WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
APRIL 10, 2022
TOPIC: DON’T CONSPIRE AGAINST ANYONE
BY T. O. BANSO
“Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people’” (Matthew 26:3-5 New King James Version).
One of the events of the Easter story is the conspiracy or plot against Jesus. Before the final plot that led to His arrest, the religious leaders and the Jewish elders had been plotting how to arrest Him and kill Him. It is baffling that some people will make how to conspire to kill an innocent and harmless person their preoccupation. But that was what they did. They set traps for Him on different occasions just to get something to use against Him but failed.
Matthew 12:14 says the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Mark 3:6 says a similar thing. That was after Jesus, on the Sabbath day, had healed the man with the withered hand. The Pharisees were self-righteous people who would boast that they fasted twice in the week and gave the tithes of all that they possessed (Luke 18:12). Yet, they could be plotting or conspiring to destroy another person.
In John 11:45-54, the chief priests and the Pharisees plotted how to kill Jesus, having heard of the things He did. Caiaphas, the high priest said it was expedient for them that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish. Thus, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad (verses 49-52).
Verses 53-54 say, “Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples” (New King James Version).
In Matthew 22:15, the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Jesus in His talk. They sent to Him their disciples with the Herodian and they asked Him if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not (verses 16-17). Jesus gave them the appropriate answer.
Although they failed, they didn’t give up. Matthew 26:3-5 says, “Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people’” (New King James Version).
When, eventually, Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples of Jesus, joined the conspirators, they succeeded. “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,’ What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him” (Matthew 26:14-16 New King James Version). Notice that the chief priests didn’t go to invite Judas; he went to meet them. He went to join the conspiracy against his Master whom he had been following for about three and half years.
On the D-day, Judas led a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was. He had given them a sign that anyone he kissed was Jesus and they should arrest Him. He greeted Jesus “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. They arrested Jesus and led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled (Matthew 26:47-57).
Having arrested Him, the chief priests and elders continued their plot on how to kill Jesus. Matthew 27:1-2 says, “When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor” (New King James Version). Eventually, Jesus was condemned and crucified.
What became of Judas, who joined the conspirators and betrayed his Master? When he saw that Jesus had been condemned, he was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying that he had sinned by betraying innocent blood (Matthew 27:3-4a).
But his accomplices were not remorseful. They said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” (Verse 4b New King James Version). Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and went to hang himself. Judas couldn’t enjoy the money he made from betraying his Master. The chief priests used it to buy the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.
Don’t conspire against anyone; don’t join anyone or others in a conspiracy. Could you imagine that because of Jesus, the chief priest even plotted against Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead? They plotted to kill Lazarus also because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus (John 12:10-11). Wickedness!
Conspiring against others is evil. The religious leaders motivated by envy conspired against Jesus and ensured that He was arrested, tried, and crucified. They were his brothers; yet, they conspired and got Him killed.
Joseph’s brothers conspired against him and sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:25-28). Also, Absalom, David’s son, conspired with others, including Ahithophel, one of his father’s counselors, against his father (2 Samuel 15:12). He dethroned his father and made him flee from Jerusalem. But he was later killed. The rebellion was defeated and David returned to the throne.
In 2 Kings 12:20-21, the servants of King Josiah of Judah conspired against him and killed him. Amaziah, his son, who succeeded him, fled from a conspiracy formed against him in Jerusalem after he had turned away from following the LORD. But he was pursued and killed (2 Kings 14:17-20; 2 Chronicles 25:27-28).
Don’t conspire against anyone. Conspirators will reap what they sow. If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). 2 Kings 15:30 records that King Hoshea of Israel, the son of Elah, led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, killed him, and reigned in his place. However, later, the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea. He arrested Hoshea and imprisoned him (2 Kings 17:4).
Don’t join a rebellion. Don’t let anyone recruit you into it. A conspiracy against a child of God or servant of God amounts to a conspiracy against God. Be careful. Nahum 1:9 says, “What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation renders the verse thus: “Why are you scheming against the LORD? He will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice!”
Don’t let anyone draw you into a conspiracy to destroy or betray another person. Judas who joined a conspiracy eventually committed suicide. Don’t plot evil against anyone. Love others as Christ has loved you (John 13:34). God, who delivered Nehemiah and Daniel from the conspiracy against them, will deliver you, too (Nehemiah 6; Daniel 6).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and was raised on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: I shall not join a conspiracy or conspire against anyone. Holy Spirit, help me to love others as Christ has loved me. Father, as you delivered Nehemiah and Daniel from the conspiracy against them, deliver me, too. Let every conspiracy against all Your children fail in Jesus’ name.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
