Trickery and Deceit

The religious leaders became convinced that Jesus had to be eliminated. His message was too revolutionary. His impact was too dangerous. They concluded that they needed to “put Him to death.” This would require acting with “trickery.” The Greek word here suggests they would try to bait Him by using decoys and tricks.

His opponents used various kinds of tricks to try to trap Him into saying things they could use against Him. They tried to distract Him, so He would not accomplish His God-given purposes.

People in the world still seek to trick Christians. They resort to deceit and guile, trying to throw us off track. They try to make us confused and discouraged. They want us to become engaged in side issues and weaken the unity of our faith and our commitment to God and His Kingdom. If possible, they want us to abandon the work of evangelism and discipleship.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you will face this deception. People will try to confuse you, deceive you, and trick you. They will try to bait you with their traps. They will try to distract you and lull you to sleep.

Ask God to help you be aware of the deception in the world. Do not give in, but trust in Him. Fill your mind with His Word and learn to be more sensitive to His Spirit. And be ready to take action and stand for truth.