Friday 11 August 2023
- Bible Book:
- John
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. (vs 45-46)
Background
There is a certain irony within the story of Lazarus: the restoration of life that is a gift from Jesus, leads to Jesus’ life being taken from him.
The irony continues with Caiaphas, the high priest. At the meeting of the Council people were worried about Jesus' actions drawing unwanted Roman attention (v. 48) and Caiaphas says that it was better for one man to die, than a whole nation should perish. (v. 50) His thoughts and comments were very much within the ‘here and now’, but the truth of his words went far beyond anything that he could have imagined. In v.51 John points out that Caiaphas didn’t say this on his own account. John recognises that there is some prophetic truth in what he said and that Caiaphas had actually, and unwittingly, spoken a true prophecy. There is evidence from early Rabbinic literature that the High Priest would often, unknowingly, prophesy a truth. The first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, records that the High Priest would often function as a prophet and that to be a ‘true priest’ you also had to be a prophet.
When the Sanhedrin (the Council) met, they all recognised the miracles that Jesus has been performing (‘signs’ in John’s Gospel), but their reaction was a desire to preserve their privileged place within the nation. Their thoughts were not altruistic and they focused on what would be good for them as a group, not what would be best for the nation in general.
The Sanhedrin were now deciding what to do about the ‘Jesus Problem’. More and more people were believing in him, and this made them nervous. So after much discussion, they resolved to have him killed. This is also ironic because their decision to end Jesus’ ministry was actually fulfilling his ministry.
To Ponder:
- Caiaphas was the unwitting voice of God in this passage. When have you heard God speak to you through an unexpected source?
- Many people believed in Jesus because they had seen Lazarus being raised from the dead. Is seeing really believing, or do you think our faith needs much deeper roots?
- If you have time, I recommend reading the whole of John 11 again today. Try to do it in one sitting. What new insights do you have from this second – and full – read-through?
Prayer
God of wisdom and grace, help us to hear your message, even when the messenger is not who we expect. Help us to realise that we can also be your unexpected messenger, so help us to never be afraid to speak up for you. Amen.