Palm Sunday: Satan Attacks

What’s going on in your life right now? Have you been standing on a mountain top or have you been in a valley? I have some information for you about that valley. That valley has a ruler in it and it’s not you. If Gary had not reminded me recently, I am sure that I would have forgotten as well. It’s not that we don’t know of him, but that we just ignore his existence. That ruler, the one we ignore and overlook, is Satan, the fallen angel. He is the father of all lies and lives with deceit on his mind at all times. He lives each and every day to tear us down and get us to leave our God. He attacks our weak points and constantly bombards us with bad thoughts. I wonder if we can find a way to conquer the devil’s temptations and attacks. Many have fallen to his mischievous and evil ways.

“Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death.” – (Thomas Brooks) Some how and in some way Satan tempts us to get something good and then gives us the most horrid thing he can. Whether it is temptation to do whatever we have to do to keep our jobs or being completely lazy and not doing our jobs, Satan always seems to find a way to tempt and attack us. He promises us happiness for the sin we commit, but we always reap pain. Brooks had it right, Satan promises so much but gives so little. We have clear examples in the Bible of when men have failed. Look at Caiaphas, the chief priest, and see what he had done. He allowed pride and arrogance to cloud his understanding. He lost any sight of humility because of his position of power.

Satan Got to Caiaphas – Drama – Meeting of the Sanhedrin

He lost all sight of justice. His heart was consumed with the intent of getting rid of Jesus Christ only because Jesus spoke the truth. Jesus didn’t oppose Judaism and the Jews but came to put another system, a better system, into the works. Satan got to Caiaphas but he isn’t the only one.

Satan Got to Judas

Read with me in Luke 22:1-6. The Passover had just started and yet already the Pharisees and Scribes had begun to plot. They finally find Judas, before the Passover meal and the Lord’s Supper. “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called 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. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 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.”

According to this, Satan tempted and deceived Judas. Judas had already set evil in his heart by stealing from the treasury and now it was only a little more for him to betray his teacher and Lord. Judas didn’t sit passively by and allow everyone to come to him. He intentionally went to those who would have Jesus killed. These men were too afraid to arrest Jesus in public. They knew the people wouldn’t stand for the arrest of a man who healed and loved them so much. No, they would have to get someone to betray Jesus and look at that, one shows up. This must have made their day. Of course, one can only guess at the motivation Judas had to commit such a heinous act. Personally, I think Judas was greedy and wanted the money. He didn’t believe Jesus in the first place so why not. He had already been taking money from their fund box for his own personal gain. Why not? What could it hurt? This is probably the snare the Devil caught Judas in. Judas had already become greedy and now Satan had his opportunity. Satan got to Judas.

Satan Finally Got Jesus –

Satan finally got one man. After all of the people he had to trick, tempt, lie to, and betray, Satan finally got the one man he wanted. Say while starting the scene of the crucifixion.

Jesus – Dressed in linens with the back and sides covered in red and splotches all over it as well as the crown of thorns (maybe). (Gary Nall) will start from the back and walk down the right aisle with the cross on his back. Two Roman soldiers will follow him. About half way through the trip Gary will fall down to his knees and one of the Roman soldiers will kick him.