fear was that the Romans would come and take away the temple and their nation. Their real motive was that they feared losing their power, their wealth, and their standing among the people. After a bit of debate Caiaphas spoke up, “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” In a sense what he said was true for God did send his Son to this world as a sacrifice so that men, and women, and boy and girls would not perish but have eternal life. The meeting ended that day with an agreement that Jesus would die.
How could anyone seeing a man being raised from the dead not believe in the one who caused it to happen? Caiaphas didn’t believe in Jesus. Nor did he believe after Jesus had attached the right ear of Malthus, his servant, after Peter had cut it off. This happened when Caiaphas had sent Judas, a detachment soldiers and some of his officials and Pharisees to capture Jesus. Caiaphas had to know about the healing of his servant's ear just as he knew about the raising of Lazarus. He knew about the healing of the blind man and all of the many good things that Jesus had done, yet he did not believe because just like Judas he was Satan’s man.
To this day Satan’s evil battalion continues to work their evil deeds to keep men and women from believing in Jesus. We see them plotting to kill babies by ripping them from the womb. The governor of New York, Planned Parenthood, and legislators all across our nation, are blinded by Satan to perform his evil work. We see Satan’s followers in the organizations that are trying to destroy God’s plan for the family, for marriage, for the sexual union between one man and one woman. Millions of people all across our nation join together to support and sympathize with those who call evil good and good evil. Just like the Pharisees who plotted to kill Jesus the leaders in these wicked causes do so for a popular standing among the masses, for power and for wealth. The days of our nation are evil. Romans 1:24-27 tells us what is happening today.
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment