The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 8 April 2020 – TOPIC: CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS
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DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 08, 2020
TOPIC: CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS
READ: MATTHEW 26:1-16 (NKJV)
1. Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, [that] He said to His disciples,
2. “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3. Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4. and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill [Him.]
5. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
6. And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
7. a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured [it] on His head as He sat [at the table.]
8. But when His disciples saw [it,] they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?
9. “For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to [the] poor.”
10. But when Jesus was aware of [it,] He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.
11. “For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
12. “For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did [it] for My burial.
13. “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
14. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15. 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.
16. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
THE MESSAGE:
In today’s passage, Jesus was intensely preparing His disciples for His death, and the religionists were behind closed doors demonically plotting His death (verses 2-4).
Verses 14-16 show the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, His disciple. Betrayal and conspiracy are very bitter experiences of life. It is delivering one into the hand of an enemy in violation of trust. The Chief Priests and elders assembled before the High Priest, Caiaphas, to plan how to arrest and kill Jesus. Evil men are not always comfortable with the presence of the righteous (Psalm 37:12) and would often plot to eliminate such a person (e.g. Daniel, Shedrack, Meshach, Abednego, Joseph’s brothers). The comforting words from the Lord are in Psalm 37:12-15. If you are zealous for righteousness sake, do not fear. The Lord will always fight for you.
PRAYER: Turn Psalm 37:12-15 into prayer.