Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 26, 2023
Because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 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 miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews.
Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the Feast at all?” But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.” (John 11:45–57, NIV84)
Caiaphas said more than he realized. It was necessary that Jesus die, not only for all the Jews, but for all mankind. Someone had to pay the price for sins, first with perfect obedience to God and then by suffering all the penalties for sins.
All mankind will perish eternally in the fires of hell, except for Jesus and his work. It is faith, believing in Jesus and what he did for you that gives you eternal life instead of everlasting punishment.
And Jesus wouldn’t go to Jerusalem until he knew it was the time ordained from eternity to complete the work of salvation for mankind.
It is because of Jesus, God’s very Son, that anyone may receive eternal life. And it is only through faith in Jesus that we receive eternal life!
Lord, preserve our faith!
Prayer
O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully to sustain and preserve Thy people, that by Thy great goodness we may be preserved evermore in both body and soul. This we ask through Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord. Amen
