Joey Crandall
"But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus."
— John 12:10-11
This is such a fitting picture of Satan's approach in battling the believers of Jesus Christ.
The plan here was to put this Lazarus to death, who Jesus had just raised from the dead.
To kill that which has already died and been brought back to life.
One wonders how these chief priests believed this would work?
What would it prove? How would you quiet the many witnesses to this event? How would you ensure Jesus wouldn’t just raise him right back to life?
Sadly, jealousy and anger — even self-righteousness — tend to cloud sound reasoning.
But this is Satan's approach, even in our lives today — to devalue our testimony. To try to kill and bury what God has done.
Having given our hearts to Jesus Christ, we have literally been presented with new life — eternal life.
Scripture tells us in Ephesians chapter 2 that we were dead in our trespasses and our sins. But God has made us alive together with Jesus.
The world will attack our past — that which has already died — in an effort to divert our attention from the fact that we are now alive through His blood.
The world will attack our present flesh — that which is continuously decaying — in an effort to divert our attention from the fact that our future is permanently sealed in His presence.
The world will attack our faith — that which has given us new birth — in an effort to divert us from the fact that, on our account, many would come to Jesus, seeking eternity, and believe in Him.
The enemy would love nothing more than to hide your testimony. To kill the new life our Lord has provided you.
At its most basic, that's exactly what the chief priests were trying to do with Lazarus.
It is a futile effort, though, because our testimony — the idea that we were lost, but now we are found; that we were dead, but now are alive — is undeniable.
People have witnessed it. They see the change in your heart.
They can see life where there wasn't any before.
We can't ever forget what our testimony is for — to proclaim Jesus as Messiah and Savior to the world.
Whatever attack or trial you are under, keep at the forefront of your mind that God will use even this for His glory. And through that, you — and anyone who happens to be watching you through this trial — will be blessed.
They will see eternal life at work. And that is undeniable.
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." — Revelation 12:11
