Jesus Under Fire

"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."
Luke 22:1&2 

Just a few days before Jesus was arrested and crucified, the religious leaders of the day were looking for a way to kill him. This was not new, they had tried to find a way to kill him for his entire ministry. The opportunity had never come until Judas Iscariot approached them. He agreed to betray Jesus for fifty pieces of silver. It occurs to me that people are still "Looking for some way to get rid of Jesus."
    Governments around the world are still trying to get rid of Jesus. Here in the United States, we hear new reports daily about the attacks perpetrated against Christian beliefs. They attempt to take Christ out of Christmas, to remove any public displays related to him, and to squelch the Christian voice in our nation. Some of the very things they try to remove are engraved in the very buildings our government officials work in. Why the attack? Why try to get rid of Jesus?
    The verse following the one quoted here says that Satan entered Judas Iscariot. This resulted in the attack on Jesus. This is still true today. It is the work of the enemy to destroy everything on earth that Jesus stands for. The enemy could not destroy Jesus. He thought he had, but the resurrection proved to be not only a great victory for us, but the demise of Satan himself. The day Jesus died, Satan thought he had won. Instead, he lost everything he had. So knowing his fate is set, Satan works to convince people that Jesus is dead or irrelevant. Jesus is under fire and we his followers, are too. 
    Let's be encouraged today. Yes, Jesus is under fire and so are we, but as long as this is happening, we know that the kingdom of God is expanding. The enemy is lame and his attacks are nothing but noise. But his last gasps before he enters the lake of fire are encouragements for us to realize that Christ has won. The victory is his and therefore is ours as well. The fact that Jesus is under fire is encouragement for us that he is coming soon to establish his kingdom here. In the meantime we stand firm and wait for for the ultimate victory. Fire purifies. As long as we are in it, God is working to establish his kingdom in and through us. As we pray, his kingdom is established more and more here on earth. Jesus may be under fire, but he has already won. This is our reward.