Matthew 26:1-5 The crucifixion is coming.
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 23, 2019 Matthew 26:1-5
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
(Understanding the Text) Matthew is doing his usual summarizing of the action. He tends to dwell on the lessons, but squash the events together. First, he says that after Jesus finished using parables to teach His disciples about the last days and judgments, He warned the disciples that at the Passover in only two days time, the authorities were going to arrest Him with the objective of crucifying Him. The disciples may have had a hard time believing this because their Master did not display the signs of anxiety that other people would have if they knew that they were going to die on a cross in just a few days. Jesus did not seem worried about Himself, so they weren’t worried either. They also may have counted on Jesus performing a miracle to release Himself before the crucifixion. After all, He had walked through people trying to stone Him before.
Then Matthew jumps without transition words to the behind the scenes events to tell us that there was a meeting being held about that time by the top leaders. It was taking place in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. The purpose was to get rid of Jesus. He had grown too powerful among the people, so they reasoned that they couldn’t take Him publicly, so they were trying to figure out how they could sneakily arrest Him and kill Him. This required some thinking since they could not execute someone themselves. They needed to manipulate the Roman system into doing it. They may have considered assassination like they would attempt later with Paul. In the end, they decided to wait until after the Passover when there would be fewer out-of-town visitors, and they could manipulate the local people better. Their plans were irrelevant as they would soon be caught up in events that brought them into the middle of a swirling public spectacle in the middle of Passover. Their aims were accomplished, but their accomplishment would be futile as Jesus would take their evil intent and turn it around to make it the greatest blessing that humans have ever known.
(Revelation of God / Application) This is an example of how God takes every situation and makes it into a blessing for us. He does not cause the evil which plots and plans to destroy, but He manipulates around the situation to bring about blessing for His children. My application for myself is that I need to not be discouraged when it looks like evil and selfishness are winning. I need to trust God to work through the plots and pain to achieve the greater good, both for myself and others.
(Prayer) I pray to see the blessings and praise You for them instead of complaining about the machinations of weak and evil people.