One should die for all (Revised)
So that you may believe - Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:11:42
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Handout
Handout
Trouble Brewing
Trouble Brewing
Everything seems to be a problem with someone.
People sent to Jesus about Lazarus (11:1-3)
Trouble was Whom Jesus loved was sick.
Jesus going to Judea (11:5-8)
Trouble is disciples thought he would be killed
Lazarus is dead (11:11-14)
Problem is he delayed and now Lazarus is dead.
Martha makes claim if you had been here (11:17-27)
Problem is she did not understand Jesus
Mary makes same claim, if you had been here (11:28-33)
Jesus troubled by Martha, Mary and the mourners
He stinks (11:38-44)
Problem is weak faith, did not believe the promise from Jesus.
Have you ever had a problem(s) that you did not fully trust God to handle, or to keep His promises?
Oh, hold on, we did not finish last week and we need to do that.
Jesus prayer
Jesus prayer
Jesus calls for an action of faith.
Does Jesus call for an act of faith from us?
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
Jesus lifted up His eyes and prayed
It was not Jesus normal thing to pray in public. Most of His prayers were away from people just between He and the Father. We know in the garden he prayed a little ways away from the apostles.
Jesus lifted His eyes, maybe we can learn from that too. Not to look down in despair in our prayers, but lift our eyes for the glory of God who hears our prayers.
Look closely why did Jesus pray aloud here (v.42)?
“No pomp or incantation, no wrestling in prayer even; but simple words of thanksgiving, as if Lazarus had already returned.” -Dodds
it is not about the style of prayer, not about the amount of words in prayer. It is about the power of prayer that is surrounded by the faith of the person praying. God will hear, God will answer in accordance to His will.
Jesus command
Jesus command
We already discussed what a command is, and what the results should be. Let’s look at the next command.
43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Why do you think Jesus used Lazarus name (v.43)?
I think that if He did not use Lazarus name, all the dead in the tomb would have come to life.
Jesus used a raised voice so people could hear and so they would know this is no work of magic, but a work of God.
We can know that the giver of life can speak life to a dead body as it Lazarus was already alive. (Rom4:17) speaks that calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Another good quote
“Jesus fought death at Lazarus’ tomb, and plundered the grave. Jesus told death that He would soon completely conquer it completely.” - Weirsbe
One commentator, not sure where it came from said Lazarus was not resurrected but was resuscitated. If resurrected would not taste death again, and surely he faced death again, so he was resuscitated.
Jesus left His graveclothes in the tomb, Lazarus came out in them.
Jesus would never need them again, Lazarus would.
Jesus invited, commanded them to remove the graveclothes and set him free.
Jesus can take a dead sinner and give him/her new life. Then invites us to set them free by sharing and helping them grow.
Jesus causes man to be born again, man is God’s tool to teach one how to be born again and how to be set free from their graveclothes.
One more quote, again this one by Spurgeon
“What man can do for himself God will not do for him, and what Christian people can do for sinners they must not expect the Lord to do, they must work themselves according to the ability God has given them up to the point of possibility, and then they may look for divine interposition.”
From this point forward in John we are going to see lots of problems arise. This section tonight will end Jesus public ministry as He heads into Passion Week, his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the final act of atoning our sins.
Simply Christians
Simply Christians
We know that the word will live forever (Isa40:8). So, we should learn, know, and apply God’s word. So it starts will reading, studying it.
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.
48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves.
56 So they were seeking for Jesus, and were saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?”
57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.
What is the main theme of this passage?
There is something that “starts” in this passage, and also something that “ended” can you see what it is?
OK, anything stick out to you in this passage?
Who believed and why did they believe (vv.45-46)?
The Jews were worried, what were they worried about (vv.47-48)
What was Caiaphas solution to the problem (vv.49-50)?
Stop, you will need to think about this one. What did Caiphas prophesy, and what was the real purpose (vv.51-52)?
What was the results of what Caiphas said (v.53)?
Where did Jesus go, and who was with Him (v.54)?
What Jewish feast was coming up. What did people wonder and what did the chief priest order (vv.55-57)?
Again, like normal, there are a lot of questions, but it is good that we get the understanding of the passage so we can look more at it.
Different Reactions
Different Reactions
Have you ever had different reactions to things than someone else that was right there?
Many came to believe, why did they come to believe?
We have an act of faith (v.45), now we will see some worry (vv.46-48).
As with the other miracles that Jesus performed, many believed, but others went to the Chief Priest and Pharisee’s.
“Astonishing! Some that had seen even this miracle steeled their hearts against it; and not only so, but conspired the destruction of this most humane, amicable, and glorious Savior! (BJ Clarke)
They were so close to the kingdom, but not in the kingdom.
Do you know people who are close to the kingdom but not in the kingdom? Do you pray for them regularly?
You can see in these verses that the chief priests and the Pharisees were worried. they were worried not for the truth but for their own interest and position.
In this world today we can see many who do not want the truth, they want their way that benefits them. Or, at least they think it does.
Beyond belief, what else was the council worried about?
Can we worry about what other people think, or what other people may do when we have belief?
Interesting thing to consider.
Jesus originally opposed for they did not believe He was the Messiah.
Now Jesus is opposed for they know He is and they want Him out of the way.
Jews were worried about loosing their place (v.48). Most believe they are speaking of the temple. They have elevated the temple to a place of an idol.
Now you may think yep, they did that, but we can be guilty of that too. By raising what most think of as the church as “our church” instead of it being “the Lord’s church.” We are the church that the Lord adds to and whom the Lord is head of.
Wise counsel or Prophesy?
Wise counsel or Prophesy?
Can you do something sometime and you are not really understanding the impact of it?
Caiphas thought he was giving some good advice, but it was more than advise, it was prophesy.
It has been awhile since we have looked at the scripture. So let’s look at this section.
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”
51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
Logic and morals do not always add up. In this instance it sounded good, but was not morally right.
Logical - One should die for the people
Moral - not to reject the Messiah who has made Himself know, they believe, but are not accepting Him. Nor is it moral to seek the death of Him
Another quote to give us some more information, coming from (v.49)
He was High Priest during the whole procuratorship of Pontius Pilate, eleven years. In the words of ‘that year,’ there is no intimation conveyed that the High Priesthood was changed every year, which it was not but we must understand the words as direction attention to ‘that (remarkable) year.’” (Alford)
Caiaphas thought he was giving good advise, but in reality was giving prophesy. Not about just Israel but all “scattered abroad.”
You can think back to the sheep of another fold (Jn10:16) then Gentiles
Caiphas thought locally, where John thought globally (paraphrase from Morris)
The plot put in place
The plot put in place
They had a plot, but did not have a plan, let’s look together.
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.
They had a plot to put Jesus to death, but no plan on how to do it.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
Because of their plot, Jesus continued with His plan.
What was Jesus big plan?
Another quote, and I don’t know if used him before, Maclaren and his thoughts on the council
“Never mind about His miracles, or His teaching, or the beauty of His character. His life is a perpetual danger to our prerogatives. I vote for death.”
Jesus did not depart out of fear, but fulfillment. His hour had not yet come (see Jn7:30), but it was drawing near, but not yet.
He left to Ephraim, which was North of Jerusalem, near the Samarian border.
The Festival draws near
The Festival draws near
Trouble still brewing. But not boiling for the time has not come
55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?”
57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.
The feast of the Jews was coming that celebrated the exodus from Egypt and God’s deliverance.
This was one of the required feasts that men were required to attend, so there were many coming. They needed to be purified before it started so they came early.
What were the people doing as they waited for the festival, besides purifying themselves?
They were seeking and they were questioning.
What were the chief priests and Pharisees doing?
In closing
In closing
What did you learn from chapter-11?
What is your “take away” from this chapter?
Are there some good spiritual truths to learn from?
Ponder these questions on your own.
A very quick overview.
This chapter reveals the deity of Christ and the depravity of man
The rich man previously wanted to come back from the dead to warn others
Lazarus did, and they wanted him dead again.
The miracle revealed the power of God
But they rejected the grace of God being offered to them if they believed.
(Prayer)