28th Mar 26 | 12:21
Studies by Book
Luke 22 1-6 THE HATCHING OF THE PLOT TO KILL JESUS 10 Luke 22 4-6 God’s restorative plan
📖 Luke 22:1-6
*FRIEND OF GOD*
Tue06Jul2021 - *God’s restorative plan* - _Luke 22:1-6_ - THE HATCHING OF THE PLOT TO KILL JESUS (10) – Bible reading: _Acts 3:17-21_
The Lord’s plans are great that even though evil men conferred to arrest Jesus and put Him to death, quietly, the plan of God remains.
God’s eternal plan of redemption of man was being worked out and Jesus became our Passover Lamb. We, as His people, are a part of the grand narrative of God that spans over time and ages.
We need not be anxious and troubled over what is happening in the world around us and we also needn’t be worried over how the world treats, persecutes or harasses us.
We can respond in love because we are assured of the grand design of God that stands. We can forgive them and also reach out to them to repent, return and be restored to the Creator.
_Luke 22:4-6 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. (5) And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. (6) So he promised and sought opportunity *to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude*._
We know that the hatching of the plot to kill Jesus coincided with the bigger plan of God that was being revealed.
_Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, *Nevertheless the LORD's counsel—that will stand*._
We, the church, know that God’s plans stand and therefore we must be aligned with Him. Even when we face opposition, our reaction and response ought to be that of our Master since we know that God’s plans, stand.
How did the Lord respond to those who plotted and had Him crucified?
_Luke 23:33-34 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. (34) Then Jesus said, "*Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do*." And they divided His garments and cast lots._
On the face of it, it seems as though that, that statement made by Jesus was not a true statement.
These leaders plotted and killed Jesus. It was a deliberate and intentional action, which resulted in Jesus being crucified. How could the Lord say, “*…they do not know what they do*”? They *did know* very well what they were doing.
Not only did these evil leaders have Jesus crucified but the manner in which they went about achieving their agenda was disgraceful. They humiliated Jesus. They stripped Him, spat on Him, beat Him up, crowned Him with a crown of thorns, ridiculed Him, mocked Him and made fun of Him.
What was the need for them to go to this degree of spite while crucifying Jesus?
*They did all that they did, fully conscious and fully aware of what they were doing*. How could the Lord then say, “…they do not know what they do”?
The answer to this complexity can be had in the following passages of scripture.
_I Corinthians 2:7-8 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, *the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory*, (8) *which none of the rulers of this age knew*; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory._
The evil plotting and evil executing people, *did not know the hidden wisdom of God which was ordained before the ages, for our glory*.
The church needs to be clear as to our unique place. We have been given the understanding of the mystery of the hidden wisdom of God, which transcends ages by which, when we participate with God in the mystery, we are glorified together with Christ.
We have been raised up to have co-rulership with God as God reconciles and restores all things to Himself through the blood of Christ, shed on the cross. This is the plan of God that transcends the ages.
This plan of God was not known by the rulers of this age. Had they known they would not have crucified Christ. This is why the Lord is pleading to the Father to forgive them for they do not know that they do.
*The first word of Jesus from the cross, was, unquestionably, right*.
_Acts 3:17-21 “Yet now, brethren, *I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers*. (18) But *those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled*. (19) *Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord*, (20) and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, (21) *whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things*, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began._
God is restoring all things through Jesus Christ, which the Lord has spoken through all the prophets since the world began. All things hold together in Christ. He is our habitat. We live and move and have our being in Christ. This is the work that the Lord was accomplishing on the cross, which the leaders, who plotted and killed Him, did not know.
Today, when we experience persecution from those around us, who do not want us to share with them the love of Jesus, our response has to be the same as was our Lord’s, Stephen’s and many more, down through history.
We too must be able to respond, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”.
We know that the counsel of the Lord stands, irrespective of all the evil plotting of wicked men. Knowing that the Lord is sovereign, we can forgive those who spitefully behave with us, reach out to them with His love. Till our very last breath, we will call sinners to repentance.
*Thought to ponder*
```Forgiving and loving those who spite us is the nature of the Holy Spirit operating, in and through us.```