Part of the Plan

Judas’ betrayal of Jesus looked out of control on the surface, but God included it as part of the plan for our redemption.

“The Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him; for they were saying, ‘Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot.’”—Mark 14:1–2 NASB

The chief priests and scribes knew the significance of Passover. The Scriptures had made it clear this was “the LORD’S Passover,” describing every detail (Exodus 12:11–14). By the time of Jesus, Passover had become an entrenched part of community life as people like Mary and Joseph “went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41).

At Passover, the population of Jerusalem swelled and tensions could be high. Jewish leaders were acutely aware they must prevent any trouble, for the Romans would step in to maintain order—by force if necessary.

Jesus presented a problem for these leaders: Would He or His followers cause a disturbance? The Jewish leaders concluded that He must be eliminated, but not during the festival. They had to act carefully to avoid sparking a riot.

They were delighted when Judas agreed to betray Jesus. The opportunity to capture Him came soon after He celebrated Passover with His disciples. As the chief priests rushed Him through a trial—determined to orchestrate events according to their timing—they didn’t realize they simply were following God’s timetable. His plan had been fulfilled. Perfectly. Through this special Passover, He literally was becoming the Passover Lamb, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Because of Jesus’ faithfulness, you can be freed from sin and death. He is your hope. Your Savior. The Lamb of God. The Messiah!

Reflection Question: Write about when things felt out of control, but turned out well.