Scripture to Read: Luke 20:19-26
The response of the religious and political leaders reveals how blind they were to God and His Word. We read in Luke 20:19, “The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.” The hearts of the religious and political leaders were so hard that all they focused on was how to kill Jesus. They continually plotted against Jesus, as we read in Luke 20:20–26. We shouldn’t be surprised at their actions, for God tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:3–4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan and the rest of the spiritual forces of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12) are constantly at work to keep people blinded to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the responsibility to shine the light of Christ through our lives in the way we talk and live. Our every word and action should point people to know and follow Christ as Lord. The spiritual forces of wickedness will not sit idle; they will do all they can to keep the blinders on the lost and distract us from seeking to lead others to know and follow Christ. Therefore, we must be diligent not to lose sight of God’s mission.
Challenge & Application
Why were the religious and political leaders so focused on killing Jesus, and what can we learn from this?
How should we plan each day knowing that lost people are all around us and need to understand how to know and follow Jesus?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!