The Proud Religious Law-Keepers Try to Think of a Way to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus had done put their trust in Him. 46 Some of them went to the proud religious law-keepers and told them what Jesus had done. 47 The religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers gathered a court together. They said, “What will we do? This Man is doing many powerful works. 48 If we let Him keep doing these things, all men will put their trust in Him. The Romans will come and take away the house of God and our nation.” 49 Caiaphas was the head religious leader that year. He said to them, “You know nothing about this. 50 Do you not see it is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?” 51 Caiaphas did not think of these words himself. He spoke what God had said would happen. He was telling before it happened that Jesus must die for the nation. 52 He must die not only for the nation, but also to bring together into one group the children of God who were living in many places.
53 From that day on they talked together about how they might kill Jesus. 54 For this reason Jesus did not walk out in the open among the Jews. He went to a town called Ephraim. It was near a desert. He stayed there with His followers.
This story is nuanced and packed with symbolism, cryptic messages and then some plain talk. John begins this chapter by telling us that Lazarus was the friend of Jesus. We learn that he is in fact the brother of two women that were very close to Jesus – Mary and Martha. He is careful to note that this was the same Mary that cried over his feet, anointed them with oil and then wiped His feet with her hair.
This family was close to Jesus, dear to Jesus – they were friends of Jesus. We are given the impression that Jesus spent time frequently in their home, teaching lessons, eating meals, fellowshipping. They were friends of Jesus. One could imagine that the disciples, Mary and Martha were all puzzled, baffled and perplexed when after hearing that this dear brother and friend had fallen sick, Jesus didn’t immediately go to them, comfort them or at least dispatch healing from across town by simply speaking the word.
But Jesus and God the Father had something greater in mind. For John 11: 3-4 declares,
3 The sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, your friend is sick!” 4 When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It has happened so that it will bring honor to God. And the Son of God will be honored by it also.”
Sometimes Jesus will allow painful and distressing things to happen to those closest to Him so that He might save those farthest from Him…Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. It has happened so that it will bring honor to God. And the Son of God will be honored by it also.”
Relative to our focus text, however, one would think that after all Jesus had done…turning water into wine…causing the lame to walk, delivering demoniacs from possession, opening blinded eyes, feeding the multitudes etc., one would think that the religious leaders of the day had ample proof that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. But no, they hated him.
What is it about human nature that causes us to hate, reject, and despise those who come to make us free? One would think that they would have rejoiced as individuals who were broken, wounded, blind, crippled, ravaged by demonic oppression…one would think that those who saw their pain and suffering would have rejoiced to see them made whole. But instead, Jesus – who came to seek and to save that which was lost – was despised and rejected. They may have been able to deal with all of the other miracles, but when Jesus hauled off and raised Lazarus from the dead – that surely was it! Jesus raising a dead man was all that they could take!
Let’s look a little closer at what the religious leaders said…
47 The religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers gathered a court together. They said, “What will we do? This Man is doing many powerful works. 48 If we let Him keep doing these things, all men will put their trust in Him. The Romans will come and take away the house of God and our nation.”One attitude that killed Jesus was arrogant pride. Pride in and of itself is not a bad thing. This, however, was not “healthy pride.” This was destructive pride. The “New Life Translation” identified them as “proud religious law-keepers.” Their acts were not motivated by love or concern for others. Their behaviors were motivated by foolish pride, arrogance and fear. The religious leaders did not care that Jesus was helping people to be made whole. They did not care that Jesus was giving people hope and restoring or leading them to faith in God the Father. They were only concerned about losing their positions.
Anytime pride, arrogance and position trump our concern for people being delivered and set free, we are killing Jesus. Anytime we are more concerned about form or fashion and not with what will bring health, healing and wholeness, we are killing Jesus. Anytime we conspire to “kill” that which God is using to bring deliverance, we are killing Jesus.
The next attitude reflected here is territorialism and Deism. It was almost as if they wanted the people to worship them. Leaders have to guard against being territorial. Our motto ought to be, “follow me as I follow Christ.” I must decrease, He must increase. We are to point others to Jesus, not to ourselves. We are not worthy to be worshiped. Give honor to whom honor is due? Yes. Obey those in authority? Absolutely. Give appropriate praise, and appreciation? Certainly. Worship –NO, NO NO!!!
The people of God must be careful not to allow the enemy of our souls to make us selfish, insecure and territorial. God wants to use us to bring lost souls to salvation. God wants to use us to point people to the path of righteousness. God wants to use us to bring, health, healing and wholeness. God wants to use us to help bring unity and love, hope and faith, joy and peace. But we can’t do any of those things if we are guarding positions and operating out of fear.
Finally, the religious leaders had a fear that Jesus was “showing them up.” They were afraid that the Roman Government would take note of this Jesus and begin to work with him instead of them. They were afraid that they would lose their place as leaders in the Temple. They were afraid that the people would begin to listen to him and ignore them. They were afraid that they would lose their place of prominence, power and notoriety. They were governed by fear and therefore they began to conspire.
Pride, fear and insecurity will lead you to a low place of conspiracy. No matter who you are, where you go, there will always be somebody who can do what you do better. The Kingdom of God is not a place of competition. God uses whom He will to accomplish His will and purposes. When we recognize that the Lord has a place for each of us to serve, that God wants to use us to draw others close to Him, we will yield our lives, our spirits, our gifts our talents to be used wherever and however, the Lord sees fit.
When our motives, however are selfish, when our attitude is territorial, when we are more concerned about self- glorification and not God’s glory, we will be overtaken by this pharisaic attitude – kill the one who appears to be stealing the show!
As we prepare for Holy Week, it is so easy to beat up on the religious leaders – the Pharisees. It’s so easy for us to rail upon those who plotted to crucify Jesus. But today, I’d like us to examine ourselves and ask the Lord to help us to see if we have any pharisaic ways of our own. What attitudes do we have that may be “killing Jesus?” What behaviors might we posses that are keeping us from winning lost souls to the Kingdom? What attitudes might we possess that are standing in the way of us creating a greater space for the lost to come in?
May we stand before the Holy God and ask the Lord to remove things from our hearts that may hinder the miracles, the raising of “the dead,” the delivering power of Jesus in our own lives.
Post a comment or send me an email at Shepastor1@hotmail.com
Until Next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,