Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him (Mark 3:6).

Mark 3:1-6 is the fifth of five encounters Jesus has with religious leaders. None of these encounters go well. Here, in 3:6, we see the conclusion. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, decide that Jesus must die.

However, they are not alone. Mark tells us that the Herodians agreed with the Pharisees. The Herodians only appear three times in the New Testament. Each time they are connected with the Pharisees and each time they are opposing Christ.

The Herodians were not a religious group. They were a political one. They wanted the descendants of Herod to remain in power (hence the name, Herodians). These rulers, they felt, provided the best chance for prosperity and peace for the country.

Under normal circumstances, the Pharisees would not associate with the Herodians. First of all, as far as religious Jews were concerned, the Herodians supported illegitimate rulers. These rulers were closely aligned with the hated Romans. In addition, the Herodians were considered a part of the common people who did not dedicate themselves to the Law of Moses or the traditional law that the Pharisees kept meticulously. But in their opposition to the Lord, the Pharisees found common ground with the Herodians. They both wanted to get rid of Jesus and to kill Him. Jesus was seen as a threat to the political order and the Pharisees learned very quickly that the Lord did not agree with their religious oral traditions.

In Mark 3:6 we see the combination of religious and political opposition against Jesus. Normally, people with political concerns and people with religious concerns would concentrate on their own concerns. In the military, we would say they would stay in their “lane.”

But it is different here. Politics and religion combine in their hatred towards the Savior. They share a lane. It seems that is the way it has been and will always be. The world, in all its aspects, opposes the Lord. Even in the last days there will be two men who rise up to oppose Christ, one political and one religious. One will be the Man of Sin. The other will be the False Prophet. The Man of Sin will be the political ruler of the world. The False Prophet will be the religious ruler of the world.

It seems the same is clearly true in our generation. We see religious opposition to the Lord all around us. There are a large number of cults operating. Pagan worship and atheism are growing. The gospel of eternal life by faith alone in Christ alone is under attack on all sides.

But there is political opposition as well. Even with all the blessings we have experienced by living in the United States, it is obvious that our laws and policies do not take into account the teachings of Christ.

None of these things should surprise us. It was that way when Christ was on the earth. It will be that way in the last days. The only thing that will cause these things to change is when the Lord Himself returns. Only then will righteousness and truth reign.