Evil in the world is often hard to understand. For the Lord’s people, it might even feel as though evil wins the day sometimes. “Evil is a mystery; we don’t always know why God allows evil things to happen.”[1] While we may never fully understand evil, what we can take as encouragement is that, in the end, the Lord overrules and has the final say. Jesus was innocent, yet evil men plotted and eventually executed him on a cruel cross. But that was not the end.
As Friday was beginning to come to an end, the Jews wanted to ensure the bodies of the Lord and the two thieves were taken down. This served several purposes, one of which was to fulfill the requirements of Deuteronomy 21:22-23. Once approval was granted, the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but coming to Jesus, they found him already dead. The events should remind us that two Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled.[2]
“It is remarkable that the Roman soldiers did not do what they were commanded to do-break the victims’ legs-but they did do what they were not supposed to do-pierce the Savior’s side!”[3]
Up until this point, Jesus had been cruelly treated by the Roman soldiers. But in John 19:38, we see where the treatment turns into the loving care of the Lord. Joseph of Arimathea shows great courage by asking Pilate to bury the body of the Lord himself. Although we do not know a lot about Joseph, according to Matthew 27:57, we do know that he was rich. This seemingly small detail is in fact a reminder that the Lord’s Word will be fulfilled. In Isaiah 53:9, the prophet indicates that the Messiah would be among wicked men during his suffering but buried among the rich in his death.
“Wicked men plotted to bury Jesus with the criminals, but God overruled, and He was with the rich at His death. Men plotted a shameful burial for Him although He had done no wrong, spoken no lie.”[4]
Evil in the world is something that is often hard to understand, but the Lord’s people should not lose heart. In the end, the Lord always has the final say and overrules based on the promises of His Word. We can always be sure that evil does not win the day, but rather the Lord and His Word do.
Blessings,
Pastor Steven
[1] https://billygraham.org/answer/evil-will-never-win-the-day/. Accessed March 2024.
[2] See Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10.
[3] Warren Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary, pg. 385.
[4] The Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg. 1536.