The Plan They Couldn't Stop - Day 143 Month 5-23 Week 21-3
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
Deuteronomy 32:23-52, Psalm 115, Jeremiah 26:7-24, John 11:47-12:11
The Plan They Couldn’t Stop
One innocent person should die in order to preserve the Jewish nation! That is more or less what Caiaphas, the chief priest, was saying. This was for selfish ambition. They thought, if the people were about to crown Jesus as king, it would not go well for the Jewish people or for the positions the religious leaders held in leading the people. The answer would be to kill Jesus.
What Caiaphas knew he was saying was kill Jesus so they can maintain the status quo and positions of power. This will be a quick fix to appease the Romans.
What Caiaphas did not know he was saying was that Jesus would in fact die for the people but it had nothing to do with position and power. It had to do with saving humanity, not simply the Jewish nation.
It’s interesting that the Jewish priests and prophets were also trying to kill Jeremiah in today’s reading because Jeremiah was prophesying about the destruction of Jerusalem that God had directed him to do.
With Jesus and with Jeremiah, you see plots to kill them yet Jeremiah is spared and Jesus no longer walked publicly amongst the Jews. God’s timing was that neither Jesus’ or Jeremiah’s death would happen at the time when the priests wanted to kill them.
Yesterday we talked a little about God’s plan and that God’s plan is a good plan and the plan is not for us but for God and His kingdom. We all will benefit from God’s plan if we choose to be a Jesus follower. The benefits of being a part of God’s kingdom far outweigh the choice of not being in His kingdom. It does not mean this physical life will be easy. There will be sickness, there will be pain, and you may be persecuted for your faith on this earth. Some people become martyrs for being Jesus followers. I appreciate that God has placed me where He has but I need to continually be aware that Jesus may choose a different path for me. Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” This is great to hear right? We are called according to His purpose. It will turn out for good, but it will not necessarily be easy.
What stands out to me is that humanity could not stop God’s plan even while thinking they were in complete control. Caiaphas thought getting rid of Jesus would preserve their power, keep the Romans happy and maintain the status quo. Instead, the very thing they planned became the way God would offer salvation to the world. They thought they were ending the problem while God was fulfilling the plan.
I think that’s important for us to remember when life feels confusing or difficult. Sometimes we can’t understand why certain things are happening or why God allows hardship, delay or suffering. Yet God is never caught off guard. He sees the full picture while we only see the moment in front of us. Even the hardest parts of life can still be used for good in God’s kingdom. Our part is not to completely understand every detail of the plan, but to continue following Jesus through whatever is in front of us.
Have a great day!
Steve
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