Under Arrest

Daily Reading: John 10

Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. (John 10.39)

Devotional Thought: Jesus caused quite a stir among the religious authorities.  He had just opened the eyes of a man born blind (John 9), and now he was making claims that he was the Good Shepherd and that God was his Father!  The elites in Jerusalem wanted to silence this infidel!  Verse 39 says, “They sought to arrest him.”

The response of the ruling authorities is not unusual, is it?  People today are still seeking to “arrest” Jesus.

God has been removed from the public square:

·       Prayer has been outlawed in our schools.

·       The Ten Commandments are forbidden in our courthouses.

·       Spiritual conversations must not be held in the workplace.

·       Moral decisions based upon Christian convictions are subject to legal and civil action.

·       Politically correct holiday greetings are substituted for references to Christ.

But even more troubling is how Christians and churches “arrest” Christ:

·       Changing the plain meaning of the Bible to make the church more palatable to the public.

·       Ignoring the teachings of Jesus concerning love and forgiveness.

·       Program the Spirit out of our worship and plans.

·       Silencing the conviction in our hearts.

·       Filling our lives with other pursuits.

But, thanks be to God for his grace!  The Good Shepherd, the King of kings cannot be held back by our hands!  Jesus finds a way to get our attention.  He does that in our lives, in our churches, and in our society. Let us remove all restrictions to our obedience.  Let us follow Jesus wholeheartedly wherever he leads.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your Sovereignty.  Your plans cannot be thwarted by any man’s efforts, by any government’s policies, or by any society’s progress.  Fill us with the knowledge of Your truth and Your Word.

Psalm of the Day: 35.22-28

22 You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!

23 Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!

25 Let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our heart's desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."

26 Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me!

27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!"

28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.