ENVY… POLITICAL CORRUPTION STAYS NOT THE PLAN OF GOD!

ENVY… POLITICAL CORRUPTION STAYS NOT THE PLAN OF GOD!

For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. —Mark 15:10

And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. —Mark 15:13-15

 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” —Mark 15:3-39

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” —Mark 16:5-7

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. —Mark 16:14-16

            Envy— (strong feeling (desire) that sours, due to the influence of sin; (figuratively) the miserable trait of being glad when someone experiences misfortune or pain. —Strong’s).  Envy is deadly.  Pilate knew it was out of envy that the chief priests delivered Jesus up to him.  Yet, even though he knew this, he still handed Jesus over to be crucified.  Why did Pilate do that?  It was because HE WANTED TO SATISFY THE CROWD!  Oh, is not this the case even in our day with many political figures?  They want to “satisfy the crowd” gathered around them instead of having the character to do the right thing!

            Envy and political corruption cannot derail the plan of God!  Sure… the Jewish leaders got their desire.  Sure… the political corrupt character of Pilate condemned the innocent Jesus and gave Him over to be crucified.  But what they did not know was that they played right into the hand of God— they were carrying out the plan of God.  Oh, they were responsible for their wickedness in their actions, but their wicked actions would not hinder God from carrying out His plans and purposes.  They went forward then as they are going forward now.

            The Romans were to carry out the crucifixion of Jesus, and they did.  But it was also a Roman “centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  The way Jesus died impacted this soldier and he confessed right there, at the foot of the cross that Jesus “was the Son of God.”

            Then, on that fateful Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb and the angel announced His resurrection.  They were to tell Jesus’ disciples the Good News.  The disciples did not believe them and Jesus, when He appeared to the eleven, “rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”  But then He told them to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  This mission is our mission today and Dear Father, please help us to be faithful to the mission Jesus gave us by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxI-ynsTnM