Trusting in His Strong Hold ~ Mike MacIntosh

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. Mark 12:12-13

Have you seen the swarm of media surrounding politicians, entertainers, and athletes? Everyone is looking for a story. Some reporters are reputable and non-biased, but many are there solely to catch someone messing up in front of the media; this produces revenues and ratings for their companies. And this is sort of what's happening here with Jesus. But to make things worse, these aren't "innocent reporters" trying to get a story and make tons of money; they are enemies of God, attempting to find and distort evidence enough to kill Jesus Christ.

You see, two groups of people who hated each other very much were now teaming up to destroy Jesus. The Pharisees, known for their piety and religiosity, were anti-Roman and anti- anything associated with the Roman government. And the Herodians, who were all about protecting and defending the Roman government, didn't like the Jewish people, including the Pharisees, because they saw these people as traitors and enemies of Ceasar. So here is an interesting part of Mark's story. Despite their scorn for each other, the Pharisees and the Herodians joined forces to destroy Jesus.

The enemy wants nothing more than to destroy our reputation, our character, and our hope. The world attempted to do that to Jesus over 2,000 years ago, and the world is still trying to do this to Christians today. Look at what Psalm 2 says: "Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us'" (Psalm 2:1-3).

It is so important for us to be people in the Word of God. Rulers, nations, and all enemies of God want to break our bonds and tear apart the very fabric that holds us together--Jesus Christ. They desire to break off any relationship with heaven…and they want to take you down with them. They will distort everything you try to say. But let God's Word give you the words to say, and the wisdom that you give to others. The wisdom of man is foolishness, but God's Word never returns void. Keep your words few and let the love of Jesus pour through your life. Yes, the enemies will still try to catch you, but you can count on the fact that Jesus Christ will bless you abundantly for your faithfulness to His Word.