There have been several plots to assassinate prominent people. In the United Kingdom Guy Fawkes night was instigated to remember the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Guy Fawkes and fellow Catholic conspirators attempted, but failed, to blow up Parliament and assassinate King James 1.
There were several unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler, including a famous conspiracy by several people in 1944. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln was actually mortally wounded by a gunshot fired while he was in a theatre in 1865.
Two thousand years ago the Jewish religious leaders conspired to have a divinely appointed king, Jesus Christ, publicly executed on false charges. They hated Jesus for his claims (which they erroneously considered outrageous), and his growing popularity with the people.
At face value they succeeded. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples betrayed Jesus to them for money, and Jesus was captured, tortured and crucified between two criminals.
But the Jewish leaders did not realize that this death of Jesus was all in the plan of God.
For Jesus was:
“…delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”
Acts 2:23
Moreover, Jesus willingly gave his life, as he had said:
“…I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…”
John 10:17-18
The apostle Peter quoted Psalm 2 describing the futility of their scheming:
“Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed”
Acts 4:25-26
And later in the Psalm (verse 4) God is described as laughing in heaven and holding them ‘in derision’ for their folly.
God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus was not eradicated. Jesus could not be eradicated. And he is now immortal and can never die.
However clever we think we are, and however ingenious our schemes, we can never thwart God. He has a plan for the earth and it will happen.
Whether we are part of that plan depends on our response now.