Reflective Bible Study

Over our last two episodes, we looked closely at Jesus’ miracle raising Lazarus from the dead. In many ways, this was an unprecedented miracle, because Lazarus had been dead and buried longer than any resurrection miracle prior to this. And this miracle serves as a powerful foundation for us to place our faith on that when we have chosen Jesus, He will be able to raise us from the grave just like He raised Lazarus.

Because this miracle was so powerful and amazing, we come to our passage for this episode, which focuses on what happened because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In this passage, we see not only the response of the people present and those they told, but also of the religious leaders who already disliked Jesus.

Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 45, John tells us:

⁴⁵ Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! ⁴⁸ If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!”

⁴⁹ One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! ⁵⁰ Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” ⁵¹ Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, ⁵² and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.

⁵³ From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus. ⁵⁴ So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival. ⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” ⁵⁷ The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.

In this passage, from how the events are framed, we could conclude that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead a few weeks before the annual Passover celebration.

It is also interesting, that the religious leaders give orders that anyone with knowledge of where Jesus was must report it so they could arrest Jesus. This detail is interesting because during the week of the Passover celebration, Jesus speaks openly in the temple at least twice, and leading up to this, Jesus openly rides a donkey into Jerusalem. These events are prime events to arrest Jesus, but an arrest does not happen.

However, the most fascinating piece of this entire response to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is what the high priest prophesies about Jesus. Caiaphas, the high priest that year, told the religious leaders in verse 50: “Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?”

Even though John follows this quotation up with the powerful idea that this was a prophecy, in this statement itself, we have so much depth that it is hard to grasp it all.

On the surface, Caiaphas’ statement is relevant, because in their minds, Jesus’ presence and ministry was significant enough to threaten Rome, and Rome did not like to be threatened. However, it is also worth noting that any time Jesus drew a crowd of followers larger than a certain size, He began to challenge this crowd with difficult to accept spiritual truth prompting the crowd to leave and many in the crowd to doubt. This is recorded in the gospels on at least two occasions, though I suspect there were more. We don’t have to look very far in Jesus’ ministry to realize overthrowing Rome was not anywhere on His agenda.

However, while Caiaphas said these words as a defense against the threat of Rome, and primarily for self-preservation, these words have a much deeper meaning, also foreshadowing Jesus’ ultimate mission in this world.

In an ironic twist, the highest spiritual authority in the Jewish faith, who also happened to be Jesus’ most high-profile opponent, is led by God to give the most powerful prophecy describing Jesus’ mission and purpose for coming to this world.

Even though I’m sure Caiaphas did not fully grasp the full significance of His statement, God used Caiaphas, who was openly against Jesus, to give a true prophecy about what Jesus came to accomplish.

At that point in history, the set of prophecies that the religious leaders focused on were the ones where the Messiah overthrows Rome, and where the Messiah ultimately lasts forever. There were prophecies that describe a Messiah who suffers, is betrayed, and who is killed as a sacrificial lamb, but these prophecies were discounted, minimized, or outright ignored.

The last thing on these religious leaders’ minds was that Jesus was the Messiah God would send. Jesus didn’t fit their picture for the messiah, even if it was clear that Jesus was actively stepping into the role of Messiah.

Earlier this year, we saw that these religious leaders rejected Jesus because He was raised and from Nazareth. This was true, but it was a false assumption that Jesus was born in Nazareth. It is easy for us to see this in the scriptures, but perhaps more challenging for those in the first century who only knew of people being born and raised in one location. If it had not been for the census, Jesus’ wouldn’t have been born in Bethlehem, and I suspect if it had not been for Herod’s threat, Mary and Joseph may have raised Jesus in Bethlehem, being familiar with the prophecies about the Messiah.

In the first century, the religious leaders used plenty of reasons to reject Jesus as the Messiah. But even with their choice to reject Jesus, God used Jesus’ opponents in a powerful way to fulfill His prophecies about the Messiah. Topping this list is Caiaphas’ prophecy about Jesus’ mission into this world to die, and John’s side-note describes Jesus’ mission perfectly in verses 51 and 52. Caiaphas prophesied that “Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.”

Jesus came to this earth to redeem not just one race, one religion, or one ideology. Jesus came to redeem and unite all of God’s people that were scattered throughout the world. Jesus’ mission is bigger than we could ever imagine, and I suspect that God’s people are more diverse than we could ever imagine either. Jesus came to unite and redeem God’s people, and that means for us living today that when we ally ourselves with Jesus, we join with the body that will be saved when Jesus returns! Allying with Jesus leads to eternal life.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, seek God first in your life and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Jesus, allying yourself with His plan, His mission, and His purpose for your life.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to purposely grow closer to God each and every day. While God can use people for His purposes regardless of whether they have allied themselves for or against Jesus, only when we grow towards Jesus will we be saved for eternity, and the best place for us to find Jesus is within the pages of the Bible, and specifically in the pages of the gospel record. Through the gospels, we discover not only what Jesus is like, but what God is like as well.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Reading Mark’s gospel, one has a hard time missing the emphasis Mark places on Jesus repeatedly warning the disciples about what would be coming the next time they visited Jerusalem. However, at the start of our passage, Mark describes this trip in an interesting way. From how Mark describes this trip, one might be confused with how Jesus acted on this trip.

Like all of the passages in our year in Mark, our passage for this episode comes from Mark’s gospel, and this episode specifically focuses in on a section of chapter 10. Reading from the God’s Word translation and starting with verse 32, Mark tells us that:

³² Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. His disciples were shocked that he was going to Jerusalem. The others who followed were afraid. Once again he took the twelve apostles aside. He began to tell them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to foreigners. ³⁴ They will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will come back to life.”

Let’s pause reading for a moment because what Mark has described here is powerful and also easy to miss. Jesus fully knows what is coming when they reach Jerusalem. Jesus also knows that He will be betrayed, even before Judas Iscariot knows he will be the betrayer. And it is amazing in my mind to read Mark’s description that Jesus walked ahead of the disciples towards Jerusalem.

Mark tells us that the disciples were shocked Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, and the other people who were following were afraid. This response is understandable. With Jesus repeatedly telling the disciples Jerusalem will be where He will be killed, it is understandable that the disciples and those following Jesus would be concerned about His trip headed in that direction. This verse suggests that Jesus was determined to face death head on. Jesus was not afraid of death because He knew the resurrection would come afterwards.

In an interesting way, Jesus’ lack of fear regarding death should be our response as well. We shouldn’t fear death. Instead, we should be determined to walk along the path God has placed before us and not be concerned if that path ends in death. However, like Jesus modeled for us, when we follow God’s path for our lives, death is not the end. Whether we live or die following the path God has for our lives, we can look forward to the resurrection that Jesus promised and the resurrection Jesus experienced.

Two of Jesus’ disciples saw an opportunity on this trip. It is unclear if these disciples understood what Jesus was telling them, or if they were simply looking past what Jesus had said to the point when He would set up His kingdom.

Continuing in verse 35, Mark tells us that:

³⁵ James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus. They said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do us a favor.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

³⁷ They said to him, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸ Jesus said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?”

³⁹ “We can,” they told him.

Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive. ⁴⁰ But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people.”

⁴¹ When the other ten apostles heard about it, they were irritated with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called the apostles and said, “You know that the acknowledged rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. ⁴³ But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to be most important among you will be a slave for everyone. ⁴⁵ It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

In our passage and specifically in James’ and John’s request, we discover a spirit of wanting to be elevated, honored, and given status. When the other disciples heard about this short discussion and request, I’m sure they were irritated, but likely not because James and John had asked Jesus this. Instead, I suspect they were irritated because they wished they were the ones who had asked Jesus this question instead.

Before calling the disciples together to challenge them regarding this spirit of hierarchy among them, I find it fascinating that Jesus tells James and John that they will take part in the suffering He will face, but that the places of honor that these disciples are requesting have already been reserved for other people. And it is interesting that these other people are not chosen by Jesus. Jesus tells us that He doesn’t have the authority to make this decision.

From what I can tell, the Bible doesn’t indicate who will fill those two honored roles. I suspect, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some people believe, that these two positions were actually filled by the two thieves or criminals who hung on crosses along with Jesus. However, whether this is the honored position Jesus is referring to or not, this detail is not what Jesus wants His followers to focus on.

Instead, when James and John’s request is discovered and the disciples have this topic fresh in their minds, Jesus pulls them all together and challenges their focus on status in this world. While culture wants to pressure us to continue stepping up, Jesus challenges His followers that they should instead focus on stepping down and serving. In God’s eyes, the most important person present is the one in the lowest position who is serving everyone around them.

Jesus modeled this focus for us. Jesus modeled what it means to have position and status in the universe’s eyes, and then to step down into humanity. Jesus then modeled for us here on earth what it means to step down even further because as the Messiah, which was a role that would have resulted in fame, status, and a kingdom, Jesus focused His life towards serving others rather than being served, and on giving His life for the lives of others. No earthly leader would do this, but this is what Jesus called His followers to do. We are called to put others ahead of ourselves just like Jesus did!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I regularly challenge you to do, be sure to intentionally seek God first and to model Jesus by stepping down and serving others. Accept the gift Jesus has given to us through His death and don’t be afraid of facing death while walking along the path God has created for you. When we are living the lives God has called us to live, death is not the end. Instead, death marks the point when we are able to finally rest and look forward to Jesus resurrecting us back to life.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. Choose to let God lead and teach you through His word and take what you read, hear, or learn and filter it through the spiritual lens of the Bible. The Bible is a gift God has kept safe for thousands of years, and it is a present that teaches us how we can accept Jesus and be saved for eternity!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or be scared out of where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!