Digging the Word: Putting Out Some Traps

The religious leaders try to trap Jesus with earthly issues.

Luke 20:20-26 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us, is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Luke 20:27-35 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees, religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers.

Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Jesus has been making a lot of waves in Jerusalem and the religious leaders are out to get him, between the Triumphant Entry, Clearing the Temple and calling them out in the parable about the Wicked Farmers, they are hot. Not only does he make them mad then he keeps showing up each day in the temple and teaches a large crowd of people.

The religious leaders decide that they need to set out some traps so they try and work up some difficult questions, that doesn't seem like a very likely trap to use on Jesus but they try it anyway, they have tried this trap in the past but they don't know what else to do.

Jesus vs Traps

Traps lose.

John 10:17-18 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Jesus answers all of their questions with ease, two questions that were of little value but at least there was one good question, the question about the greatest commandment. When he asked the question he had no idea that the Golden Rule was going to come about.

Using traps is a way of trying to gain control, they needed to get rid of Jesus before they lost anymore control of the people, they couldn't take anymore chances. What they didn't realize is that Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem to rise to a position of power.

Jesus came to Jerusalem to be the Passover Lamb, he was voluntarily giving his all for us, there wasn't any need for traps. (Luke 18:31-33) Our Savior was prepared to be beaten, spit upon and crucified. No, he wouldn't topple their rule and power know but one day he will. (Colossians 2:15)

I thank you Lord that you are in control, help me to remember that the schemes that we devise to try and be in control can never be successful. You make everything work out according to your plan. (Ephesians 1:11)