My Lord Jesus,
As I enter this day, Your word gives me pause and troubles my spirit. Your miracles, Your signs of love, did not bring forth faith in every heart. In the hearts of the leaders, they sowed fear, scheming, and conspiracy.
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.” (John 11:47)
Their first thought was not to glorify God, but to worry about their own positions and preserve a superficial peace. In You, they did not see a Savior, but a threat to their earthly power.
“If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” (John 11:48)
And so, the timeless story the psalmist speaks of was repeated.
The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed one. (Psalm 2:2)
Then Caiaphas stood up, convinced of his own wisdom, and spoke words that would echo into eternity, though he himself did not understand their meaning.
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all!” (John 11:49)
His proposal was cold, political, and seemingly practical—to sacrifice one for the good of the many.
“You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (John 11:50)
You Came to Gather, Not to Scatter
Lord, how wonderful You are in Your providence! Even these words, spoken from fear and malice, were used by You, O God, to foretell Your redemptive plan.
Caiaphas thought he was saving the nation, but in reality, he was prophesying the salvation of the world.
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. (John 11:51)
And Your love, Jesus, knew no bounds. You did not come for one nation only, but to gather all of us, Your scattered and lost children, into one family.
And not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. (John 11:52)
Truly, You are the one who bears the sins of the whole world.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
Your Death Is My Life
Their decision, born of darkness, became for me a source of eternal light. Their choice for death became my path to life.
So from that day on they plotted to take his life. (John 11:53)
They sought You to destroy You, but they feared the people who loved You.
And the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. (Luke 22:2)
Their fear led them to issue secret orders and calls for betrayal.
But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. (John 11:57)
But while they were plotting, You were showing Your love. You died for me while I was still a sinner, when I did not deserve You. This is the grace that invites me to enter a new day without condemnation.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
You have shown me what the greatest love is.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)
Thank you, Jesus, for being my friend. Thank you for dying so that I might live.
May I live this day in gratitude for Your sacrifice.
Amen.
Amen 🙏