Key Thought

What do you value most in your life? What do you have the greatest trouble relinquishing to the Lordship of Christ? These two questions are crucial, because they help define the battleground on which you will have to fight the adversary. He will do everything he can to distort those values and have them displace the will of God in your heart. The Temple was important to Jewish life, but not more important than the will of God. The Scriptures were essential to God's people, but not more important than God's Messiah. The religious leaders were important to Jewish heritage, but never more important than Israel's true King, God! The Pharisees and high council were so intent in keeping what they had, they rejected what God wanted and planned for their blessing. They couldn't even see the good things Jesus did because their true treasure was in what they had and not in the God they served. What about us?

Today's Prayer

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Purify my heart, O God, and renew a right attitude in me. Cleanse me from my sin and guard me from competing distractions that could become an idol for me. I want no claim upon my heart other than your will for me. Keep my heart, soul, and mind in devotion to you and to the work of your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

There were many Jews that came to visit Mary. They saw what Jesus did. And many of these Jews believed in Jesus. But some of the Jews went to the Pharisees. They told the Pharisees what Jesus did. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish council. They said, "What should we do? This man (Jesus) is doing many miracles. If we let him continue doing these things, all the people will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our temple and our nation." One of the men there was Caiaphas. He was the high priest that year. Caiaphas said, "You people know nothing! It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed. But you don't realize this." Caiaphas did not think of this himself. He was high priest that year. So he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish people. Yes, Jesus would die for the Jewish people. But Jesus would also die for God's other children that were scattered {in all the world}. He would die to bring them all together and make them one people. That day the Jewish leaders began planning to kill Jesus. So Jesus stopped traveling around openly among the Jews. Jesus left {Jerusalem} and went to a place near the desert. Jesus went to the town called Ephraim. Jesus stayed there with his followers. It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Many people from the country went to Jerusalem before the Passover. They went to do the special things to make themselves pure {for the Passover}. The people looked for Jesus. They stood in the temple area and asked each other, "Is he (Jesus) coming to the festival? What do you think?" But the leading priests and the Pharisees had given a special order about Jesus. They said that if any person knew where Jesus was, the person must tell them. Then the leading priests and the Pharisees could arrest Jesus.

— John 11:45-57 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.