John 11:47-57
So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting and said, “What shall we do, since this man performs so many miracles? If we let him do this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our temple and our nation.” One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You understand nothing, and do not consider how much it will be to your advantage if one man dies for the people, rather than the whole nation perish.” He did not say this himself, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, not only for the Jewish nation, but also to gather in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. From that day on, they decided to kill Jesus. So Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to a country near the desert, to a city called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. The Jewish Passover was approaching, so many people went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to sanctify themselves. They were looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple, they discussed with one another, “What do you think? Is he coming to the festival? Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given a decree that if anyone knew where he was, they should let them know so that they could arrest him.
The resurrection of Lazarus was a clear sign of Jesus’ divine authority, and this was unbearable for the religious authorities of the time. They were unwilling to recognize the miracles Jesus performed as divine proof of His mission, and they no longer knew what to do. They saw more and more people believing in Jesus, but they had no way to refute Him or accuse Him of any crime, so they decided to kill Him.
Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin that year, prophesied that one man must die for the people, so that the nation would not perish. The Gospel writer emphasizes that these words were not his own but were prophetic revelations from his office as high priest. He therefore foresaw the death of Jesus that these religious authorities later instigated before the Roman governors.
What a tragic situation !
God used undeniable miracles and signs to confirm that the Son of God was sent to the world by Himself. Those who rule mankind in the name of God have committed the most serious sin imaginable: they should be held responsible for the death of Jesus, who came to redeem mankind and lead mankind back to heaven.
As believers, we know that the Son of God willingly undertook the atoning death. Therefore, not only the children of Israel will be redeemed, for, as the Gospel says, Jesus died ” not only for the Jewish nation, but also in order to gather together in one the children of God who are scattered abroad “.
At the command of the Risen Lord, the Gospel will be brought to the ends of the earth. All peoples and nations are invited to be reconciled to God through Christ’s death and resurrection and to receive eternal life in Him. God accepts the death of His Son as a sacrifice for sin and offers salvation to all who believe in Him. What a grace !
On the other hand, how pathetic was the way the religious authorities treated Jesus in his day! What obvious blindness and evil! The chief priests and Pharisees gave orders that if anyone knew where He was, they should let them know so that they could arrest Him . Rejection of Jesus had turned into active persecution, with direct death threats against Jesus. The stubbornness of the religious leaders could no longer be dispelled. Jesus’ words and deeds blinded them further and further to Him.
This is the consequence of closing oneself off from the truth. This blindness can even become “willful blindness,” darkening the person to the point where he or she does not even want to know the truth. At this point, hardness is complete and there is no way for the person to get out of this state unless God brings him or her out through a special grace.
As for Jesus, he withdrew with his disciples to Ephraim, which is near the desert. After the Sanhedrin had condemned him , the Lord no longer appeared to the Jews until the right time had come.
But, His hour is near! The Lord has only a short time left, and He will drink the cup to the end. Jesus knows what awaits Him, and He will consciously go to Jerusalem to meet “His hour”: God will turn the darkest hour into the brightest light.