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all right let’s go before the Lord in prayer Lord God we are desperate to hear from you this morning we don’t want the word of man we want the word of God because it is your word that is Supernatural to save and sanctify God speak your word to us and help me to be able to speak it clearly and Lord help us to do it in Jesus name amen many of you know that I enjoy it learning about history lately I’ve been reading more about the man Nicolo makavelli you may know the name makavelli he was an Italian Diplomat writer and political theorist from the 15th century but you may know him because of a famous or rather Infamous book that he wrote its English title is called the prince though Scholars debate the ultimate purpose of this work the prince presents itself as a how to guide for European rulers the scandalous part of the book though is that throughout it makavelli recommends that a ruler not let himself be restricted by IDE idealistic Notions of right and wrong but instead commit himself to doing whatever is profitable to gain and maintain power such a ruling stance is necessary makavelli argues because many people in the world are evil and evil people will eventually take advantage of a ruler and bring about his downfall if that ruler is not prepared to be a little evil himself when necessary thus for example amak writes well it is good for a ruler to have a reputation of righteousness merciful honest religious a ruler in fact should secretly be none of these or at least not all the time as another example Machi recommends that a ruler become a great liar and receiver even ready to break a promise anytime it would be advantageous to do so as one more example makavel warns that a ruler must not seize the property of his subjects or else they will never forgive him but a ruler May kill an innocent person or people and even be forgiven for doing so if the ruler can provide a convenient justification now while maki’s book surely does provide insight into how rulers and their subjects often act in the real world his apparent Commendation recommendation of amoral self-interest in politics has made makavelli a byword for cynical and ruthless scheming we literally have the word makavelian in English meaning marked by cunning duplicity or bad faith such as his legacy I mention all this to you because if mavelli had been alive in biblical times he would have found a kindred spirit in the man we’re about to meet in the next section of the Gospel of John a man who would have agreed with all the principles a makaveli’s later book who is this man is Caiaphas the high priest of the Jewish temple and president of judea’s governing assembly the Sanhedrin during the days of Jesus though Caiaphas appears suddenly in the Gospel of John and only speaks briefly his words quickly reveal him to be a spiritual hypocrite ready to shed innocent blood for his own political gain indeed just as makavelli would later recommend in his book Caiaphas appeals to the aoral political self-interest of his fellow rulers to unite them in a plot to destroy Jesus however in the very words of cunning counsel that Caiaphas speaks Caiaphas unknowingly is used by God to articulate a core truth about Jesus Heaven Sent Mission by reporting Caius unwitting prophetic announcement our author the Apostle John not only exposes the wicked motivation of the Jewish leaders and bringing about jesus’ death but also reveals the Sovereign control and mercy of God in turning the wicked plot of the Sanhedrin into the very means of accomplishing God’s amazing Salvation let’s see all this for ourselves please take your Bibles and turn to John 11 we’re in John 11: 47-54 today the title of the message is God’s or I’m sorry Caiaphas the unwilling Prophet Caiaphas the unwitting Prophet John 11:47 to5 4 it’s Pew Bible page 174 if you’re using that before we read our new section remember the context we are now only a few months or even a few weeks before Jesus crucifixion previously though hostility from the Jewish leaders toward Jesus had never been higher Jesus risked coming back into the region of Judea near Jerusalem to visit some bereaved friends in Bethany while in that little village Jesus raised Lazarus who had already been decomposing in the grave from the dead according to John 11:46 some witnesses of this astounding Miracle soon reported it to the Pharisees the popular religious leaders who by this point hate Jesus more than anyone else our new section our new text picks up immediately afterwards so let’s now read John 114 47 to 54 therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the council and were saying what are we doing for this man is performing many signs if we let him go on like this all men will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation but one of them Caius who was high priest that year said to them you know nothing at all nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people and that the whole nation not perish now he did not say this on his own initiative but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation and not for the nation only but in order that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad so from that day on they planned together to kill Jesus or to kill him therefore Jesus Jus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews but went away from there to the country to the country near the Wilderness into a city called Ephraim and there he stayed with the disciples in this new short section we witness the exact moment in which Israel’s rulers formally agree to kill Jesus we’ve seen different efforts to kill Jesus sees and kill Jesus before in this gospel mostly efforts led by the Pharisees but it’s only now that the entire body representing Israel’s leaders unify and commit to seizing and executing the Son of God as soon as possible yet in the middle of this profoundly Wicked event we also witness Israel’s makavelian high priest accidentally prophesy what Jesus death will ultimately accomplish the salvation and unification of all the scattered children of God as such a pronouncement from Caiaphas only an ironic coincidence hardly or our author wouldn’t have been interested in reporting it to us rather here’s the main idea of this passage John reports the sanhedrin’s murderous conspiracy so that you will Behold The Sovereign and merciful salvation plan of God at work and believe in Jesus John reports the San hudon’s murderous conspiracy that you will Behold The Sovereign and merciful salvation plan of God at work and believe in Jesus The Narrative proceeds in five parts those who make up the Five Points my sermon outline let’s work our way through the passage starting with the first point in verses 47 to 48 what do we see first number one the Sanhedrin fears National Doom because of Jesus the San man hedrin fears National Doom because of Jesus let’s reread the beginning of verse 47 therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a councel notice the therefore that begins this verse that therefore points us back to verse 46 and the news that the Pharisees just received about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead now this unsettling news causes the Pharisees to do something that they really don’t want to do and that is ask the chief priest for Help Now who are the chief priests they’re sometimes simply referred to as the Sadducees in the Bible the name Chief priest refers to the high priest and all his Priestly relatives and Associates who controlled all Temple business in Jerusalem and who made up the majority of the Sanhedrin what’s the Sanhedrin the Sanhedrin was the C of 70ish leaders who governed Israel on Rome’s behalf they exercise legislative judicial and executive Authority all in their one assembly now as I said the Sanhedrin was mostly made up of the chief priests or Sadducees though there were also some Pharisees in the Sanhedrin as well as elders and the elders would be heads of prominent landowning families throughout Judea now why would the Pharisees hate working with the chief priests or Sadducees it’s because these two groups were basically enemies with profoundly different religious and political views the Pharisees were the popular religious leaders spread throughout the land in various synagogues the chief priests were the official religious leaders based at the temple in Jerusalem the Pharisees affirmed the whole Old Testament scriptures as well as the Pharisees own re Traditions as authoritative whereas the chief priests only affirmed the five books of Moses as authoritative they rejected all Traditions the Pharisees believed in the resurrection Angels spirits and the afterlife the chief priest denied all of these the Pharisees were focused on strict religious observance and moral Purity at least externally the chief priests were focused on enriching themselves through the temple system the Pharisees Pharisees though they did not Advocate open Rebellion they nevertheless opposed Roman rule the chief priests happily cooperated with Rome in order to maintain their own power and wealth so you can see the Pharisees and the chief priests they are firmly opposed to one another they were firmly opposed to one another back then but notice again the beginning of verse 47 it says the chief priest and the Pharisees convened the council now that’s interesting because that resur rection news that’s mentioned in verse 46 it’s reported specifically to the Pharisees yet it’s the chief priests and the Pharisees that call for a council so what’s the implication of verses 46 and 47 together well it must be that the Pharisees shared with the chief priests the news about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and then both groups worked together to call a counil in response actually though you see a counsil in the Naas 95 translation of verse 47 which is what we’re working with and a council is an accurate way of translating the original Greek word here suned on the NIV and the LSB probably give a better translation with simply the Sanhedrin they convened or they called together the Sanhedrin likely it’s not any old Council that these two groups are looking to convene but the council the ruling Council of 70 the Sanhedrin but what thought has so alarmed both the chief priests and the Pharisees were normally Fierce Rivals to work together to call an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin but we discovered the answer in the rest of verse 47 and verse 48 and they were saying what are we doing for this man is performing many signs if we let him go on like this all men will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation notice the question that begins The Joint statement of Chief priests and Pharisees in verse 47 though we could translate the Greek for the question as what are we to do and I think you see that in at least one of the major Bible translations likely the nasby 95 has it better with what are we doing in other words the Jewish leaders are calling the whole Council to assess what they have been doing in response to Jesus and whether such actions or the lack thereof are proving effective what are we doing is this working and there’s a dire need for the Sanhedrin to reassess its actions for as the chief priests and Pharisees point out at the end of verse 47 Jesus fresh off an amazing Resurrection keeps performing many signs that is sign Miracles he’s doing miraculous works by the way notice once again Jesus enemies will not allow themselves to say jesus’ name they will only refer to him as this man notice also that the chief priest and Pharisees they do not deny that Jesus is accomplishing many miracles actually this is consistent throughout the New Testament Jesus enemies do not deny that he’s doing Miracles probably because the evidence is too plentiful and obvious what they do deny or what they do ignore are the theological implications of Jesus miracles and they also tried to attribute Jesus miracles to the devil now though it would be highly sensible for the Jewish leaders to reassess their stance toward Jesus considering his many miracles and really ask themselves maybe we should believe in this man instead of opposing him that is not where this discussion is headed notice the specific fear confessed by the chief priests and Pharisees in verse 48 if we let him go on like this if we do not take effective action to stop him everyone will believe in him believe in him as what as Messiah and maybe even as the Son of God these Miracles are too wondrous and power powerful if we don’t halt their output everyone will believe in this man why would that be so bad is it because in their few Jesus is in in fact a deceiver and law breaker is it because Jesus will lead all the Jews away from God and to hell that may be how the Pharisees feel but notice that’s not how the chief priests and Pharisees make their pitch to the Sanhedrin instead the two groups warn if everyone believes in him then the Romans will come and take away everything now you might ask how does that follow how does everyone believing in Jesus equal Roman Devastation well the answer is the Messiah is Israel’s promised king and a king comes to rule doesn’t he if Jesus claims to be such a king or even if people only believe that Jesus is such a king the people will be whipped up to such zealous enthusiasm that they’ll throw off the Roman yoke and proclaim a new kingdom and the Romans are not going to take that lying down down Rome that terrible Beast with its iron teeth and Claws it will never ignore Revolt or Rebellion but it will instead bring down its terrible wrath upon Judea to teach the Jews and the whole world a lesson notice specifically what the chief priests and Pharisees claim the Romans will do they will first come and take away our place what place this phrase is probably not a reference to the sanhedrin’s ruling position rather to the special place over which the Sanhedrin presided the temple in Jerusalem actually if you study through the book of Acts you’ll notice there are several times the Jews referring to the temple simply as this place or the holy Place indeed the Jerusalem Temple was a symbol of Jewish Unity pride and divine favor to have the place merely spoken against for many Jews was considered blasphemy deserving death how fearful to the Jews then would be the prospect of the Romans coming and permanently destroying the Glorious Jerusalem Temple the Romans will take away our place it’s not just the temple that’s in danger due to a Roman response to Rebellion but also they say our nation and the word for nation there is the Greek word ethnos and it refers to the people of Israel so don’t think Nation like modern nation state think the people in other words the chief priests and phes warn that if Jesus is not stopped the Romans will soon find reason to destroy and Scatter all the Jews of Judea I mean the Romans are brutal we can’t risk that what a Calamity therefore the sanhan for sees due to Jesus unchecked sign wonders therefore the course before the s hedrin is obvious is it not they’ve got to do something the man must be stopped now before it becomes impossible to avoid National Doom now we should pause and ask are the fears of the Sanhedrin or at least these two groups in the Sanhedrin based at all in reality is Jesus really a national danger it is notable that back in John 6 after Jesus Jesus miraculously multiplied food the people who believed in him we were told tried to come and make him King by force in a sense then the chief priests and Pharisees actually have a good read on the national pulse new Believers in Jesus believers they may indeed support a rebellion against Rome however how did Jesus respond to those efforts or at least those desires to make him King in John 6 he withdrew he withdrew from the people he made sure that they could not do that and though Jesus did speak one time of destroying the temple in John 2 he said the Jews would destroy it not him and after all the Temple of which he was speaking was the Temple of his body though they thought he meant the temple in Jerusalem indeed if the Sanhedrin knew and believed what Jesus was really about they wouldn’t have Jesus bringing National Calamity by Rebellion against Rome after all Jesus will tell pilate later in this gospel John 18:36 my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews but as it is my kingdom is not of this realm but then again this foretelling of Jesus bringing National Doom it doesn’t have to be firmly based in reality to be useful for those who want to be rid of Jesus declaring Jesus a national threat is a convenient justification both for disbelieving in him and for killing him though at this point in the text no one has actually said plainly that Jesus should die but that’s about to change we look now at the second part of our text comprising verses 49 to 50 number two Caiaphas advises that Jesus die for the nation Caiaphas advises that Jesus die for the nation look at the beginning of verse 49 but one of them Caius who was high priest that year here we finally meet Caiaphas the high priest over the Jewish worship system commanded by Moses and the president or the leading member of the Jewish Sanhedrin notice that John tells us that Caiaphas was high priest PR that year now the designation of that year doesn’t imply that the office of high priest changed yearly for it did not though Moses commanded the high priesthood to be hereditary and last for life in the beginning books of the Bible the political situation of Jesus day introduced some wrinkles into that Mosaic System since the high priest clearly played an influential role in Jewish religion and politics Rome the overlord demanded final say as to who would serve as the Jews high priest and even sometimes appointed or deposed certain men in that position starting in ad. 18 Rome appointed Caiaphas to the position of high priest and thus expected Caiaphas to remain loyal to Rome and look out for Rome’s interests Caiaphas by the way was also the son-in-law of a previous high priest named Annis you’ll see Annis and Caiaphas both mentioned in the Gospels now all this being true why then does John refer to Caiaphas being high priest that year well it’s simply to point out that during that fateful year of Jesus death and Resurrection Caiaphas was the high priest so as I say Caiaphas now appears in the text and he has something to say what council does this one supposedly serving God in the highest intercessory role in Israel have to say to the Sanhedrin look at the rest of verse 49 he said to them you know nothing at all well there’s a gracious way to begin addressing your fellow Sanhedrin members more literally the Greek is you all yourselves you all yourselves do not know nothing the double negative for emphasis in in Greek what’s implied in such a statement that Caiaphas is way way wiser than the rest of the group so everyone should just shut up and listen to caias the Jewish Roman historian Josephus says that the chief priests were known for their rudess and brutality even with one another Caiaphas already seems to fit that description and it’s just his opening statement what a guy but now let’s examine the substance of kaif’s councel verse 50 nor do you take into account that it is expedent for you that one man die for the people and that the whole nation not perish what is Kif’s counsil to his fellow rulers that they sto being foolish and followed the most obvious political calculation notice the phrase take into account in verse 50 the Greek verb from which this is translated has at its root the idea of mathematical computation so other translations of the word for this verse would be consider or reckon or calculate what is it that Kus says the Sanhedrin members have failed to calculate that it is expedient for you he says or we could translate that it is useful for you it is profitable for you notice whereas the council began with a warning regard the national interest caiaphus here is about to make an appeal to the ruler selfin political self-interest it’s like kist is saying hey you knuckleheads how is it that you have not worked out the obvious play here the one that will advance and secure your own interests as rulers over Judea what is the obvious play according to Caiaphas kill Jesus kill Jesus and save everyone else look at the way Caiaphas frames it at the end of verse 50 it is expedient it is profitable for you that one man die for the people and the whole nation not perish to be fair to Caius if your ruling calculation is only concerned with what will remove National threats and preserve personal power then the clear answer here is indeed to kill Jesus the ends justify the means isn’t it obvious that we ought to preserve our people and position let’s not beat around the bush then this man must die so that his people and the nation might live of course missing from this calculation is any question about whether destroying Jesus is right or just has Jesus actually done anything worthy of death that can be legitimately proved in court how has Jesus accomplished all these sign Miracles even recently raising someone who was three days Dead from the grave could Jesus really be God’s Messiah as some people are saying and could we therefore be committing the gravest Sin calling for God’s judgment by Killing Jesus these questions aren’t asked these questions don’t come up because Caiaphas and as we’ll see shortly most of the Sanhedrin don’t ultimately care about what is right or just all they care about is themselves and having a convenient justification for getting rid of Jesus what we’re seeing exposed here then for us by our author John is the utter Corruption of Israel’s religious and secular leadership surely John’s original audience of Jews would want the question answered if Jesus is really from God then why did our leaders and Nation put him to death why did they put Jesus to death well the answer is provided here as it has been elsewhere in this gospel they put him to death not because Jesus is evil but because they are evil the rulers and their followers they are the evil ones preferring Darkness to light and self-interest to God’s interest it’s a sad exposure but are we to conclude then that Jesus is merely the victim of powerful oppressors is his murder just another tragic andev inevitability in a world filled with Mak of ens not quite for now we come to the third part of our passage in verses 51- 52 here we see number three John clarifies the prophetic truth of Kai’s counsel John clarifies the prophetic truth of Kai’s counsel look at verse 51 now he did not say this on own his own initiative but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation here is a plot twist our author John Suddenly reveals that Caiaphas in his Wicked counsel spoke more truly than he knew notice the beginning phrase he did not say this that is he did not say that one man should die for the people and the whole nation not perish on his own initiative now here John is not denying that Caiaphas said exactly what Caiaphas wanted to say as if words were forced into Caiaphas mouth against his will no Caiaphas spoke exactly as he wished and exactly as he thought would be wise and bring about the result he wanted but there was someone else ultimately behind the specific words Caiaphas used who is that someone else well the author doesn’t say in verse 51 immediately but then he says that caias prophesied he was prophesying which could only mean that the one ultimately behind Caiaphas words was God himself now it should come as quite a surprise that God should choose to speak his truth through Caiaphas first because priests even high priests they were not normally prophets in the Old Testament second because kapas is clearly a wicked man and the wicked do not normally speak for God and third because Caiaphas in the very words of Prophecy he speaks actually counsels wickedness against God and against God’s Christ but isn’t it like our God to do the holy unexpected to show forth his Sovereign power and Glory it’s like God says to Caiaphas here not actually to him but in a in a kind of apostrophe addressing someone who’s not there you may think yourself so shrewd to give your wicked counsel against my son but I will ensure that even in your very words encouraging murder you will Faithfully articulate what my son will ultimately accomplish by his death actually there is something appropriate about such words coming from Israel’s high priest though the high priests were not normally prophets they were given the responsibility of Discerning the will of God through the urum and the thumim and we learn more about those in the Old Testament those were the prophetic lots that somehow the high priest would use to discern the will of God we don’t know exactly how they did that but it’s mentioned in the scriptures the high priest was the one in charge of that furthermore the high priest held Chief responsibility for instructing the people in the way of God and in the way of God’s salvation also as foremost intercessors of God’s people who better to articulate truth regarding God’s ultimate intercession so again it’s like God speaks to Caiaphas and says though you are thoroughly Wicked and unfaithful high priest I will make you at least once fulfill your duty you will accidentally make known my will and teach my true children despite yourself how the salvation of my ultimate high priest will be accomplished it’s an magnificent display of God’s power but how will God’s Messiah indeed accomplished God’s salvation and way the Jews never would have expected and that is by dying for them look at the end of verse 51 again he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation and what’s the implication in Jesus dying for the nation especially as Caiaphas articulates it that by Jesus dying for his people they no longer will have to die but instead will will live but why is there a necessary death at all why should Jesus have to die or why would the people have to die is Jesus going to die simply to provide an example of noble sacrifice and deep love on behalf of others I just want to show you how much I love you so I’m going to die for you well that’s a kind of useless gesture if there’s no need for that actual death right what kind of sacrifice is it how can we appreciate that sacrifice if it isn’t necessary so there must be a reason why the people of God even all the people of the earth will die without Jesus without Jesus dying for them what is that reason the reason is sin the reason is Disobedience to God the reason is all have fallen short of the character and commands of God see the Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death which is exactly what our first parents found out when they sinned against God in the garden God told them in the day you eat of the forbidden fruit you will die our holy Creator God determined that death both now now and forever is the appropriate punishment for sin which is terrible news for us because we have all sinned and are Sinners by Nature we have a bad record and a bad heart we lust lie get angry steal we love ourselves more than we love others or love God even the Good Deeds we are tainted by Pride hypocrisy and the love of people’s approval we are not perfect like God is and don’t even come close to keeping all his commands as Jesus says elsewhere and as God says in the Old Testament you are to be holy as I am Holy a perfect God can only accept Perfection and because we are all obviously sinfully imperfect death is our Justice sentence death is the wages we’ve earned by our sin physical death now forever death in Hell later and we will not Escape if we simply hope well God will be merciful surely God will forgive me surely for how could God be just which he is and also justify that is count as righteous those who are in fact ungodly yet what if God provided a substitute for people just like the sacrificial animals in the Old Testament system you remember the system as Moses laid it out people sin but they can have their sins symbolically transferred to the animal a blameless animal and the animal will bear the sins and the people will now be blameless but the animal will die what about a substitute like that that could substitute once and for all a substitute who would be perfect inside and out in heart in words and in life a substitute that could have his righteousness stand in for the Sinners to make the sinner acceptable to God but also the substitute could then die in the place of The Sinner and suffer the punishment the just and holy wrath of God that the sinner deserves if we had such a substitute we might be saved but where could we find him where could we find a substitute to satisfy God if we just look at the human race all throughout history what do we find no available substitutes all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God we can’t produce our own substitute because we are all already Sinners this is a dire situ situation where could we possibly find a perfect suit substitute to save Mankind from God’s justice the good news of the Gospel is that God himself provided the substitute in Jesus Christ as John the Baptist proclaimed in John 1 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world God sent Jesus God the son into the world as a man to be the human substitute that we all needed as Jesus himself says in John 3:16 the result would be whoever believes in Jesus will not perish will not die but have everlasting life the prophet Isaiah for told this in Isaiah 53 the Messiah the suffering servant would come and he would take on himself the sins of all his people and die in their place so that they would live of course we haven’t seen this officially work itself out yet in the Gospel of John but when we get there we will see it and we certainly know it from the rest of scripture that Jesus substitutionary sacrifice was successful Jesus lived the perfect life and he died a subtit stitution death and better than just those two things he then rose again from the grave to prove his sacrifice was accepted his death defeated death his death and Resurrection defeated death once and for all and now Jesus always lives to intercede for those who are in him all that I’ve just been describing to you is what theologians call the doctrine of substitutionary atonement God sent God To Live and Die in the place of Sinners to make those Sinners acceptable to God this is a magnificent Doctrine it is what the scripture teaches no man could come up with this yet it is this very same truth that evil caiaphus unwittingly prophesies and it is the truth that if you will believe in Jesus you will see fulfilled for your soul even today amen now someone might ask doesn’t verse 51 say that Jesus will die for the nation isn’t that referring to Israel that is correct for so the prophets foretold salvation would first be accomplished and offered to the people of Israel and one day they will see that offer applied to them accepted as the whole nation repents they haven’t done that yet but one day they will according to the scriptures but what of the Gentiles what of those who are not ethnically or religiously Jewish are they shut out from God’s salvation well let’s read on to verse 52 because John expands on Caiaphas words verse 52 and not for the nation only but in order that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad ah you see John clarifies that Jesus would die for more than just the nation or people of Israel the Jews he would also die for the scattered children of God everywhere now who exactly are these scattered children we might want to answer that these scattered children are literally the scattered Jews the Jews of the diaspora for since the Babylonian exile many Jews no longer lived in Israel they were scattered all throughout the Mediterranean and Beyond indeed such Jews are John’s primary audience in this gospel does John therefore mean that Jesus died to save the Jews in Israel and also the scattered Jews well certainly Jesus died to save the scattered Jews as well but that is not John’s meaning here for even the scattered Jews still constitute the nation or people of Israel again we have to get rid of the modern notion of nation Nation does not mean in this context a a group of people in a well- defined set of borders no Nation just means people that’s why Caiaphas uses the words nation and people synonymously in verse 50 so whether you’re living in Israel or living somewhere else if you’re Jewish you are the people of Israel even if you’re scattered but John has already told us in verse 51 that Jesus is dying for his Nation so who must these scattered children be if they’re different than the nation well they must be Gentiles they must be the Gentiles who will believe in Jesus notice further in verse 52 what Jesus death will accomplish for the Jewish nation and the scattered Gentiles John doesn’t say that Jesus only dies for them but that he also will gather them together into one he dies so that he may gather them all together into one into one what well surely one body one assembly one new people under one new head haven’t we heard this concept recently articulated in the Gospel of John we have just one chapter earlier Jesus says in John 10:16 John 10:16 I have other sheep which are not of this fold I must bring them also and they will hear my voice and they will become one flock with one Shepherd so here in this passage we behold two great wonders of the Gospel not only does God’s son serve as a saving substitute and intercessor for all those who believe in him but he also spiritually makes those Believers into a new people bound together not by ethnicity or politics or socioeconomic class but by belief in him and by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit and Brethren if you have repented of your sins and believed in Jesus then you are experiencing these wondrous realities even today the outcome of Jesus amazing Mission Brothers and Sisters Jesus died for you so that you will never die but will live in him forever and more than that he has made you he has made made us who are otherwise so different I mean if you just look around the room we are so different you get to know one another we are so different and yet we have been made by the work of Jesus one in him a new family that has God as our father Jesus as our elder brother and we brothers and sisters to one another how glorious is our Lord’s gospel let us indeed never be ashamed of it but continue to Proclaim it until all the children of God come in speaking of children you might ask how can the Gentiles be called children of God he’s going to gather the children of God if they’ve not yet believed in Jesus or even heard of Jesus how can they be called the children of God that need to be gathered well our author John has already answered that question earlier in in this gospel who are the children of God not those who already believe necessarily but those who sovereignly and mercifully are made to believe by God himself through Sovereign Grace John 1:12 John 1:12 remember this was the opening of this gospel but as many as received him that is Christ to them he gave the right to become children of God even to those who believe in his name who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God God makes children of God when he causes them to believe in his name Jesus says the same in John 3:3 John 3:3 truly truly I say to you unless one is born again or begotten from above he cannot see the kingdom of God this is the way that God does it this is the way that God has done it God already scattered children marked out for our Salvation everywhere across time in space in this world but it is the privilege of God’s Church to see those chosen children brought to Jesus and officially adopted and Born Again by faith in God’s son so one sense they’re already children and another sense they will become children when they believe so again behold the unwitting profound truth of K conspiratorial words explain to us not only so that we will see the power of God and announcing his wondrous salvation through a corrupt high priest but also to demonstrate that the evil pact by the Sanhedrin to stop Jesus in God’s plan in fact will only bring God’s plan to pass in the very Act of saying we got to kill this guy they Proclaim and by doing so we’re going to save everyone or rather God’s going to save everyone despite our evil how foolish it is to take counil against the Living God or to think that you can outwit him in your very active Rebellion you accomplish his his ordain plan well the chief priests and Pharisees they presented the problem kapas presented the solution how does the Sanhedrin as a whole the leading body of God’s people Israel respond we find out as we move to the fourth part of our passage just verse 53 number four the Sanhedrin agrees and condemns Jesus to death Sanhedrin agrees and condemns Jesus to death verse 53 so from that day on they planed together to kill him very sad behold the true colors of Israel’s leaders though surely there were quiet dissenters among the council we learn of Joseph aea and perhaps Nicodemus 2 the majority agrees to enact Caiaphas suggestion therefore without without just cause without anything resembling a fair trial the highest court of the land condemns Jesus to execution this of course is in violation of both the Mosaic and the rabinal law but again these Jews apparently believe that the ends justify the means so a little lawbreaking is okay they decide that they will kill Jesus at the next opportunity meaning that the son of God’s time of public Ministry is running out on the Earth but it’s not done yet we see one final part of our passage in verse 54 number five Jesus withdraws to Ephraim until the proper time Jesus withdraws to Ephraim until the proper time look at verse 54 therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews but went away from there to the country near the Wilderness into a city called Ephraim and there he stayed with the disciples there’s not too much to explain here either gaining word from an informed sympathizer or simply by exercising his Divine omniscience Jesus knows that the Sanhedrin have now conspired to kill him therefore Jesus with withdraws once more from public life to go into the relative safety of the Wilderness specifically Jesus withdraws to a town called Ephraim we don’t know for sure where that is though many commentators believe that this Ephraim is the same as the Old Testament Village of Ephron mentioned in 2 Chronicles 13:19 if that is the case then Jesus would have withdrawn from Bethany about 12 miles Northeast and stayed there with his disciples until the father’s ordained time for Jesus to begin his final journey to Jerusalem for Passover the Sanhedrin may be ready to kill Jesus but even that divinely ordained crime will not take place until the exact hour of God’s plan our next time we in John we’ll see Jesus return one more time to Bethany on his way to Jerusalem to receive one of the most famous acts of worship recorded in the Bible but before we end today I’d like to ask ask one final question did the Sanhedrin makavelian scheming work out as they hoped did they by sacrificing Jesus preserve their Temple their people and their political position from brutal Roman reprisal if you know your history you already know the sadly ironic answer is no in fact uniting to dest destroy God’s son and Messiah it ensured not forestalled the ruler’s downfall in ad37 Caiaphas was deposed by Rome alongside Pontius Pilate in ad70 Rome destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple abolished both the saned and the priesthood and killed and enslaved thousands of Jews in ad 136 Rome massacred enslaved or forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of Jews essentially depopulating Judea Rome then renamed the province Syria Palestina you see the Fatal flaw and all sinful scheming and calculation is assuming that there is no God or in assuming that the God who is is not the god of the Bible not holy not just not omniscient for those who believe in Jesus these true qualities of God they are great comfort for they mean that whatever evil and mistreatment you suffer at others hands God knows and God will one day at the proper time deliver you and bring justice but for those who do not believe in Jesus such qualities such true qualities in God are a cause of great fear for you may be sure that whatever your schemes whatever your secret sins God knows and will one day at the proper time judge you and bring Justice and there will be no scheme or defense that can protect you in that day therefore friends and Brethren if you like the Sanhedrin are putting on an exterior of righteousness to hide a heart and a life that is full of sin then you must repent today you must repent and believe today while there is still time if you will do this you will escape the sentence of Eternal death that is currently hanging over you and you will experience the free and full forgiveness of God total cleansing inside and out you will come to know God and his eternal life you know the scriptures say what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and yet forfeits his soul you could be the most skilled mellan the most skilled schemer secret sinner that you could possibly be and in the end you will still fall for you will forfeit your soul God wants something better for you I want something better for you so listen to today’s scripture repent and believe in the Lord the scriptures testify again and again and so do the Believers in this room there is nothing in this world there is no treasure in this world that you can grasp after that you can scheme after that is better than knowing and walking with Jesus Christ I pray that you all experience that in a greater measure as a result of today’s message let’s pray as we close God you are amazing you are amazing how true is the sentiment expressed across the scriptures why do the peoples scheme and take counsel against God why are they in an uproar why are they taking counsel together to see how we can break the cords of God and his Messiah we can live as as we want to live God will not see God will not judge God will never seek recompense how foolish yet God the pride and Corruption of our own hearts and sinful flesh if we are still if we are in Christ it does incline us toward that direction we will act insanely we will scheme against the God who knows all things and suppose oh because I haven’t been judged yet certainly I will escape God you remind us from this passage from this word today no you are a just God you will by no means leave the guilty unpunished but amazingly you are also merciful god and you created a way for Sinners to be justified before you not because you just sweep the sin under the rug and pretend it’s never there it was never there no that would make you unjust no instead it’s because you provided a perfect substitute the Lamb of God our Lord Jesus Christ thank you for your salvation God thank you not only for saving us by dying in our place and giving us your own righteousness but thank you for making us into one new people all centered around Christ Lord I pray that we would live with the joy and peace that ought to accompany those realities as well as The Obedience expressed from gratitude for all that we have received and will reive in Christ Lord I pray that you would help us to worship you now as we get ready for the communion celebration amen