JOHN 11:45-57 (NASU) BELIEF, HIGH PRIESTS, CONSPIRACY

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

Jesus’ prayer is answered in part when many of the Jews believed in him. Then there is the big word, but. I find it interesting that Jesus’ prayer was only partially fulfilled. Wouldn’t you think that every prayer Jesus uttered would be answered in the way he requested? After all, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, God incarnate. How is it possible that his prayers would not be completely answered?

One answer is that Jesus was praying only in his human nature and that he didn’t have the omniscient knowledge to pray more specifically for those that would believe or that he believed everyone who saw Lazarus raised would believe. Neither of these thoughts are worthy of who Jesus is. Jesus has been preaching a long time that not everyone was going to hear his voice and follow him. He was preaching that only those whom the Father had given him would come to him. The only conclusion is that Jesus is letting us know that the miracles he performed are a sign to everyone in the world and that the miracles are sufficient for everyone to believe. His prayer is only for the called. The others can’t help but believe, however, what kind of belief do they have? What is their response to that belief?

Their response is shown in the divided action shown of the two groups. One group believes in him and the other runs to tattle to the Pharisees. The latter had to know that God would not raise Lazarus by a faker. Jesus had to be sent from the Father. So they believe, but their belief does not save them. They know the facts but don’t put their trust in Jesus.

This is a message to all of us that not everyone will be saved. Salvation is not universal. It tells us that when we spread the gospel, there will be believers who trust Jesus and there will be those who may understand the facts of the gospel but reject Jesus. Our duty is to proclaim the gospel so that all will hear and know the facts just as those who saw Lazarus raised would know about Jesus. The Holy Spirit will bring those facts from knowledge to a saving trust in Jesus for those whom God has called.

47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. 48 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."

You can see from the response of the chief priests and the Pharisees that they believe also. They believe that these miracles are real. Jesus isn’t faking them. Just like many healers have faked miracles in the past, they may have believed Jesus had used healthy people to fake healings until Lazarus came out of the grave.

Rather than rejoicing that this miracle has occurred, they are in a panic. It is evident that they don’t want people to believe in him and it has nothing to do with the things of God. They are concerned only for their own skins. They believe that Jesus is really the Messiah otherwise they would not be concerned about losing their place and nation. They are simply not believing in God and his power to accomplish what he has said he would do. They believe the Messiah is supposed to be a King who would restore the kingdom of Israel to its former glory. How could they believe this and then be afraid that the Romans were mightier than God’s Messiah?

They may fear that the Romans will destroy the temple and Jerusalem and kill or disperse the people to other nations just as Babylonia did to Judah. That would certainly mean losing their position of power, their lives, and wealth. They have no faith in God and what he has said about the Messiah. What is even sadder is that this all happened less than forty years later. Millions of Jews were slaughtered when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

There are many times in our own lives when we say we believe God and his promises but respond in fear because we don’t trust God. We read all the verses about trusting and not worrying yet we continue to worry and fret about things way out of our control.

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, 50 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." 51 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, 52 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. 53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

Caiaphas was the appointed high priest at the time. He had been appointed by the Roman curator Valerius Gratus, Pontius Pilate’s predecessor. He was the son-in-law of Annas who was the previous high priest. He had been deposed somewhere around A.D. 15.

The high priests were essentially reluctant collaborators with the Roman government. Since the governors or puppet kings of Israel could depose or appoint the high priest at their whim, their position was tenuous. In addition to this, they had to appease the Jewish population.[1] The tension of this situation makes it easier to understand why they would want to get rid of anyone who would threaten the status quo.

Caiaphas was also a Sadducee.[2] The theology of the Sadducees also played into this decision by Caiaphas. While we commonly understand that they didn’t believe in a resurrection, it is not commonly known that they didn’t even believe there to be any life after death. “To this category of spirits, denied by them, belonged also the spirits of the departed; for they held the soul to be a refined matter, which perished with the body.”[3]With this mentality, it is easy to see that they would be even more threatened by Jesus since all they had was the here and now. They had no future after death.

When we don’t trust God and have no hope for a future after death, we will do things that are morally evil. While God restraints most people, purely logical people who are not saved would act in the same way as Caiaphas and kill anyone who would get in their way if they could get away with it. This is the attitude in each of us when we have quarrels and fights among us. “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” (James 4:1-2 ESV). When we pursue things that we ought not pursue, we are ignoring the fact that there is an eternity and that we will be held accountable. It all boils down to being committed to self instead of God.

It is ironic that Caiaphas didn’t understand what he was saying to be a prophecy. His conspiracy to condemn Jesus for the sake of the nation had nothing to do with Jesus’ death for our sins and to bring together Jews and Gentiles. But John clearly states that this is exactly what God meant through this ungodly man’s statement. It shows that God is always in control of history. He uses the utterances of ungodly people like Caiaphas, Nebuchadnezzar, and even a donkey to bring about his purposes. We are fortunate to have John’s explanation as well as the rest of the New Testament to help us understand exactly what God is doing and has done.

54 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.

While Jesus had many encounters that were dangerous, he remained in control of the situation and was able to walk away. With Caiaphas’ plan to kill Jesus the stakes were increased. He didn’t become presumptuous. While Jesus knew the Father’s plan, we don’t have the insight he did, nor do we have Scripture that tells us precisely what God has planned for us. Therefore, if Jesus was cautious, we too, should be careful when we know that opposition is deadly.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 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?" 57 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.

The stage is being set for Jesus’ last week on earth in his earthly body. People were seeking him but still didn’t understand who he is. Of course Jesus must come to the Passover because it was a requirement to fulfill the Law and Jesus was about to complete it all on our behalf. The people were still going about following the Law. They were coming to the Passover as commanded in the Law and purifying themselves according to the Law. Little did they know that these regulations were about to be phased out with Jesus’ death and resurrection. They didn’t know that their purification would be accomplished once for all with Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. The chief priests and Pharisees had set into motion all that was needed to complete Jesus’ mission.

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[1]Richard A. Horsley, “High Priests and the Politics Of Roman Palestine: A Contextual Analysis of the Evidence in Josephus,” Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period 17, no. 1 (1986): pp. 23-24, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24657973.

[2]Caiaphas.” Unger.

[3]“Sadducees.” Unger.

JOHN 11:33-44 (NIV) GRIEF, RAISING LAZARUS

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35 Jesus wept.

Of all the passages that display both Jesus’ humanity and his divine compassion, this is the most moving. RC Sproul says we should interpret Scripture experientially. In saying this he says we should try to understand what the people were experiencing in the passage. It is too easy to read this passage and just move on to the good stuff where Jesus raises Lazarus. But we need to stop and ponder what was going on. Mary was weeping. She had lost her brother. She loved him greatly. She loved Jesus and knew that he loved Lazarus also. But he had not come in time to keep him from dying. To read this experientially, we should feel the tears coming to our eyes also.

Greif is a part of the natural experiences of people. It isn’t necessarily a result of the fall though had there been no fall, there would be no grief. Jesus must have also experienced some grief as he also wept. We don’t know if he wept because the other people were weeping or because he was contemplating bring Lazarus back to this sin-filled world. We only know that he was moved in his spirit and was troubled. This describes grief and a plethora of emotions bombarding him all at once.

When grief strikes us because of a loss, whatever it may be, we should not deny it. While we all grieve in different ways, we do. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (ESV). The best way to help people through grief is to weep with them. It isn’t a bad idea to let ourselves weep when we grieve.

36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

I wonder if we have split personalities. On one side of the coin, we say that we love God and know that he is working for our good. On the other side of the coin, we question his work in our lives. While this passage indicates that it was two different groups of people, one that saw Jesus’ compassion and the other that questioned his ability, it nonetheless shows what often happens in our own hearts. We often question God when he doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we think he should. When we do, it only exposes our lack of faith which results in a lack of trust, both sinful attitudes. These lacks can only be overcome when we know and believe the truths shown in God’s attributes and the manifestation of himself in Jesus.

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Now we come to the tomb and Jesus is moved again. This isn’t the same as his previous display of emotions. This may very well be a combination of sadness because of the Jew’s denial of his ability as well as his knowledge that Martha still didn’t “get it.” Yes, it is possible that he is moved because he is about to bring Lazarus back to this sinful world and he will just have to go through death again. That is a terrible thought.

Jesus calls on us to do what we can do. He calls upon the onlookers to remove the stone from the tomb. He could have done it, but he told them to do it. This was no less a command than when he calls Lazarus out. But we are often like Martha, we protest because there must be something that God doesn’t know that will prevent us from doing what he commands or that it will be so unpleasant that we simple don’t want to do it.

What is Martha thinking? She can’t be thinking that Jesus is going to raise Lazarus or she would not have protested. What are we thinking? Why don’t we do what the Lord wants? Why don’t we get rid of the decaying, stinking, sin in our lives? Is it we can’t or is it that we don’t want our stink to be exposed to the world?

40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Martha must be reminded again just a short while after Jesus had talked to her. How do we make sure that we don’t miss what God is doing in our lives to bring glory to him? I’ve already mentioned a lack of faith and trust, but what can we do to keep understanding that God will work all things out for our good and his glory (Rom 8:28-30)? We will miss out on seeing his glory when we don’t have his Word in our minds and hearts. If Martha had repeated what Jesus had said to her earlier and pondered them in her heart, then I’m sure that when they came to the tomb, she would have been wondering how God’s glory was going to be revealed instead of being concerned about a stink. That’s what we need to do. Memorize and repeat his promises as we ponder what they are and how they reveal God’s glory in our lives.

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"  44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Jesus doesn’t pray the way we do because his relationship with the Father is different. It would be an eyeopener for us to be on the mountains when Jesus was praying alone. This is but a glimpse of the way he may have prayed then. What I see in this prayer is that this is almost a side conversation between him and the Father. He is thankful that God always hears him. He isn’t asking for anything. He isn’t asking that the Father raise Lazarus. He is saying that his prayer about being heard is for the benefit of those standing around him.

Jesus command Lazarus to come out of the tomb. I’ll say it again so it is obvious, Jesus didn’t ask the Father to raise Lazarus. He was raised by Jesus’ command. This confirms what John has said that life is in Jesus (John 1:4). It confirms that Jesus gives life just as the Father does (John 5:21). In the same way that Jesus created the heavens and the earth (John 1:3, Heb 1:2), so the word of Jesus brings Lazarus out of the tomb. It confirms his words earlier:

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28-29 ESV).

This should bring comfort to us as well as dread to those who do not know Jesus. Raising Lazarus from the grave is only a preview of what will happen when Jesus returns. For those who don’t know Jesus, the judgment awaits them. For those of us who do know Jesus, we will be forever freed from the entanglements of sin the flesh that are symbolized in Lazarus’ grave clothes.

One of preachers’ favorite comments on this passage is that Jesus called Lazarus by name. And this is important to confirm to us that even beyond the grave, we are known by God. However, preachers like to add the funny comment that if he hadn’t specified Lazarus’ name, then everyone in the tombs would have come out. I find this funny not because they are trying to emphasize power of God’s command, but because there is nothing in this passage that indicates that the tomb was in an area of other tombs or that there were other bodies in this cave.

44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Notice that Lazarus is completely bound up with grave wrappings. It is remarkable not only that Jesus raised him from the dead, but that he managed to stumble to the front of the cave and come out. I can imagine him waddling or hopping as he struggles to get out of the tomb.

Now here is where the preachers’ have a great analogy based on Lazarus’ situation. Before we come to Christ, we must first be called. We are dead in our sins and can’t do anything in our own power to get up and walk to the light of Jesus Christ. When Jesus calls, the Holy Spirit makes us alive; we then stumble to Jesus. Now I want to make this clear, we are made alive before we start moving to Jesus. We move toward Jesus by his power and his calling. Though we make a decision, that decision is based on God’s effectual calling. We have been given the desire to get out of that grave when the Holy Spirit regenerates us. We could no more reject his call than Lazarus could have ignored Jesus and stayed in the grave. He wanted to get out.

Now, when we come out of that grave, we are still entangled with our sins. We can’t see clearly but we can see the light through the grave cloth over our eyes. That is when we must get untangled from our previous way of life. What does Jesus do? He asks other to help him. What an example for us. When we come to Christ, we must become involved with other Christians who will teach us and show us how to live godly lives. We can’t do it on our own. We need the Word of God and others to take off the sins that hold us back.