"But they said, not on the feast day, lest there by an uproar among the people." [Mt 26:5]
It says in Psalms, “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect.” [Psa 33:10] If The LORD has spoken, if He has determined, who shall turn Him back? Who can bring His counsel and desire to nothing? But The LORD brings all the counsel of the enemy to nothing. When God speaks a word, things happen; as it says, “and God said, let there be light: and there was light.” [Gen 1:3] But when the enemy speaks, it is nothing: for it is The Lord’s words which are eternal and shall last, as it is written, “but the word of The Lord endureth for ever…” [1 Pe 1:25] Yes, and even His thoughts: “the counsel of The LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.” [Psa 33:11] As when Ahithophel gave evil counsel to Absalom, David’s son who had rebelled and led a coupe, saying, “let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night…and I will smite the king only,” but Hushai David’s friend spoke favorably regarding David and thus saved him, “for The LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel…” [f.f., 2 Sam 17:1-2, 14] So it is with us. For when the enemy comes to speak evil into our lives and cause destruction, The LORD helps us and defends us: He defeats the counsel of the enemy and brings it to nothing, as it is written. Truly, no one can stand against God who has positioned Himself to do something, as He has, for example, positioned Himself to our aid and our betterment, saying, “yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good…” [Jer 32:41] As it says in Daniel,
“And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou?” [Dan 4:35]
Though none can come against The LORD and be victorious, (as Job records, “who hath hardened himself against [The LORD], and hath peace?” [Job 9:4]),yet many have tried. The Pharisees and religious leaders in Jesus’ day were some of those that have tried. For even though Jesus was set to be the savior of all men, to rise again, and to eventually return as king; yet satan, through the religious leaders of that day and through Judas, sought to incite them against Christ and kill Him. Though he was successful and turning the Jews against their very savior, yet he was not successful in smiting or destroying Jesus. But it was not just in Jesus’ death and resurrection that this was proved. Even before that climactic event, the enemy sought to hinder Jesus from fulfilling God’s will, and yet Jesus always came out on top. Despite their constant traps and their constant scoffing and lies, yet Jesus continued to heal and save, and garner followers to Himself, whom He secured eternally by His blood; yes, and even still is securing those who believe. And so, looking at our verse for today, we see that the enemies of God did not want to take and kill Jesus “on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.” Passover was not when they wanted to take Jesus. It was not according to their plan. Their counsel was to wait until a different time, that they might seize Him and kill Him. In their estimation there were too many people, especially too many people who looked upon Jesus favorably, even as if just a prophet. And so, they would not take Him on the feast day, or so they supposed.
Just as we have seen that God brings to nothing the counsel of the heathen, so too here in the gospels. For even though the religious leaders did not want to take Jesus on Passover, yet it was ordained and orchestrated of God otherwise. No matter how hard and how long they plotted a different day, their counsel would be brought to nothing, and Christ, according to the scriptures, would be sacrificed for our sins on Passover. For it was not the religious people nor Rome, nor even satan, who killed Christ, but Jesus “gave Himself for our sins,” as He said, “no man taketh [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…” [Gal 1:4, Jn 10:18] And again, Paul writes that Jesus, “gave Himself a ransom for all, the witness in His own time.” [1 Tim 2:6] And so, in fulfilment of God’s word, the counsel and plans of the Pharisees were nullified, and God would as always, have His way.
Praise God, for in the same way that the enemy could never have the last say in Jesus’ life; in the same way that the enemy could not order nor call the shots in Jesus’ life, so too it will be in us. God shall bring the counsel of the enemy to nothing, and God’s will for our life shall always prevail.
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