A Murder Plot. Mark 14:1-2.
It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, For they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
Dear Friends of God,
The week that started with Palm Sunday is now at the midpoint. There remain only a couple of days before Jesus is taken to the cross.
Predestination (v. 1a).When Jesus had come to be baptized by John three and a half years before, John had declared, “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Passover lamb had been killed centuries before, to facilitate the setting free of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. A new Passover lamb is about to be killed, to facilitate the setting free of humanity from slavery to sin.
Plot (v. 1b). The unlikely partnership between the scribes and the chief priests and which most likely included their allies on both sides – the Pharisees on the one and the Sadducees on the other – kicked into motion the plan to put Jesus to death. Unbeknown to them, they were playing right into God’s plan. Keep this in mind, God’s plan will be accomplished by those who cooperate with him, as well as by those who oppose him.
Predicament (v. 2). The plot had one major hurdle – Jesus was very popular with the people. If the coalition of opponents tried to put Jesus to death during the feast, they feared that there would be a riot. But by plotting murder, they had handed themselves over to the devil, to do his bidding. The devil also had a plan, and it was to put Jesus to death and end the assault against his evil kingdom, or so he thought. The devil too would play into the hands of God and accomplish his own defeat. God will be victorious in his plan. Would you rather oppose him and still end up accomplishing his plan, or would you willingly cooperate and share in the joy of his victory? The choice is yours.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.