#168 Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus (John 11:45-57) - Life of Christ = Week 34 - Wednesday

Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus
John 11:45-57

Intro Questions

The Sanhedrin’s Plot against Jesus

John 11:45–54

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

⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? ⁴⁸If we let Him continue in this way, everybody will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our nation.”

⁴⁹One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” ⁵¹He did not say this on his own; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, ⁵²and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to kill Him. ⁵⁴Therefore 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.

Jn 11:55–56Now the Jewish Passover was near, and before the Passover many went up to Jerusalem from the country† to purify themselves. 56They 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?”

57The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it so they could arrest Him.

Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (p. 183). Holman Bible Publishers.

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• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
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• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
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OPEN:

• When have you challenged company policy? What happened?

DIG:

• What responses does the Lazarus miracle produce? Why? 
• What are the chief concerns of the leaders? How do they misunderstand the role of the Messiah? How does Caiaphas propose to solve "the Jesus problem"? How does Caiaphas' murderous threat unwittingly convey prophetic truth about Jesus' death (John 3:16)? 
• How does Jesus respond to this new situation?

REFLECT:

• What would you have done if you had been on the Sanhedrin? Would politics or truth win out with you? 
• In what ways are you most likely to misunderstand who Jesus is? 
• How have you tried to keep Jesus in line with your religious traditions?

THE WICKEDNESS AGAINST JESUS (11:45–53)

    A.      The problem (11:45–48)

      1.      The council (11:45–47): The Pharisees call a meeting to discuss the attention Jesus is receiving because of his miracles.

      2.      The concern (11:48): They are afraid this will bring the wrath of the Romans down upon them.

    B.      The prophecy (11:49–52): The high priest Caiaphas says: “Why should the whole nation be destroyed? Let this one man die for the people.”

    C.      The plot (11:53): From that day on, they plot to kill Jesus!

THE WITHDRAWAL BY JESUS (11:54): He and his disciples leave Judea briefly and retire to a village called Ephraim.

THE WATCH FOR JESUS (11:55–57): Many people at the Passover feast wonder if Jesus will attend.

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The Jewish leaders knew that if they didn’t stop Jesus, the Romans would discipline them. Rome gave partial freedom to the Jews as long as they were quiet and obedient. Jesus’ miracles often caused a disturbance. The leaders feared that Rome’s displeasure would bring additional hardship to their nation.

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Hard Hearts

Even when confronted point-blank with the power of Jesus’ deity, some refused to believe. These eyewitnesses not only rejected Jesus; they also plotted his murder. They were so hardened that they preferred to reject God’s Son rather than admit that they were wrong. When we judge others, we automatically consider ourselves to be better. Beware of pride. If allowed to grow, it can lead to enormous sin.

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 Passover was a holiday designed to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and to remind the people what God had done. Many Jews came to Jerusalem to celebrate this holy day.

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Quiet Time

Lazarus’s return to life became the last straw for the religious leaders who were bent on killing Jesus. So Jesus stopped his public ministry and took his disciples away from Jerusalem to Ephraim, a town several miles to the north. Jesus needed time to talk to his disciples and teach them many things before he died. He wanted to get away from the conflict in Jerusalem so the disciples could rest and concentrate on his words for them. At times all of us need to get away from the busyness of our daily routines, resting and listening to God. Set aside a certain time each day when you can quietly listen and talk to God.

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The Jewish Sanhedrin

Jesus’ raising of Lazarus near Jerusalem caused such a sensation among the people that Jesus’ enemies decided it was time for official action. They called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court in the land. This group, consisting of 70 members plus the Jewish high priest, exercised authority over the religious life of the Jewish people. The Romans were the ultimate authority in Palestine, but they generally let the Jews take care of their own religious matters.

From the time of this meeting of the Sanhedrin, Jesus was a marked man. His enemies were determined to arrest Him and to orchestrate His execution. They knew they would have to make a civil case against Him and get Him convicted by the Roman officials. Rome refused to allow groups such as the Sanhedrin in their subject provinces to pronounce and carry out the death penalty

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