Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 72

March 13, 2018;      Matthew 22:15;       22/260(IV);        ‘Truth Prevails’

Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.

The hatred of the Pharisees and other religious leaders toward Jesus is brought out in the Gospels with words like kill Him, plotted and entrap.  The Lord Jesus was on a mission to save humanity from sin and sickness and the religious leaders just played a part in the ultimate drama of redemption. The truth is no one could kill the Lord Jesus. He allowed them to crucify Him.  The plots of the religious leaders to destroy Jesus, just fulfilled what was prophesied in the Old Testament.  The hateful religious leaders did everything they could to entrap Jesus in what He said, only to be left astounded by His responses.  Religion is a lie, a counterfeit and it always contradicts the truth of the Word of God.  We know that the nature of man without the Lord is pride.  Pride is so evident in the Pharisees.  Their jealousy of Jesus and resentment of what He taught, the power by which He healed and the incredible multitudes that followed Him, drove these deceived men to see no alternative but to kill Him.  Pride will do anything it needs to do if it wants what you have.  As you read God’s Word, the basic message of salvation is easily understood.  There is nothing in the Word that is written to confuse you.  Jesus Christ is the Word of God.  Everything in the Word ultimately points to Him.  He is the Creator of everything.  The devil tried to tempt Jesus into sin, but Jesus stopped satan in his tracks with the Word of God.  Jesus condemned the traditions of the religious leaders, telling them they made the Word void.  That is the goal of religion to keep you away from Jesus.  Never allow it to.