The Last Deception?

Matthew 27:62-66, 28:11-15

Message No. 0732 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Scammers are generally shameless. There is no length to which they will not go in deceiving people for their own gains. The most brazenly unrepentant among them will even proactively accuse you of some wrongdoing that they, themselves, engage in daily, for one simple reason: to scam people the more by pretending to have strong moral values in the eyes of the public. An adage says that if you don’t make haste to catch the thief, the thief will catch the owner of the property instead.

Jesus went about doing good and proclaiming the good new of the gospel, which was a big threat to the power of the religious leaders of those days. They threw all manner of lies at Him, and when they did not succeed, they instigated the people against Him and accused Him before their colonial rulers. Then, after they succeeded in crucifying and burying Him, they suddenly remembered that He promised He would rise on the third day. So, afraid that their evil plans were not yet complete, they gathered to Pilate for one more favor. In Matthew 28:62-64, the Bible says:

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first."

For this insinuation, Pilate told them to use guards to make the tomb as secure as they wanted it to be. The third day came, and Jesus rose from the dead, as He had promised, with great power so that the guards melted in fear. Who could prevent the King of Glory from doing what He wanted to do. The chief priests and Pharisees were told exactly what happened. The guards did not hide any details. And what did they do? Rather than agree that they had been fighting the truth all along, rather than surrender to the King of kings and worship God for fulfilling His promise of giving them a Savior who would deliver them from their sins, they turned around and cooked up the same lies they had insinuated against the disciples before Pilate. They turned around and manufactured the “last deception” that they had proactively accused the disciples of before Pilate.

If you are a child of God and are busy doing the will of God without compromising your faith, do not be surprised if your enemies cook up conspiracy theories against you. Remember that Daniel’s enemies did all manner of things to have him destroyed, but God said no. Haman did the same against Mordecai, but God said no. Potiphar’s wife did the same against Joseph, but it led to him being promoted far above Potiphar and his entire family. In spite of their own lies, the religious leaders persecuted the disciples of Jesus ferociously, thinking that they would swiftly wipe out the memory of Christ. Unknown to them, they were only fanning the flames necessary for the fire to burn bigger and wider.

Years ago, a Christian brother was working in a prime restaurant in a city. This restaurant was where the big guys in the city and big visitors in the country patronized. But this brother would not stop to slot in gospel flyers as he served food to the guests. His managers warned him as they thought he was embarrassing they very respected guests. When he did not stop, he was fired. Little did he know that God was setting him up for greatness. He started his own restaurant, and it became the destination of choice. The devil thought he had quenched the fire, but it was only just getting started.

The middle name of conspiracy is deception. The way to defeat the devil’s shenanigans is to stay firm and remain focused. An adage says if a lie runs for 20 years, the truth only needs one day to catch up with it. It may look as though they are succeeding but keep on praying and keep on doing the right thing. You will be vindicated, and your glory of the latter house will far outshine they glory of the former. Your persecution may be tough to bear, but if you stand firmly on the truth, you are the person who will laugh at last.

PLEASE ACT NOW:

If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:

Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!

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