John 11:47-57
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KILLING THE LIFE GIVER
KILLING THE LIFE GIVER
Illustration: John Wilkes Booth
Along with friends Samuel Arnold, Michael O’Laughlin, and John Surratt, George Atzerodt, David Herold, Dr. Samuel Mudd, and Lewis Paine, and John Wilkes Booth the group met in a Washington bar to plot the abduction of the president three days later. However, when the president changed his plans, the scheme was scuttled.
John Wilkes Booth later still along with several of His friends, being an actor at Ford’s Theatre took advantage of his entrance into the theatre and shot Lincoln in the back of the head, jumping off a balcony severely injuring his leg and escaping.
Isn’t it amazing how all of these people planned this assassination and we are only familiar with one or two names.
Judas Iscariot is often the one we associate with the death of the Jesus but in reality it is a plot devised by the rulers and the Jews of that day as well.
Context- Summary of
Verse 1- Lazarus is sick
Verse 3- The sisters send Word to Jesus
Verse 4- Upon Hearing the situation, Jesus promises the sickness will not end in death, that He will receive glory, and he can do all of that because He is sovereign.
Verse 11- Jesus says its time to go to Lazarus. Lazarus is dead, and the disciples are not fond of His plan.
Verse 17- Jesus arrives on the scene.
Verses 18-26- Jesus has a conversation with Martha where He tells her that He is the resurrection and the Life.
Verse 27- Martha believes.
Verse 29-34- Jesus has a conversation with Mary.
Verse 43- Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave by name.
Verse 45- Some people believe in Jesus.
Verse 46- Some go and tattle on him.
In chapter 11, we have read and they witnessed arguably the greatest single miracle that Jesus performed outside of His own resurrection.
And just like usual, some respond in faith, and some respond with hostility.
So we will ask this first question:
How will most respond to the resurrection of Lazarus?
How will most respond to the resurrection of Lazarus?
Look at verse 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.
Johnn 11:47
The chief priest and Pharisees have been informed of Jesus’s previous miracle by the Jews who were there. This is the one with him raising Lazarus from the dead.
So they have a few issues here.
There are eye witnesses to Jesus raising Lazarus.
This is an issue because there’s really no denying a crowd of people and their testimony.
Lazarus is walking around as proof to their story.
That dude over there was dead and Jesus raised him.
By some, Jesus is being heralded as the one who raises people from the dead.
So they come together. They convene this council. The word here used for Council is συνέδριον and this is actually the first time in Scripture that it is used.
Sanhedrin- The Supreme court of the Jews under Roman authority, but it was more than just interpreting the Law. This supreme court had unfortunately morphed into a judiciary, legislative, and even executive branch through the rulership of the high priest.
All that to say, these men were powerful, and what they said really determined the direction of the Jews of that day.
Here they are meeting to discuss Jesus but they aren’t here with good intentions. These men have observed the ministry of Jesus (his signs and wonders).
They know who he claims to be (The Son of God), and they realize that his signs and wonders authenticate His claims.
He’s no longer ignorable. He isn’t going away. If they want to continue to be leaders of the Jews, they realize they have to take care of Jesus.
This is why they are meeting. “Let’s get a plan together to take him out.”
Look at what they say:
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 11
“What are we doing? For this man is performing many dsigns.
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.”
There was probably more said in this meeting, but John gives us a summary of the heart of this council.
So lets see what we can learn from the contents of this meeting.
Inaction is no longer an option.
“What are we doing?”
In other words, what are we going to do?
Or “We have to do something.”
This council is meeting to see what action they will take against Jesus.
They recognize His signs and wonders and that they are many.
The brevity of Jesus’s miracle is undeniable at this point.
It would probably be difficult to find many Jews who haven’t at least heard of Jesus and His miracles.
You would think that these signs and miracles would serve to bolster their own faith in Him, but in reality, it drives them deeper into their hatred of him.
They recognize the twofold result if they continue to allow Jesus to live.
Everyone will believe in Him.
They don’t want that.
Here is where their identity and allegiance truly shows.
Their mindset is Satanic. Satan opposes Christ and belief in Christ. They desire to kill Jesus to prevent any more belief in him.
We see this mindset in those who oppose Christ today. Christians across the world even today are experiencing the reality of hatred to the point of death.
The goal being: to extinguish belief and believers in Christ.
But the reality is that persecution has never served to stifle the church or Christ’s followers, it has actually caused it to increase.
Tertullian said that “Persecution is the seed of the church.”
“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
The same is true here, they think by killing Jesus, that they will kill the rise of Christ’s followers, but in fact, killing him will lead to his resurrection which will ultimately result in the explosion of Christianity.
Secondly, they believe that If Jesus following rises, that the Romans will come and take their positions away.
In other words, these men aren’t looking out for the good of the nation. They are looking out for the good of themselves.
These Jews aren’t ignorant of their history. They have seen their authority and power taken away in previous generations. They believe that if Jesus has a large Messianic following, that the Romans will see this as a threat/uprising and will come and squash it.
We come out of verse 48 sensing a little panic in the minds of the Sanhedrin. They are worried about Jesus and the result of His ministry .
But one man isn’t. Caiphas, the High Priest has a plan, and He is about reveal that plan.
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 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.”
“High priest that year.”
Now traditionally, the high priest would remain serving for a lifetime, but the Romans thought that a lifetime term gave one man too much power, so they limited it to one year terms.
Caiphas as High Priest has the highest position of leadership within that sanhedrin council, so what he says will ultimately be what most of them will go with.
Listen to what He says.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 11
“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.”
Essentially Caiphas rebukes the entire Sanhedrin.
He realizes their panic and it seems he takes offense at the notion that he would let one man ruin their positions and life of ease on his watch.
So then he says something very interesting:
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 11
it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
Here is what Caiphas intended to say:
We are not going to let Jesus ruin our whole nation. Its better that He die, than for the whole nation to die and perish.
What Caiphas doesn’t realize is that he has just made a prophecy about the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.
That Jesus will come and die in the place of His people so that they do not have to die.
Caiphas in his mind is speaking with regard to eradicating Jesus, when in fact He has just preached the Gospel or at least a portion of the Gospel.
The Gospel (Good News) is that Jesus lived perfectly, died in the place of His people, and now lives forever as their Savior.
Now, He didn’t do this intentionally or even on His own.
Look at verse 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,
In fact, Jesus will die for the nation.
He will die so that His people don’t have to.
We have the benefit of of looking back at the work of Christ in His last days on earth and interpreting this with John as a prophecy about the death of Christ.
Jesus on the cross dies so the people don’t have to.
Caiphas believes that Jesus’s death will save the Jews from Rome.
But in reality, Jesus’s death will do much more than that.
Jesus will save them from one much more powerful. Jesus’s death will save those who trust in Him from the wrath of God. Jesus as our substitute bears the weight of that on the cross.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jesus will not only save the Jews, but he will gather His children from every tribe and nation. Look at verse 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.
Also, Let me remind you of what Jesus has previously said in John about this.
“I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
Jesus’s dying will not be only for the Jews, but for a people from every tribe and tongue.
Look at verse 53.
So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.
Jesus has come to die for his people, and it will happen at hands of His own people.
His Jewish enemies have taken council together to kill Him.
We should have expected this. David prophesied about this very thing in .
Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!”
As in David’s day, these men have taken counsel together to kill the Lord’s Anointed.
They hate him and they hate His control. They will vainly seek to kill him, but they will not prevent him from rising from the grave and to throne that God the Father has appointed for Him.
He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’ ”
Psalm
God the Father has a plan to install Jesus as the king and it will come through His own people’s attempt to get rid of Him.
How do we know is a prophecy of Christ?
, Peter and John in the middle of their own persecution, interpret for us.
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things? ‘The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
These people have gathered together and they will enlist the help of Herod, and Pilate and a host of others to Kill Jesus, but all this happens according to the plan of God.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that what men means as evil, God means for good.
They plan to kill him, but it results in the final victory over sin and death and the atonement for His people.
Lets finish out chapter 11.
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.
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. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 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?” 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.
Jesus knows the plan of God and it isn’t quite time yet so he removes Himself. The time will come and it will be soon(just a few more days), but He is on the Father’s time.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves.
This is the third Passover mentioned in the book of John.
This is how we estimate Jesus’s time of ministry being around 2-3 years.
Passover happened once a year, and Jesus will die around the time of the Passover feast. (Jesus is the true Passover Lamb)
So we end this chapter realizing the death of Jesus is coming. In fact, the command is already out to capture Jesus.
Look at verses 56-57
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?” 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 command has been issued. Jesus is now directly in the sights and on the most wanted list of the sanhedrin. From chapter 12 onward, we will see Jesus on the very swift road to the cross.
Application:
Two sides/two types of people/two responses to Jesus.