Sermon by Pastor Robert Green, Second Wednesday, 2/24/16, No. 2. 1176, Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, W.E.L.S., based onJohn 11:45-53
An Irony of the Passion: It is Better that One Man die for the People than the whole nation perish!
This year during Lent, we’re talking about ironies of the Passion, the suffering and death of Christ. The ironies come from situations or truths about the Cross that are different from what you would expect. Tonight, we focus on a statement by the high priest, Caiaphas, which produced an irony of the Passion: It is Better that One Man die for the People than the whole nation perish!
This statement is part of the reading which immediately followed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The reading begins as John tells us that in light of the raising of Lazarus, “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.” It is rather curious that the religious leaders then asked “What are we accomplishing? Here is this man performing many miraculous signs?” The sense of the question is “What are we going to do with this man performing so many miracles?” It is ironic that while the religious leaders knew and understood the miracles were real, they refused to acknowledge that Jesus must be from God to have done them. Should not the Sanhedrin have asked, “How and why is Jesus performing so many miracles? What does it mean? Might he be the Christ?”
The Sanhedrin recognized Jesus not as Savior, but as a threat, and so said, “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”What an irony that the religious leaders would understand that the people, over whom they were spiritual leaders, were listening and watching Jesus and were coming to faith in him, but they refused to even consider the possibility he was the Messiah, but were quick to fear what the pagan Romans would do.
So, why was the Sanhedrin afraid that the people would put their faith in him? There was no allegation that Jesus was a false prophet or false Christ or Messiah that threatened to turn the people from God. Rather, it seems the Sanhedrin was afraid that the people would put their faith in Jesus as a powerful religious and political leader who might lead the people in rebellion against Rome. Recall that a false teaching at the time was that the Messiah or Christ would come not so much bearing eternal salvation, but as a deliverer of the nation from bondage to the Roman Empire.
Roman had ruled over Israel for nearly a hundred years. The people wanted to throw off the reins of Rome and indeed there had been many failed rebellions. The Sanhedrin seems to have feared yet another rebellion, but one that would fail again. They were concerned that this time Rome would come and take away any independence of Israel. Up to this point Rome exercised a rather moderate rule over Israel for Rome let Israel govern its own internal and religious affairs through the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders were like politicians of today who seem to be far more concerned with retaining ruling power than doing what is right for the people and were merely concerned with losing their ruling power in the Sanhedrin.
Now comes the greater irony as the high priest Caiaphas, who would later condemn Jesus to death on the night was betrayed, spoke up. John tells us, “Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”Caiaphas was high priest only because the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate appointed him as a co-high priest with his father-in-law Ananias. This was not in keeping with Jewish law which required the high priest to serve for his lifetime and which provided for only one high priest to serve at a time. Certainly, the position of high priest was not to be a political appointment by an occupying army! That Caiaphas would accept a position in the church hierarchy which he knew to be against God’s Law speaks volumes about his character.
So why did Caiaphas say this and what did he mean? How would Jesus’ death save the nation from perishing? Caiaphas certainly did not view Jesus as any kind of Savior from sin!While we do not what he meant by his statement, it seems Caiaphas was thinking in line with the Pharisees that it was indeed possible that Jesus would gather a strong enough backing to start a rebellion that was sure to collapse? That might really anger the Romans who might act to completely suppress the nation. If so, then indeed it would be better that one man die than the whole nation perish.
However Caiaphas understood his prophecy it is clear he certainly did not believe it in the sense God gave it. It is ironic that Caiaphas did not realize that he was speaking of Jesus as being the Savior not only of Israel, but for all God’s people, Jew or Gentile. He had no understanding that Jesus would indeed win a new heavenly kingdom that would make all who believe into one great divine kingdom, one that Rome would never destroy.
Although we do not know what Caiaphas was thinking, ironically we know why he said this, for God tells us through John, “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.”To prophesy means to speak for God. Sometimes that meant bringing a new revelation from God to the people, as Caiaphas did here. It is rather ironic that God would use an unbelieving religious leader to do this, but God is powerful and if he wants anyone to prophesy, so it will be.
Perhaps the greatest irony in this reading is that the religious leaders who should have known the Old Testament prophesies and understood their fulfillment in Christ, would fail miserably, and instead of welcoming him as the Messiah they would only desire his end. Caiaphas’ statement ended the discussion and so John tells us, “So from that day on they plotted to take his life.” One would think that having heard about this great miracle, the rising of Lazarus from the dead, along with all the others miracles of Jesus, that the Sanhedrin would be questioning not the need to be rid of Jesus, but would have recognized him to be their Savior from sin.
The Pharisees made the appearance of having faith in God, but behind the appearance was nothing but cold hard hearts of unbelief. They claimed the right to think about divine matters as the heart and mind pleased without regard to God’s divine Word. They let their pride rule their hearts and minds, for they thought they were able to decide the truth about Jesus and ignore what God had already told them in Scripture. How easy it is for us to fall into the same sin by telling ourselves we know better than God and that we really do not need him or his Word to figure out all matters divine. Therefore, let us examine our own hearts and ask if we have allowed sinful pride to rule our hearts and minds so that we believe and act as we see fit rather than according to God’s Word! Let us remind ourselves that we have a sinful nature that demands we follow its evil thinking and desires for it takes great pride in the self.
It is rather easy it is to condemn the likes of Caiaphas and the Pharisees, but if that is all we do, do a disservice to ourselves, for this a call to remember how easy it is for us to become Pharisees in our thinking and way of doing things. If you think you have been completely faithful in your view of Christ, consider whether you have reasoned away anything in the Scripture. The Scripture is Christ- centered for it is all about our Savior, one way or the other. The entire Scripture is God’s revelation about who he is and what we are to believe about him. Consider for yourself if you have ever followed what you thought you wanted God to be like, instead of how he has revealed himself to be! It is so easy to give God a make-over into a god that pleases the sinful nature simply by “interpreting” his Word not in keeping with all of Scripture, but to suit your own fancy. That is what the Sanhedrin did with Caiaphas’ prophecy and so plotted to kill Jesus.
The spiritual leaders the Pharisees view of Jesus was not ruled by Scripture, but by their own human reasoning. Looking at Christ they saw not the Savior from sin, but a rival, someone who would disrupt their life and ways. Instead of welcoming Jesus and listening to all he taught, each preferred his own counsel. No wonder they led their charges, God’s people,not to Jesus, but away from him with their sinful views, all the while claiming to be faithful believers. They failed in their spiritual responsibilities as leaders of God’s people.
Take to heart that God has given spiritual responsibilities in the various positions of life. Spiritual responsibilities come with the position of husband or wife, mother or father, child, sibling, employee or employer, citizen, neighbor, and with offices or positions in the church. God also has given you the role of being a witness to your friends, neighbors, acquaintances and a world that does not know Christ. These are spiritual positions in the sense that God has commanded that we are to faithful to him in all we do in all our relationships with others. Examine your heart and ask if you how have abused your God given spiritual position. We all have sinned in how we have served in these various positions, but that is why we need a Savior and why we can be thankful that one man died to save the entire nation of God.
Rejoice that God is in control of all history. Be confident in his promise from Romans 8:28 (NIV84) where Paul says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We see God keeping this promise as he caused the sinful thinking and actions of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin to bring about his plan of salvation as eventually they would put Jesus to death, in God’s time and manner. Rejoice that Jesus died for their sins, which assures us he died for our sins. For that is what this irony of the Passion means for us, for indeed it was better that one man die for the people than the whole nation perish for by that death all who believe will not perish but have eternal life! To God be all glory, amen!