John 11:45-57

Read,Relax, Reflect

Prayer- Lord, Open our Hearts and Open our minds and help us learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. ⁴⁸If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place^a]'> and our nation."

⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."

⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵²and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

⁵⁵When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. ⁵⁶They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" ⁵⁷But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.

Jesus had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and the word got back to the Pharisees. Actually, now things had gone past just the priests, now the whole council, (Sanhedrin) becomes involved. After word got to them that Jesus is raising people from the dead, the Sanhedrin realized that Jesus could be very dangerous! If people started to believe that He was Messiah, the Jews would raise up and this would upset the Romans.

Caiaphas, the high priest, utters a big prophecy in vs. 49-53. For the sake of the nation-Jesus must die. He was correct, but not as he wished it. Jesus was to die to save a nation, but not the nation of Israel. Jesus was to die for all! The stakes have been raised, now Jesus could not have turned back even if he wanted to. Soon he would have to go to Jerusalem!

Questions:

1. What did the Sanhedrin fear?

2. What was Caiaphas willing to do? (for the sake of the nation.)

3. Do you think the people knew who Jesus was and what he must do? Do we?

Prayer- Lord, We can not ever thank you enough for loving us so much that you sent Jesus as a living sacrifice for us. Give the the strength and courage to spread the news with others. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.