con·spir·a·cy
An evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; a plot.
Humanity loves to be intrigued. Admit it; we are enthralled by scandal and mystery. We brew it, are baited by it, and buy into it. John F. Kennedy and Elvis…the Oklahoma City Bombing and September 11th. Who shot the president that fateful day in Dallas? Could the King still be alive, or has he really left the building and this life? Did Timothy McVeigh really commit the crime alone and did the government know? How could hijackers skirt security and overpower the pilots of planes to take thousands of American lives? There must be more than we’re being told. These are just some of the questions raised following major, life-changing, world-shaking events. But as Ecclesiastes teaches, there is nothing new under the sun, and it was in fact the Son whose resurrection was responded to with one of the greatest conspiracy theories of all time.
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
An evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; a plot.
Humanity loves to be intrigued. Admit it; we are enthralled by scandal and mystery. We brew it, are baited by it, and buy into it. John F. Kennedy and Elvis…the Oklahoma City Bombing and September 11th. Who shot the president that fateful day in Dallas? Could the King still be alive, or has he really left the building and this life? Did Timothy McVeigh really commit the crime alone and did the government know? How could hijackers skirt security and overpower the pilots of planes to take thousands of American lives? There must be more than we’re being told. These are just some of the questions raised following major, life-changing, world-shaking events. But as Ecclesiastes teaches, there is nothing new under the sun, and it was in fact the Son whose resurrection was responded to with one of the greatest conspiracy theories of all time.
11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
– Matthew 28
Truth be told, Christ would not have won a popularity contest during his day. The chief priests saw him as a threat, and they weren’t willing to take the bet. Their reps were at stake, and they weren’t about to lose their temple cred to a dead man; or even worse, one that was resurrected. You can chalk it up to a hell-bent and bound power trip.
Matthew is the only gospel writer that gives account of the chief priests’ conspiracy. I’m glad that he trusted us with the whole truth. Perhaps the others were concerned about perpetuating the absurdity. Instead, Matt turns their story into somewhat of a mockery. He basically writes, “Here’s what they said, but no, He has in fact risen from the dead.”
Conspiracy theories always seem to spread and rarely reveal any clue of concealed truth. They instead cause chaos, create dissension, conceive disbelief, and cultivate distrust in everything we once knew to be true and held firm to. Just go back to the beginning: the serpent tried to convince Eve that God was conspiring against humanity.
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
-Genesis 3
Satan still does that to you and me. Thousands of years have passed, and yet his play book remains virtually unchanged. The stupidity is that we still fall for the fake just like Adam and Eve did that fateful day. The whispers say, ‘God doesn’t understand…Does he really know what’s best?...He’s holding you back.’ What will you choose to believe? God’s truth, or a conspiracy theory? If Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), then he and his henchmen must be behind the conspiracy theories in our lives.
Truth be told, Christ would not have won a popularity contest during his day. The chief priests saw him as a threat, and they weren’t willing to take the bet. Their reps were at stake, and they weren’t about to lose their temple cred to a dead man; or even worse, one that was resurrected. You can chalk it up to a hell-bent and bound power trip.
Matthew is the only gospel writer that gives account of the chief priests’ conspiracy. I’m glad that he trusted us with the whole truth. Perhaps the others were concerned about perpetuating the absurdity. Instead, Matt turns their story into somewhat of a mockery. He basically writes, “Here’s what they said, but no, He has in fact risen from the dead.”
Conspiracy theories always seem to spread and rarely reveal any clue of concealed truth. They instead cause chaos, create dissension, conceive disbelief, and cultivate distrust in everything we once knew to be true and held firm to. Just go back to the beginning: the serpent tried to convince Eve that God was conspiring against humanity.
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
-Genesis 3
Satan still does that to you and me. Thousands of years have passed, and yet his play book remains virtually unchanged. The stupidity is that we still fall for the fake just like Adam and Eve did that fateful day. The whispers say, ‘God doesn’t understand…Does he really know what’s best?...He’s holding you back.’ What will you choose to believe? God’s truth, or a conspiracy theory? If Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), then he and his henchmen must be behind the conspiracy theories in our lives.
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