His Plan

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

HIS PLAN

Luke 22:63-65

63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" 65 And they said many other insulting things to him.

NIV

We have come to the most horrible part yet the most beautiful part of the life of Jesus. To be beaten, to be mocked, to be insulted by men, by the very men he has come to die on the cross for. Yes they were not Jews, they were Roman guards perhaps, or maybe they were Jews, servants to the high priest. Either way these men were sinners who were in need of a Savior, the Lamb of God, and the sacrifice for their sin. Yet they not only refused to accept him for who he was they were mocking, insulting and beating him. How cruel man can be. Ordinary men, who most likely had families, children at home waiting for them to return to hug and play with. Yet when given the opportunity to exhibit cruel behavior without consequence they let loose of any inhibitions and did unspeakable things to Jesus. The Gospel accounts do not give us details, because their acts were unspeakable. We only know generally what happened. What can we learn from this? We have to know that within the veins of mankind, cruel behavior can exist. We, however, have died and been born again a new creature in Christ and so this kind of heart no longer beats within us. But there is that kind of unbelieving hearts beating within many people. They are also capable of this kind of unspeakable behavior. They need Jesus. Yet at the same time Jesus needed for these men to do that which they did and were going to do in order to fulfill prophesies concerning him and bring him to the cross. God can use the heart of evil men to accomplish his plan. It is not as if God caused their hearts to do evil, but God used that evil intent for his purpose. This can still happen today. God can use the heart of evil people, and when we use this term evil, we mean people who refuse Jesus as their Savior. They may be good people on the surface, doing good humanitarian deeds, but if their heart is against Jesus, it is evil. God has declared the heart of man is bent toward evil all the time. But nevertheless he can use that evil heart for his purpose. God’s plan will always be done, one way or another. We know he has told us that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. This is just one way in which his plan could be accomplished. There are so many ways God can use the wicked for the fulfillment of his purpose. Ultimately we have to know, God always has all things under control. Yes, we have a choice to be part of his plan, but once we have joined him, accepting Jesus as our Savior, we have submitted our plans to his plans for our life. He has a plan.