An Unlikely Source

 

Good morning and welcome to this study from the Gospel of John. I have been preaching through this book for awhile now and today's post is from  John 11:45-57. In it you will see prophecy from an unlikely source.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great Victorian preacher, said in a sermon entitled ‘Secret sins’ preached in 1857: "When Christ comes a second time, there will be a marvellous change in the way men talk. Me thinks I see him; there he sits upon his throne. Now, Caiaphas, come and condemn him now! Judas! Come and kiss him now! What do you stick at man? Are you afraid of him? Now, Barabbas, go! See whether they prefer you to Christ now. Swearer, now is your time; you have been a bold man; curse him to his face now. Drunkard, stagger up to him now! Infidel, tell him to his face that there is no Christ now that the world is lit with lightning and the earth is shaken with thunder. Tell God there is no God now; now laugh at the Bible, now scoff at the minister. Why, men, what is the matter with you? Why can’t you do it? Ah! There you are: you have fled to the hills and to the rocks. ‘Rocks hide us! Mountains fall on us! Hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne.’ ‘Ah! Where are now your boasts, your vaunting, and your glories? Alas! Alas! For you in that dread day of wonders!’

Caiaphas was an unlikely prophet or at least when it was a prophecy about Christ Jesus. But prophecy about Christ Jesus he did. John sensed that God was at work in the words of Caiaphas, in spite of himself. But before Caiaphas' pronouncement John tells us that many believed.

John 11:45-57
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then 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. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

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

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

54 Therefore 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.

55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They 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?" 57 But 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.
NIV

1. Christ Jesus – Many Believed

Lazarus was Christ Jesus' close friend and he was dead, dead for four days. But death was about to meet it's master in the the form of Christ Jesus. Martha had said to Christ Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died.” (vs. 21). Christ Jesus answer was an answer that only God could give, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” (vs. 25-26). Christ Jesus then proves His statement by having the stone rolled away from Lazarus' grave. A rush of stinky air, a short prayer and a shout of “Lazarus, come forth” from Christ Jesus (vs. 43). And the miracle – Lazarus still wrapped in his grave clothes comes out of the tomb, alive! After four day as a corps, a living, breathing Lazarus emerged from his tomb (vs. 44).

Christ Jesus drew a crowd where ever He went and this was no different. Some were there as friends of the family. Some were there to see what this miracle worker/preacher/prophet would do. And some were there to see if Christ Jesus could do anything, maybe even secretly hoping He would fall flat on His face. 

Now as Lazarus stood there in front of them being unwrapped out of his grave clothes, many who saw believed that Christ Jesus was the Messiah. Some of those in the crowd were the religious leaders of Bethany and they also believed. 

There were other religious leaders who saw the same thing and they did not believe. Instead they rushed back the short distance to Jerusalem to let the religious leadership there know what had happened. 

It is the same today. Some will have an encounter with Christ Jesus and they will believe. Some will have an encounter with Christ Jesus and they will choose not to believe. The group you fall into is entirely up to you, but I pray you choose to believe today.

The Sanhedrin met and Caiaphas made his one for the many statement/prophecy.

2. Christ Jesus – A Substitute For Israel (vs. 47-50)

Because of this news about Lazarus and more so about the others flocking to Christ Jesus the religious authorities felt compelled to act. The Sanhedrin was called into session with the chief priests, a kind of Supreme Court of Israel. 

In the face of Christ Jesus’ miracle these men seemed confused, wondering “what shall we do?” How were they going to hold on to their power and protect the status quo now? On top of that if something was not done quickly the whole populace would come to believe in Him, which would surely become a threat to Rome. 

Then they “will come and take away both our place and nation,” and crush what little freedom is left and destroy them as a people. While this may seem a little silly to you and me it was a legitimate concern, validated by history. Those perceived as political messiahs threatened the Roman power and the stability of Judea, inviting Roman intervention. 

Josephus, the Jewish historian; testified to this concern of the priestly aristocracy when he wrote: that one reason Joseph Caiaphas maintained his office longer than any other high priest (A.D. 18-36) of the first century was that he kept peace for the Romans. 

When men lose their righteousness they lose their courage. There was not much chance that there was any danger of the Romans' being irritated by the progress of Christ Jesus' gospel. Why? Because it in was no way harmful to kings nor provinces, but highly beneficial.

The Romans had little or no interest at all in Christ Jesus; after all He taught men to give tribute to Caesar, and not to resist evil, but to take up the cross. Later the Roman governor, at Christ Jesus' trial, could not find fault in Him. As a matter of fact there was more danger of the Romans' being incensed against the Jewish nation by the priests than by Christ Jesus.

In the midst of this discussion the Caiaphas, the arrogant high priest, made a broad, sweeping statement. Caiaphas was the high priest “that year,” the prophetical year of God’s mighty saving act! 

He was contemptuous of the naive, indecisive talk in the Council. Didn't these men realize that it was expedient for one man to die so that the “people,” God’s chosen ones, and the “nation,” the civil organization, would not perish? 

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Spock in the Wrath of Khan. That seem to be what Caiaphas was saying here, the needs of a nation outweigh the life of one itinerant preacher. Little did Caiaphas know just how right he was, but for the wrong reason. 

Here is a key saying, a prophetic utterance, from the mouth of an enemy of Christ Jesus. Caiaphas though he was speaking his own thoughts when he pronounced a death sentence on Christ Jesus. Yet as John points out, Caiaphas was really prophesying far beyond his own understanding.  What irony, here he interpreted the true meaning of the death of Christ Jesus, but for different reasons. Christ Jesus did have to die, so that all nations might be saved. “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) 

You may not have realized it yet, but you are apart of this group. Christ died so that you don't have to. He died so that you can live, and live forever in the presence of the Triune God.

3. Christ Jesus – A Substitute For You And Me (vs. 51-57)

Christ Jesus’ death, arranged by Caiaphas and his fellow council members, was not only for the salvation of Israel, but for all God’s children scattered abroad. Not only those separated geographically, but those divided culturally and spiritually. All mankind, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, will be drawn to Christ Jesus, “lifted up,” partaking in a common life with Him and with one another. This “gathering together” was John’s way of speaking of the Jews, Gentiles, and the whole world (v. 52). 

God’s dispersed are to be gathered into one family by Christ Jesus as He had already described back in chapter 10. (John 10:16) "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.” We who are Christians are one with Him, one body, one spirit, and one with each other in Him. All the saints in all places and ages meet in Christ Jesus, the many parts and the one head, all the branches and one vine. Christ Jesus by the merit of His death drew all the saints in to the grace and favor of God (Heb 2:11-13), and by His death directs us all respectively to have love and affection one of another, (John 13:34.)

Now the decision was made, and the Council began to make deliberate plans to kill Christ Jesus. He no longer walked openly but withdrew to Ephraim (ef-rah-im'), apparently a wild country northeast of Jerusalem, to remain “with His disciples” (v. 54). One wonders about the conversations, the teachings among these men during these last quiet days. 

When the people begin arriving in Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover, they look for Christ Jesus in the temple. Would they get to hear Him teaching so boldly in the temple again? Would He would even come for the Passover sense the authorities wanted to seize Him?

Conclusion: Christ Jesus, what will you do with Him? Will you look at and listen to His Word with an open mind and heart. Will you join those who have already believed? Or will you take what you heard, what you have read and just file them away mentally some place or just discard them altogether?

Christ Jesus came with one purpose in mind and that was to die in your place so that you can have a restored relationship with God. For some this is hard to comprehend, others choose not to believe it at all. But, that is others; what will you choose to do? Will you let Christ Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour?