Satan's best
disguise!
Have you ever heard people talk about "the good that there is
in the worst of us and the bad that there is in the best of us"? A
wicked person is capable of doing some worthwhile things for
society! And we will see that the person who is considered "good"
can be guilty of evil! The devil uses both these kinds of
people!
"Now the Passover was approaching, and the chief priests and the
teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of
Jesus, for they were afraid of the people." 1*.In the eyes of the people Jesus was
a wonderful teacher, but they also saw these religious leaders as
"good" highly respected men.
Satan found these highly respected "good" men ready and eager to
carry out his plans! 2*.
Those priests and teachers would not accept the teachings of Jesus
when He claimed to be able to forgive sins and to be the only One
who could get people to God. 3*.
When people discover Jesus teaches that He alone can forgive sins
and get them to God they have to make a very important
decision. Either they will put their trust in Jesus to
forgive and save them or they will continue to trust in the words
and actions of their religious leaders to do that for them!
4*.
These respected religious leaders, without appearing to be enemies
of Jesus, wanted secretly and selfishly to get rid of Jesus!
These priests wanted the people to believe it was their words and
actions that were needed to save the people, not faith in Jesus
alone! 5*.These
trusted religious leaders were only wanting their own way! Here was
Satan' best disguise at work - he was
appearing as an angel of light. 2*.
Satan then used another evil man who had been seen to do "good"
things. This time it was Judas, one of Jesus' twelve disciples!
Jesus had always known the wickedness of Judas Iscariot's evil
heart, yet He had chosen him as a disciple! Jesus wanted Judas to
have every opportunity to see and know the love and power of Christ
as he, along with the true disciples, would go around with Jesus.
6*.
"Then Satan entered Judas. And Judas went to the chief priests and
the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he
might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him
money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus
over to them when no crowd was present." 7*.
Who would suspect someone who teaches about Jesus and does miracles
in His name to be Satan in disguise? 8*.
Beware! Satan's best disguise
is when he uses priests and teachers who teach us about
Jesus, but who go on to teach you to trust in what they
can do for you instead of in what Jesus has done for you as
your only Priest and Saviour. 9*.
God sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. 10*. Anyone else or anything else
that offers forgiveness and salvation, no matter how good it
appears to be, is an attempt of the devil to get rid of true faith
in Jesus.
Read of Satan at work in the disguise of what appeared to be "good"
people in Luke 22, verses 1-6.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
For the next reading from Luke's Gospel go to NEXT
In order to browse further "Good News Compage" prompts and
commentary for Luke's Gospel check out the review index.
---------------oOo---------------
Footnotes. Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 Luke 22:1-2.
2 2nd Corinthians
11:13-15.
3 Luke 5:20-26. John
14:6.
4 John 3:16-19.
5 Psalm 146:3.
6 John 6:70. 13:18.
7 Luke 22:3-6.
8 Matthew 7:21-23.
9 Acts 4:12. Hebrews
7:23-28. 1st Peter 3:18.
101st John 4:10,
14.
