“Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.” (John 18:28 NIV)

Unbelievable! Although they had plotted the death of Christ, gathered false witnesses against Him, drug Him through the mockery of a trial, rendered a unanimous and outlandish guilty verdict, and were even now bringing Christ to Pilate in hopes of persuading the latter to crucify the former, these devout religionists refused to step foot in the palace of the Gentile governor of Judea. To enter the home of a Gentile would have made them ceremonially unclean and kept them from observing their important religious feast. They may have had no qualms about crucifying Christ, but they were persnickety when it came to the observance of their religion.

Have you ever noticed how all religions share one thing in common; namely, doing away with Christ? Granted, some subtlety attempt to kill him with kindness, smothering Him with flowery prose. They praise Christ for being everything from a “good man” to a “great teacher” or “avatar,” but they are ever-careful not to bend the knee to Him as “our Lord and our God” (John 20:28). Others, such as adherents to modern-day Judaism, downright denounce Him as a false and phony Messiah. 

Regardless of the method employed, the motive is the same. All devout religionists, both ancient and modern, seek to do away with Christ. They understand the threat He poses to their place in the world (John 11:48). No one who believes in the Redeemer will any longer believe in their religions. Thus, for their religions to survive, Christ must be crucified; and they will go to any lengths to carryout Christ’s crucifixion, just as long as they can obey their religious rules and continue to observe their religious rites.

There is, and never has been, a greater foe of Christ in the world than the world’s religions.