1 Why do the nations conspire a and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against
the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,”
they say, “and throw off their fetters.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven
laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and
terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my King on Zion, my
holy hill.”
- Psalm 2:1-6, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
If you followed the 2002 Winter Olympics at all, you are probably aware of the alleged conspiracy to fix the outcome of a certain event. When you think about it, the huge controversy was over something that isn’t all that important. The fate of the world wasn’t hanging in the balance. It wasn’t a matter of life and death. And we will probably never know if the judges’ controversial decision was the result of a conspiracy.
The conspiracy before us this evening could not be more different. First, it wasn’t just a theory. It wasn’t the product of someone’s overactive mind. It was a real conspiracy, a conspiracy involving people at the highest levels of power. And when Pontius Pilate conspired with Herod and the Jewish leaders against Jesus, it was a matter of life and death.
Jesus’ own disciples remind us of this in Acts 4: “
‘Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ‘you made the heaven and the earth and the sea,
and everything in them. You spoke by the
Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant our Father David:
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in
vain? The kings of the earth take their
stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed
One.”
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city (Jerusalem) to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed’” (24-27).
In pointing out this conspiracy, the apostles refer to the words of Psalm 2, words of prophecy that were written hundreds of years before the events of Holy Week took place, words that reveal the identity of the conspirators and the one they conspired against. Tonight as we continue our study of the Savior in the Psalms we investigate this conspiracy and see how…
As Jesus’ enemies plotted and planned to get rid of him, they failed to remember one very important thing: It is the height of foolishness to oppose God. That fact was in the psalmist’s mind when he asked the rhetorical question: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain” (2:1)? What makes people think that they know better than God? What makes people think that they are better than God? Did Pilate and Herod and the Jews actually believe that they were in control?
Even if he has become a human being, as Jesus did; even if he chooses not to resist or fight back, as Jesus did; even if he allows himself to be mocked and beaten and sentenced to die like a common criminal, as Jesus did—what is that to the Lord of life and death? He is still God. He is still the King above all kings and the Lord above all lords. And he can take back his life whenever he chooses.
If hindsight is 20/20, it makes even less sense for people today to rebel against the Lord and against his Anointed One. It’s more senseless because we know the rest of the story. It’s more senseless because we can look at the written record. It’s more senseless because we have it all right here in black and white, Jesus’ suffering and death and resurrection, in the pages of Scripture. As senseless as it may be, the conspiracy continues.
Listen to what the avowed atheist Jon Murray (now deceased) had to say about Jesus in Life magazine: “There was no such person in the history of the world as Jesus Christ. There was no historical, living, breathing sentient human being by that name. Ever. The Bible is a fictional, non-historical narrative. The myth is good for business.” And the conspiracy continues.
Recent events have put Islam into the spotlight. Islamic leaders have been invited to defend and explain their religion on television talk shows. As I was watching one of these shows, an Islamic cleric made the claim that Muslims acknowledge Jesus to be a great prophet and a holy man. What the cleric failed to mention is that Islam regards Jesus as just that, a holy man, and nothing more. Islam denies that Jesus is God. Islam denies that Jesus is a Savior from sin. And the conspiracy continues.
But you don’t have to believe in a false god or no god at all to be a part of this conspiracy. When confessing Christians like you and me start to think that if we were God we would do things differently, when we trade in what is morally right for what is socially acceptable, when we minimize and rationalize our sin so much that we no longer have any need for a Savior, we conspire and plot in vain.
Why would Jesus’ enemies embark on such a doomed attack against the Lord and against his Anointed One? The psalm continues: “ ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters’” (2:3). The Jewish leaders just wanted to be free of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus was a threat to them. He was a threat to destroy their little sphere of powerful and influence. He was a threat to expose their sin for the whole world to see. He was a threat to life as they knew it. And the sooner Jesus was dead and gone, the sooner they could get back to business as usual.
Pilate just wanted to be free of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus challenged him. He challenged Pilate to uphold justice. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, but it wasn’t that simple. He had to think about the big picture. He had to think about his own future. The longer Jesus stood before him, the heavier the chains and fetters of guilt became. The sooner Jesus was dead and gone, the sooner Pilate could silence his screaming conscience.
Herod just wanted to be free of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus defied him. The only reason Herod wanted to see Jesus was so that he could be entertained. But Jesus refused. He refused to perform a miracle. He refused answer any of his questions. And the longer Jesus silently stood before him, the more foolish Herod appeared to be. The sooner Jesus was dead and gone, the better.
Sometimes we just want to be free of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus confronts us. He confronts our self-righteous attitudes, our selfish ambitions, and our self-centered desires. The sooner we can avoid those confrontations, the sooner we can break the chains of guilt and throw off the fetters of sin, the sooner we can be happy with ourselves just the way we are.
All such plots are in vain, and thank God that they are. Even when his enemies conspired to kill him, Jesus used their evil plots for our good. Jesus’ death for our sins is the reason that we no longer want to be free of him. Instead we want to be his own. We want and live under him in his kingdom. We want to serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness.
Jesus’ death at the hands of his enemies gives us eternal life, and there is no greater blessing. But at the same time, those who conspire against God’s Anointed One will be held accountable. Their actions draw a fierce reaction from God.
Imagine that you are one of the guards who escorted Jesus on Good Friday. What would think of Jesus? What would you think about your silent prisoner as you led him from Annas to Caiaphas to Pilate to Herod? Why doesn’t he respond to the charges brought against him? Is he too weak? Is he too tired? Or has he given up?
No matter what others thought about the suffering Savior, this
is what God says: “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at
them. Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my
holy hill’” (2:4-6).
Jesus had no reason to laugh out loud during his trials. They were difficult. They were painful. That is why Jesus prayed in the Garden that the cup might be taken from him. But perhaps we can hear God scoffing at the proceedings in what we do not hear. Jesus met the charges against him with silence. Jesus refused to dignify them with a response.
And when Jesus did finally open his mouth to speak, he didn’t beg for mercy. He didn’t plead for his life. Without regard for his personal safety, Jesus proclaimed the truth before the Jewish leaders: “Yes, it is as you say” (Matthew 26:64). I am the Christ, the Son of God.”
And later, when Pilate threatened: “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?,” Jesus calmly put the Roman governor back in his place: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:10,11).
Jesus did not look like much of a threat on Good Friday. He was bound. He was closely guarded. By the looks of things, his captors had him firmly under their control. But even among his conspirators, even among those who were ultimately responsible for Jesus’ death, there was fear. And the fear of God struck a chord.
Maybe it was because he heard the rebuke of God in his conscience. Maybe it was because he felt the terror of God’s wrath in his heart. But something made Pilate try to find a way to set Jesus free. And besides the obvious fact that Jesus was innocent, he had plenty of reasons: his wife’s warning that he should have nothing to do with that innocent man; Jesus’ statement that his kingdom is not of this world, the Jews’ admission that they were seeking the death penalty because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. As the evidence piled up and weighed on his conscience, Pilate became more and more afraid. Unfortunately in Pilate’s case, fear wasn’t enough to move him to do what was right.
When we hear of God’s fierce reaction to sin, we need to be careful. We need to be careful that we don’t ignore it or assume that God must be talking about someone else. God’s law rebukes us. God’s law confronts us with our sin. God terrifies us in his anger so that his words of warning will not be his final words to us.
Those who listen to God’s angry voice will also get to hear him say: “I will not treat you as your sins deserve. I put those sins on my Son Jesus when his enemies put him on the cross. I have treated him as they deserved. Now I will replace the fear in your heart with peace and the terror in your heart with joy.”
It is really amazing how the words of Psalm 2, words meant
to be a terrifying expression of God’s anger, mean something so different to
those who have taken them to heart: “I have installed my King on Zion, my
holy hill” (6). Those words say that
Jesus is King. Jesus is our King. In spite of the feeble attempts of men to be
free of him, they are under his control.
That means we are protected. That
means we are safe. That means we have
absolutely nothing to fear.
This glorious prophecy from the psalms, a prophecy that gave
Old Testament believers a glimpse of the Savior, a prophecy that has found
fulfillment in the person of Jesus and continues to be fulfilled today, leads God’s
people to respond with thanksgiving. And
how appropriate it is for us to respond this Lenten season with words from the
psalms: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His mercy endures forever.” Amen.