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      "One for All"
      John 11:45-53
      Theme:       God’s sovereign grace can cause even the harshest human antagonisms to work together to accomplishment His eternal purpose of redemption.

      1. The Impact of Grace – 11:45-46

        1. It Initiates Faith – v. 45

          1. As we saw earlier in this account, God had sovereignly brought many Jews from the regions of Jerusalem together to comfort Mary and Martha – for the purpose of providing unbiased and credible witnesses to the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection.
          2. The impact of this miracle was powerful – in two very diverse ways.
          3. First, we are told that "many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him."
          4. It is not to be understood that this "belief" was saving faith – something that does not result from merely seeing the miraculous.
          5. "Saving faith" is something that results from hearing the message about Christ -–cp. Romans 10:17
          6. What the miracle of resurrection accomplished was to call attention that Jesus was of God and that the people ought to listen to the truth He proclaimed – about their condition and about His own identity and purpose.
          7. What is likely is that the majority of those who "believed" came to trust in Jesus as the one who could assume the throne of David and deliver Israel from the Roman oppression – this was the interpretation of the rulers – cp. vv. 48-50
          8. It is the grace of God that works in our hearts to bring us all to a point of faith in Him.

        2. It Infuriates Scoffers – v. 46

          1. In contrast to those who respond positively to Christ’s miraculous power are those who scoff at what Christ has to offer – "But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done."
          2. In essence, these people complained that drastic action had to be taken against the "miracle-worker."
          3. What incredible demonstration of the hardness of the human heart – that this most spectacular miracle yet could only serve in the hearts of those whose souls were closed and hardened to further antagonize and infuriate.
          4. How foolish to think that all we have to do is demonstrate to the intellect of a sinner the truth of Christ’s miracles and work and he will be converted!
          5. Nothing but omnipotent and sovereign grace is of any avail for those who are lost – and the only thing God uses to quicken the dead is His own Word.

      2. The Intrusion on Grace – 11:47-48

        1. The Containment of the Savior’s Influence – vv. 47-48a

          1. When the religious "establishment" heard about what had happened a few miles away in Bethany, "the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs’?"
          2. These two rival sects hated each other as bitter enemies, but in this evil work of persecuting the Lord Jesus, they buried their differences, and eagerly joined together in the common crime
          3. The same is true ultimately of Pontius Pilate (the Roman procurator of Judea) and Herod the Roman approved King of the Jews – cp. Luke 23:11-12; Psalm 2:2
          4. They are concerned that if no action is taken, that Jesus’ influence will spread and affect the way people believe – "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him."
          5. No matter how clearly Jesus was demonstrated to be the Son of God, they would refuse to believe in Him and they would seek anyway possible to suppress the truth – in their own hearts as well as in the hearts of others – cp. Romans 1:18-19

        2. The Continuation of the Status Quo – v. 48b

          1. Now we see their great foundational motive: "… and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
          2. They feared that with Passover approaching, and all the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in Jerusalem – that a disturbance caused by the crowd’s embrace of Jesus as their king would bring Rome’s heavy hand down upon them and lead to the loss of what national life still remained to them.
          3. Reasoning completely with human wisdom, they figured that in order to save their religious system ("our place" – most likely refers to the Temple) that they had to do something.
          4. Thus, they imagined that if they stopped short the "career" of Jesus that they could protect themselves against the Romans – just like people think that they can reject the Lord today in order to enjoy a truly fulfilling life.
          5. However, even as the Jews faced the wrath of Rome only a few years later as Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, people who believe that they can find happiness outside of the Lord will know destruction and death.

      3. The Initiative of Grace – 11:49-53

        1. It Accommodates Man’s Antagonisms – vv. 49-50

          1. In keeping with this perspective to attempting to find a political solution to their dilemma, Caiaphas steps forward: "But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, 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’."
          2. Under the guise of "noble patriotism" this corrupt man was trying to get rid of a hindrance to his own popularity and glory.
          3. He summed it up as follows: "Follow Jesus, the nation perishes --- put Jesus to death, the nation is saved."
          4. His reasons that by killing Jesus, they can prove to Rome that they are not interested in seeing some "deliverer" come and lead them to freedom in an independent Kingdom – they would thereby prove their loyalty to Caesar – something verified in the confession before Pilate during Jesus "trial" – cp. John 19:15

        2. It Accomplishes God’s Agenda – vv. 51-53

          1. However, the words of Caiaphas have a deeper meaning than even he realized: "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."
          2. It had been decreed in the eternal counsels of the Godhead that Christ should die for the people – and when Caiaphas advanced his proposal, he was demonstrating that even the fury of men is subject to the sovereign power of Almighty God – cp. Genesis 50:20
          3. Caiaphas said what his wicked heart conjured, but …

            4. "God’s will, without becoming even in the least degree defiled, so directed the choice of phraseology that the words which issue from the lips of this cold-blooded murderer were exactly the ones that were needed to give expression to the most sublime and glorious truth regarding God’s redemptive love. Without becoming aware of it the villain had become the prophet!"

          4. John elaborates and indicates Jesus death was "not for that nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad"
            1. This clearly indicates that the Gentiles are to be included in the work of Christ’s atoning death.
            2. He died not for the Jewish people only, but also for the sins of the whole world – cp. 1 John 2:2
          5. Thus we see that God’s elect are not limited to one race or people, but include men from all nations – cp. John 10:16
          6. The official decision had been reached – "So from that day on they planned together to kill Him."

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