The Heart of Man
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One Mans life for the Nation
One Mans life for the Nation
Have your eyes ever seen something your mind couldnt accept?
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.
48 If we let him go on like this, everyone 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 understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”
51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.
56 They were looking for Jesus and 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 should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
John wrote this gospel about A.D. 90. Remember your history and what Rome did in Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
The Jew’s hope had long been on reclaiming the land, the temple and the return of the scattered children of God. John saw the hope of that happening through the work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is the central figure that unites us!
For many of those at the raising of Lazarus, ‘believe’ became the mark of their lives. But there also is seen a division: but some went to the Pharisees...
Luke 12:51-52
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
The division shows itself in the conversation we are privy to in verses 47-53
What are we accomplishing? Everyone is going to believe in Him! How will this affect me? Question of status!
The better question would have been “is He right or is He wrong?”. But that one is no longer being asked in those meetings. SO LET’S ASK IT HERE!
He said that anyone who gave up possessions or family would be rewarded many times over both here and in glory.
He said if your hand or eye offends you, cut it off or pluck it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom maimed than be cast out.
So Caiaphas speaks up: You know nothing! You have no understanding! But he presents his own opinion in place of the truth of Jesus. Something, again, that is all too common today. People will readily give their opinion of ANYTHING but not listen to the truth as presented by the creator of all. Listen to a news channel. Any news channel. Its not really news, but opinions...
There is a story contrary to the Message of Jesus. It is spun by a corrupted sin nature in every man. It is furthered by the enemy of all that God loves. The Accuser. Satan. All that has to be done for that message to go out and prevail is NOTHING. When Hitler was ramping up Germany’s forces in the 30’s, many European countries did nothing. By the time they woke up and started doing something (Maginot Line), Germany was very powerful. 400 years earlier, another German (Martin Luther) stated: You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.
But in the telling of his opinion, Caiaphas unknowingly prophesies. Can an agent of evil speak truth?
Any moms here? Ever had a day when your name, Mom, was called so many times you wish you could just change it? Mom! Mom!! MOM! Well that little agent of evil was simply calling you by your name. In a way, speaking the truth.
But Caiaphas makes this statement: do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. It is not odd that he prophesied. He was, after all, the high priest. Does God not have the right and ability to speak to and through anyone He chooses?
And John clarifies that statement, thinking back on it all those years later, ‘to gather into one the children of God’.
So from that day on, they made plans to put Him to death. More than the arrest attempted. More than the impulsive stones picked up. Malicious intent to kill.
Jesus removes Himself to Ephraim. To the country for retreat and solace. To preserve God’s timeline and pour into the disciples. Time was short. This is during the week before the Triumphal Entry. Many had gone to Jerusalem to prepare for the passover. The purification rituals took as long as 7 or 8 days.
Those who had gone up were wondering if Jesus would show up. I kinda like the picture of that: People getting themselves right with God, looking forward to Jesus showing up.
The story is told of a generation ago when an old farmer brought his family to the big city for the very first time. They had never seen buildings so tall or sights so impressive. The farmer dropped his wife off at a department store and took his son with him to the bank—the tallest of all the buildings. As they walked into the lobby, they saw something else they had never seen before. Two steel doors opened. A rather large and elderly woman walked in, and the big doors closed behind her. The dial over the door swept to the right and then back to the left. The doors opened and a beautiful young lady came walking out. The farmer was amazed. He turned to his son and said, “You wait right here. I’m going to get your mother and run her through that thing.”
At the Rapture, we will be taken up. But we will be transformed and come back with resurrection bodies.
Martin Luther said he only had two days on his calendar—today and “that day.”