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Entrapment - A Reflection on Tuesday on Passion Week

Following His decommercialization act of the temple on Monday of Passion Week, Jesus encountered on Tuesday premeditated, malicious entrapments. Politically-charged questions on divorce, paying taxis, etc. were asked by the corrupt leaders who for years have been plotting against Him.

The right-wing Pharisees wanted to get rid of Jesus because of His theological views. But they knew the Roman military won't arrest Jesus because of theology. They needed to make Jesus a political threat for the Romans. For that reason, they colluded with the left-wing Herodians to trap Jesus. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The chain of events put in motion by the unholy alliance in the lead up to the arrest of Jesus and its ensuing kangaroo trial was so intense it makes the plots against Ethan Hunt or Jason Bourne feel like ho-hum affairs. Executed with surgical precision during the Passover in Jerusalem were tactics such as flattery (Mark 12:13), spying (Luke 20:20), perjury (Luke 23:2), and paying a snitch (Luke 24:3-4).

But unlike politicians of our day, Jesus' didn't dodge the questions nor played into their hands. He did answer the questions with wit and otherworldly wisdom. Answers which made His enemies marvelled in silence (Mark 12:26).

Little did they know that the very man they spent so much time plotting against to kill was the man whose sole purpose to come to the world was to die for His enemies. That's the essence of Chirstianity: A man who died for His enemies. He bore the just punishment of God upon the sins of those who ignored, mocked, and rebelled against the Creator God.

They thought that silencing Him and nailing Him on the cross would put an end to His mission. But it was precisely His death that launched His mission anew. The grave could not contain Him. Sunday was coming. No scheme of man, no power of hell can ever abort His mission to renew all things. Until this very day.