When God Says …
“Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.” (John 18:12-14 KJV).
It is amazing to imagine the show of force revealed in these passages to arrest someone who did no wrong. It is reminiscent of present-day politically charged society. We watched innocent people’s home swarmed in the middle of the night with excessive show of force by so-called law enforcers, because of their politics. Then subjected to fake trials, wasting resources that would have been used to solve real crimes for the good of the society as a whole, not self-vested interests.
On the same religiously and politically charged scheme, this was what happened in this scene described in these passages. The religious authorities of the time led by Caiaphas, the high priest and his father-in-law Annas, a very powerful member of the political Sanhedrin, used their influence over the feared enforcers of the Roman law. They swarmed the peaceful garden with a large contingent of armed men led by a captain to arrest the Lord Jesus in the middle of His prayer. Treated like a criminal, He was bound as if He was resisting and a danger to their fully armed band. Though in truth, if He did resist, there’s nothing they could have done. The power of His holy name I AM, spoken, was enough to pin them fallen down to the ground (John 18:6). Legions of angels are readily available to help Him (Matthew 26:52). But no, He was ready to submit, and let the cup of suffering He came for to pass. The events that the religious people, who were corrupted by doctrines of men, have planned must unfold as it should.
The Lord Jesus yielded Himself to be arrested, in order to die for you and I, as commanded of Him by the Father. He said: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”” (John 10:17-18 NIV).
This He did for us all. So that by believing in Him, “Caiaphas’ counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people”, comes to pass. It is by the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross that we are made righteous by faith. It is written: “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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