John 11:25–27, 38–53 – Who is Jesus and why is he rejected? (Part 3)
(Joseph Bianco)
John 11:25–27, 38–53 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
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.
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In our passage today we have part of the familiar story of the raising of Lazarus combined with this second section on a plot by the Pharisees to kill Jesus. Jesus, in showing compassion and love to Martha, Mary and Lazarus, raises Lazarus from the dead. In between this miracle, Jesus proclaims to Martha that he himself is the resurrection and the life. Jesus then proceeds to pray, giving thanks, and with a loud voice proclaims that Lazarus shall come out of his tomb. And he does.
The Pharisees are concerned and their concern is justified. Jesus has gathered quite a following, and raising the dead is perhaps his greatest miracle so far. The religious leaders are concerned that if Jesus continues like this, his following will grow large enough that Rome will need to step in and destroy both the movement and the Jewish state of Israel as well.
Caiaphas, the high priest at that time, speaks up with a solution: Kill Jesus, and your problems will be solved. It’s a pretty wicked solution, but it would solve the problem. The plan is set, and we who have read the gospels see the foreshadowing.
Yet, Caiaphas’ words are truer than he realizes. Jesus will die, and the nation will be saved, but not in the way that Caiaphas is planning. The death of Jesus, John tells us, will not only save true believers in nation of Israel, but all God’s people scattered around the whole world. Only then will there be one true nation, one holy people, who together proclaim and praise Jesus alone as Savior and Lord. God is also working in our personal lives in unexpected ways…
God is always teaching me. Oftentimes, I feel like a block of marble, and he is chipping away at me piece by piece to make me more like Jesus. Recently, through a fault of mine, he revealed yet another sin of my heart. There are people in this world who either fight, flee, or freeze when conflicts come. I am a fighter.
I’m a fighter because I was raised a fighter. I’m a product of how I was raised, but Jesus has given me a new heart, and my inner man is being renewed day by day. The Lord recently showed me a great truth. Not only do I not need to fight, but fighting wouldn’t help me win anyway. One of the most amazing truths of the gospel is that our hearts are not changed by fear and manipulation, but by love and grace.
Love and grace mark a Jesus-soaked-heart. Love and grace are how you get people to change. Not by manipulating them or being louder, not by fighting them, but by patiently loving them as Jesus loves us.
I was raised to dominate.. I’m learning to be gentle.
In our passage. Jesus isn’t going to bring unity to God’s people by fighting the nation state of Israel or Rome. What’s amazing in this passage is that he has the physical power to raise the dead, but he won’t use that power to force change people. Instead, he’ll do it by sacrificially laying down his life. He’ll win the battle motivated by his deep love for the Father, and for his children – like you and me. He’ll win the battle by being the greatest display of grace that ever existed. The only innocent man, slain for me.
I’m the recipient of his love and mercy. I am the recipient of his grace. How much more can I learn patience and graciousness with those around me if this is how God treated me? If I want someone to change, it’s not going to happen through my force. It will only happen the way Jesus changed me, by sacrificial love.
Let me challenge you with these questions. Who do you really want to see change in your life? Can you make anyone change? How did you change? Was it through force or love?
Pray for Jesus to do the work we cannot, and pray for the Spirit to work in our hearts, enabling us to love as we have been loved.