October 6, 2023

John 11:45-57 (HCSB)
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? 48 If we let Him continue in this way, everyone will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation.” 49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, 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 also to unite the scattered children of God. 53 So from that day on they plotted to kill Him. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews but departed from there to the countryside near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim. And He stayed there with the disciples. 55 The Jewish Passover was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country to purify themselves before the Passover. 56 They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple complex: “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will He?” 57 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it so they could arrest Him.

Nathan Putty
You would think hearing about a guy doing all these amazing things would get you stoked, but the fear of losing power makes people do desperate things. Just as our modern-day politicians do today when they need a scapegoat to take the fall for their wrongdoings, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin did the same with Jesus. HD preaching about cancel culture recently rang a bell here. Nothing much has changed, has it? Can’t say as I blame Jesus for taking a trip to the countryside to be with friends. He knew this was the calm before the storm. Little did the Pharisees, and the chief priests know that in their scheming to create a scapegoat, they would create the spotless Lamb.