November 11 – One Man to Die For All

Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. "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." 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." 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, 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. So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 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. John 11: 45-57 

Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus called him to come out of the tomb. Many of the Jews who saw Lazarus come back to life believed in Jesus as the Savior and Messiah. Many, but not all. It was from that group of non-believers that some went to the Pharisees wagging their fingers and reporting about what Jesus had done. How did they explain yet another miracle? No red letter words spoken by Jesus here in this passage—but very prophetic words spoken by Caiaphas. Little did he know that what he saw as a political solution—one man dying for the nation—would be in actuality the spiritual salvation for all mankind, not just one nation. It is difficult to understand what was happening here. Did the Pharisees think that Jesus could actually aid the Romans in their rule of Judea and that they would take over the Temple if all the people believed in Jesus as the Messiah? Was Caiaphas possibly trying to stir up the Council against Jesus? At any rate Caiaphas did suggest an amazing prophesy that one man should die for others. That set the wheels in motion for Jesus to be crucified.

 

Jesus knew that it wasn’t quite His time yet—He knew that to be the “sacrifice” it had to be on the day of Passover. So He waited in the town of Ephraim, north of Jerusalem where it wasn’t likely that He would be found. Some commentators have suggested that it was not Ephraim, but Ephratah or Bethlehem. Whichever it was, Jesus was there to be away from the public and the scheming Pharisees.  

Where do you go when you want to be alone? Jesus frequently went to mountaintops to pray—but this time He went to the hill country near the wilderness and stayed with the disciples. It was a desolate area where He could just have some quiet time with those whom He had spent the most time. With whom would you want to spend some quiet time sharing the joys and sorrows of your last three years? What would you have to discuss? As you think ahead to the next several years, make some goals for spiritual growth. Challenge yourself to be more like Christ—to learn more about Jesus, about God the Father, and about the Holy Spirit and to serve others. 

Dear Jesus—Show me what you would have me learn and do in the coming years that You can take pleasure in my words, thoughts and actions.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).