Today’s reading:
My Selection:
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Matthew 26:3-5
The plot to crucify Jesus illustrates how God rules over the good and the evil plans of men. He rules not only over what happens but when it happens. The authorities decided to put the Lord to death. Unbeknownst to them, God planned for them to put Him to death. [See Acts 2:23.] But the strategy of the chief priests and elders to delay His execution until after the Passover went awry. They ended up carrying out the arrest, mock trial, and appeal to Pontius Pilate in the middle of the Passover.
Who’s Running the Universe?
God rules over all things, including the timing of those things. Neither the Jewish and Roman authorities of the first century nor we in the twenty-first century are robots manipulated by Him. We act freely and responsibly, but never apart from His foreknowledge and plan. Paul tells us we can be confident that all that happens is for the good of those who love Him.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Trust Him for the timing and happenings beyond your control and (seemingly, but not really) beyond His.
For more reflections on today’s reading, see the corresponding reading in my book Cover to Cover: Through the Bible in 365 days.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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