WAY OF ESCAPE

Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot detective story The Clocks is all about a group of people who commit a series of murders. Although their initial plan was to kill just one victim, they began taking more lives to cover up the original crime.

When confronted by Poirot, one of the group admitted, “It was only supposed
to be the one murder.” Like the schemers in the story, the religious authorities came up with a
murderous plan of their own. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (JOHN 11:38-44), they held an emergency meeting and plotted to kill Him (VV.45-53).

But they didn’t stop there. After Jesus rose from the dead, the religious leaders spread lies about what happened at the grave (MATTHEW 28:12-15). Then they began a campaign to silence Jesus’ followers (ACTS 7:57-8:3). What started as a plot against one man for the ‘greater good’ of the nation (JOHN 11:50) became a web of lies, cover-ups and attacks.

Sin drives us down a road that often has no end in sight, leading us deeper into mess and chaos. But God always gives a way of escape (1 CORINTHIANS 10:13). When Caiaphas the high priest said, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (JOHN 11:50), he didn’t understand the truth of his words. The plot of the religious leaders would help complete Jesus’ rescue mission. Jesus saves us from sin’s tightening grip. Have you received the freedom He offers?

Thinking it over . . .

Read James 1:2-4 and 14-15. What are the two ‘roads’ that James describes? What road are you going down at the moment? Are you becoming more “mature and complete” in Jesus (V.4) or is sin becoming more “full-grown” (V.15)? What do you need to admit to Him today?