The Gospel of John - part 28
Choosing Sides
Taking a Side
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 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.”
John 11:45-48
Subtle shift in 45 “many of the Jews” believed, but “some” went to the Pharisees. We will see how large his following became in the next chapter with the triumphal entry. John’s wording shows the general following of Jesus became greater and greater. We already saw Him feed over 5000, so the idea that Jesus had a large crowd isn’t new. But that crowd had dispersed, and now John lets us know the story of Lazarus was spread far and wide. Many believed in Jesus because of the signs we have seen, but there were some who went to the Pharisees in opposition.
Why would they be against Jesus?
The Pharisees’ concern is best summarized in verse 48: “the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation”. Their concern is not with whether or not Jesus is the Messiah, but what will be their standing if the Romans take arms against Israel. Their identity and authority was derived from their standing with the Romans. They had been under the Roman thumb for generations, and Rome had conquered the known world. Even though their religious life was officially against the pagan world, their experience had taught them that the best life is the one where Rome was appeased. It is not that far removed from today.
The Jewish leaders abandoned God by making this world more important.
Officially, in Christianity we know that the world has little to offer us in terms of peace. Governments tax and make war with one another. Big businesses offer goods and services at a price, and sometimes that price is more than just what we pay at the register. We know in our heads the world is very broken, but our experience says that if we can just appease governments and corporations, then maybe we can eek out a nice living. And, for those who play the system well, they can garner a very nice living. But, if we aren’t careful, our identities can get caught up in which political party we adhere to, or which brands we buy, or what companies we work for. We know if our heads these worldly systems are flawed, but when they become a part of who we are, it’s difficult to imagine a different way of life. Again, officially, we know as Christians these systems cannot offer peace, but unofficially, it can be very difficult when that’s all we know.
Christ calls us to seek our identity outside of this broken world.
For some Christians, we can look at the miracles of Christ and follow, but for many Christians it can be a life long battle. And sometimes when we think we have fully broken from this world, something will draw us back in. The point here is not to be completely rid of this world, that will only happen when we’re dead, but it is to remember that our identities as Christians is found in Christ. Anything that takes more precedence in our lives is by definition an idol. The Pharisees may have been officially worshipers of God, but their hearts were devoted to the idols of power.
Philosophy of Power
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 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.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
John 11:49-53
Caiaphas is named as means of chronicling what year is in question. The position of High Priest was supposed to be for life, however the tenuous relationship between the Jews and Rome made the office a relatively short stay. Caiaphas remained in office about 19 years which is much longer than most of his predecessors. John’s wording is to help the irony of the conversation. This group is plotting the death of one man in order to keep their nation safe, but instead, Jesus’ death will bring salvation for many nations while their nation will eventually perish in 70 AD.
Caiaphas’ words are typical, pragmatic “ends justify the means” political philosophy. It is a common view found today—whether in movies, such as Spock’s famous line Star Trek II, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”, or in political arguments regarding government spending. This is the argument for socialist policies: the people with money can “give” (read have it stolen from) to the people who don’t have money, because the poor people’s needs are greater. Or consider the abortion debates. Who is more at risk, the adult or the fetus? These arguments are arguments of power. Whoever has more power is the right one. The many typically have more power than the few, so they are more important. Caiaphas typifies the same philosophy. Who is this one guy compared to the nation of Israel?
The world says, “The ones with the most power rule over those with the least.”
But this philosophy is completely counter to the Gospel.
The Gospel says, “The One with the most power gave up His position in order to save those with the least power.”
The prophecy in Caiaphas’ words is not in his meaning, it is in the irony of his statement. It is better for one man to be sacrificed to save a nation, but not in the way he is thinking. It is better when that one man is Jesus, and He is the Savior of the world sent to be the atoning sacrifice for all humanity.
John’s explanation in verse 52 holds missional implications. Jesus’ death was not just for Israel, but for all God’s children scattered across the nations. The reason we engage with the lost and do missionary work is because there are children of God scattered all over this globe. How will they return to God without someone going and calling them home?
From this moment on, the Sanhedrin no longer would allow Jesus to continue. They began hatching their plot to take him out.
A Tense Pause in the Story
Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking forJesus and 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 should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
John 11:54-57
Jesus’ public ministry is officially at a close now. Though his life had been threatened before, Jesus knew that this week would be the most serious, because His death was at hand. In order to avoid being put to death too soon, He no longer walked freely among the Jews. Instead he goes to Ephraim. Unfortunately, we are not certain where Ephraim actually is, but traditionally it is thought to be a site about 15 miles from Jerusalem. If so, then Jesus does not venture very far, just enough to be undisturbed as He and His disciples make Passover preparations.
In Jerusalem, John lets us know that Passover is coming soon. This detail helps us know that Jerusalem is going to be more crowded than any other time of year. In fact, the week leading to the Passover week saw a major influx of people, because they were coming to be ceremonially cleaned for the Passover week. The tension in John’s story is at its highest. On one side are Jesus, His disciples, and the many of followers who believe Jesus is the Messiah. On the other side are the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders who are in charge in Jerusalem and have issued orders for Jesus’ arrest.
Additionally, in this tension is one last great irony. The people are gathering in order to cleanse themselves, but their very leaders, in charge of said cleaning, have soiled themselves by plotting in their hearts to murder the Son of God.
Sometimes good people find themselves under bad leadership…Press on, anyway.
Every Last Trace
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
John 12:9-11
I do not normally skip around with passages, however these few verses help solidify the points of the end of chapter 11. Caiaphas stated that it is better for one man to die, but in this short time, one man was not no longer enough. Lazarus stood as a testimony to the power of Jesus Christ. Thus, in their minds he had to go as well. For the Sadducees, his life was a double burn. The Sadducees denied the idea of resurrection altogether, and here is someone who is back from the dead. Thus, in their eyes, not only Jesus had to die, but all aspects of his ministry and testimonies to his power had to go as well.
One commentator stated, “this is the way of evil”. It grows and festers. Jesus warned us we would face trials and persecutions, so we should not be surprised when they come. But, we tend to forget—again, when our identity is with the world, it is easy to forget—that whenever small persecutions arise, it will not be long before it grows.
Just consider the last 50 years of history.
In the 1960s, two movements grew in the US, opposite in their missions but grew together just the same. On one side, the Jesus Movement took hold, and thousands of young people found eternal life in this revival. Some churches took to it well, others not so much. But the gospel flourished, and in the coming decades, American Christianity found itself bolstered by this movement as new, zealous missionaries and pastors emerged from the 60s movement. On the other side, a very anti-Christian movement began that brought about the end of prayer in schools, legalization of abortion, and the “sexual revolution”. These two movements grew side by side, and I would argue culminated in the 80s with the conservative resurgence. At this time, churches chose sides—either they capitulated to cultural demands or maintained doctrinal integrity.
Then, in the 90s, something very interesting happened. (This is the decade I remember well, and I’m sure the fact that these were my adolescent years has a lot to do with how I see the church, but I digress...) You see, in the 80s, much of the culture still held to Christian values, even if they were superficial. So, churches did not mind capitulating to cultural demands that much, because they were still some version of Christianity. But, in the 90s, the counter-Christian movement took on a bolder force. The seeds of evil that were discounted as ‘extreme’ became normalized. It was a decade of discontent, and the church had trouble dealing with this discontent.
Now, soon to be 30 years later, an entire generation has grown up seeing the prominence of the Church brought low in society, and the seeds of evil—no prayer, no respect for life, no respect for the family unit—have developed into an enormous system of vines choking our country.
Now, why the history lesson? Because it demonstrates this point:
Evil is never satisfied with removing a little bit of Christ, it wants to destroy every trace.
Remember, there were two movements in the US, one a spiritual revival and one a spiritual abomination. We can argue all day as to why it happened the way it did, but the fact remains: the flames of spiritual revival were allowed to die out while evil festered and grew.
What is the remedy for this situation?
An old fashioned revival.
Revival begins when we get our own hearts right with God.
We start as an individual. What sin is hindering my walk with God? What is holding me back from prayer? Why am I struggling with sharing my faith? I am convinced the number 1, really the only one, reason why people do not share their faith with others is because their faith is so small. There isn’t much to share. So, take a step of faith. For some, that may mean giving your heart to Jesus for the first time. For some, that may mean taking on that task God has called you to. Whether that task is in giving, in serving, in speaking, or in teaching, do it. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord, but DO IT.
Revival continues when, as a church, we follow God’s call.
This one requires cooperation as a church. If you are looking for me to bring a revival by myself, sorry that’s not how it works. In fact, if you are hoping revival comes because everyone else will do something, and you can just sit back and watch...that’s not how any of this works. Christianity is not a spectator sport.
At a minimum, you should be fervently praying for your church. Pray for a vision for our place in the Kingdom of God. Pray for what we can do in Chilhowee to reach the lost. Some of you are worried about the Middle East and DC, thinking you can’t do anything. Well, maybe you can, maybe you can’t. But what you can do for sure is minister to those around you.
Here’s how it looks:
Be plugged into a Sunday School class. These are smaller groups where you can learn the Scripture, pray for one another, and build relationships that serve as catalysts for reaching people.
Be plugged into the outreach programs. We have Harvesters each month that is not only a means to help others, but it also can be used to share God’s love. We have AWANA through the school year which helps teach the Gospel to children. We have Youth Ministry that helps teenagers learn the Gospel and their place in the Kingdom of God. We have a choir that could use some people to sing each Sunday. Typically, we don’t think of a choir as outreach, but think about it: we can worship God with or without a choir, but people coming to visit like music and a choir can be attractive. “Come for the music, stay for Jesus”.
There are other events that happen throughout the year that you can help with. Missions Day is Saturday, come and join in sharing Jesus. Again, if you are uncomfortable knocking on doors, that’s OK, we’ve got a few options you can do. The Community Picnic is next week. That’s an easy one—it has fireworks. It’ll be fun. Come to it, but grab someone who doesn’t come on Sundays to come with you.
Is there something you think we should add? Well, let’s talk. Maybe we should.
Again, whatever you decide to do, do it for the glory of God...and DO IT!
Notice, I didn’t mention anything out of the ordinary. Some people think a miracle has to happen for a revival. Miracles are great and I pray some happen, but revival doesn’t need a miracle to happen. It happens when God’s people, turn from their wicked ways and call on the name of the Lord.
A Revival grows when God’s people call others to repentance.
So far we’ve discussed getting the ball rolling. This is the point where we decide whether we really want a revival or not. We have already seen that evil is going to grow and fester. The question is: will we grow in opposition to evil or will we sit back while the world burns? In all honesty, this is the question that divides God’s people. Some are content to just sit back and let it burn. Others want to do all they can to call people to Christ. I’ll go ahead and show my cards—I am not content with watching people die without a Savior. How we go about mission work at Chilhowee Baptist can be discussed another day. Do I have ideas? Of course. But for today, I am not worried about what programs or events we do. We can plan those at a business meeting or church council meeting. What I am concerned about for today is that each of us who call Jesus ‘Lord’, and each of us who call Chilhowee Baptist ‘home’, decide in our hearts that we will follow God’s call.
That call is to holiness in our lives,
faithfulness in our service,
and boldness in our testimony.
It is a call to revival.