“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.” (John 11:47-53)
Warren Wiersbe says, “John 11 reveals the deity of Jesus Christ and the utter depravity of the human heart. The rich man in hades had argued, ‘If one went to them from the dead, they will repent (Luke 16:30). Lazarus came back from the dead, and the officials wanted to kill Him! Miracles certainly reveal the power of God, but of themselves they cannot communicate the grace of God.”
They religious leaders were out to get Him. They could stand it no longer. Jesus was a threat. He was a threat to their religion. He was a threat to their traditions. He was a threat to their national security.
He is still a threat. He is a threat to the flesh of man. He is a threat to the will of man. He is a threat to the pride of man. He is a threat to anyone whose attitude says, “We will not have this man reign over us.” (Luke 19:14)
The Bible tells us that any man left to himself will perish. The Bible tells us that the man who will not surrender his will for God’s will is doomed to fail. The Bible also tells us that pride goes before the fall. For that man to live ONE must die.
“If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him…”
There are a couple of things interesting about this passage:
First of all, all men will not believe. There were those who walked a while with Jesus who turned away. There were OT unbelievers and NT unbelievers. There are those today who will not believe.
Second, Caiaphas was right “one man will die.” (Isaiah 53:8)). It was necessary because only God’s sinless perfect Son could redeem us and pardon us.
When man gets it in his mind that he will oppose God and God’s plan he is on a very slippery slope.
I am praying for revival. I am praying for thousands upon thousands to turn to Christ. I am praying for a return to a new normal for a return to church and return to Christ and a turning to Christ.
Why was man's plan destined to fail? God's plan was set in motion before the foundation of the world.
Why was man's plan destined to fail? God's plan was set in motion before the foundation of the world.
“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow , of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
