The Plot Thickens

TJ Girt

The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

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Transcript

Welcome

Well good morning again church

if you are watching online good morning as well

Please open your bibles to the Gospel of John

We will be in the 11th chapter starting in verse 45-57

In typical John fashion

we have a miracle occur

which we covered last week in the raising of Lazarus

and immediately following that we have the reaction

But as we read through this text this morning I would like us to see

that we shouldn’t only see this as a reaction to the miracle

that occured in the previous verses

but instead we look at this as the reaction to 3

years of faithful ministry by Jesus

that we see this as the reaction to all that Jesus has done

leading up to this very pivotal point

So, let us please stand for the reading of Gods Word

John 11:45–57 CSB

45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs? 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God. 53 So from that day on they plotted to kill him. 54 Jesus therefore 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. 55 Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country to purify themselves before the Passover. 56 They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will he?” 57 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it so that they could arrest him.

Let us Pray

Introduction

Wouldn’t you agree that every good story

has a turning point

a moment when the plot thickens

when decisions are made

alliances are formed

and events are set in motion that lead

to the climax of the story

We can think of moments like in Star Wars

when Darth Vader revealed that he was Lukes Father

we can think of that moment when the Titanic hit the iceberg

or the iconic standoff in the Good the Bad and the Ugly

or how about when John Wayne makes his stand in Rio Bravo

All of those are defining moments within their story

Well, in the Gospel of John

we have reached that defining moment

The miracle of Lazarus' resurrection has shaken the people of Israel.

Jesus has done what no one else could do:

He has conquered death itself.

But this extraordinary event, coupled with the past 3 years of ministry

rather than leading everyone to believe,

has causes division.

and left some wondering what to do

The time for the cross is quickly approaching

and the people must decide

They are standing at a crossroads if you will

faced with the decision

What will they do with this Christ?

Will they believe in Him

will they reject Him

or will they remain undecided

Now, woven within this decision of the people

we see that a plot against Jesus will emerge

as some have already made their decision

and it is a plot with eternal ramifications

So, my question for us this morning is

the same question posed to the Jews

When faced with all of the evidence for Christ

when faced with all the work He has done

with faced with questions in life that only He can answer

What will you do with Him

what will you do with Jesus?

will you believe that He died in our place

that one in fact died for the many?

Or will you reject him

will you plot against his ways

or possibly even worse

will you ride the fence

undecided, and happy to keep him on the sidelines at a safe distance

We will see those very things unfold with the crowds

as we work through this text

our 3 points of the morning are

Some believed (V45 & technically 46)

Some Plotted (47-53)

and Some Rode the fence (V54-57)

and these aren’t just the responses to Jesus raising Lazarus

but in fact show us the responses to 3 years of Jesus’ ministry

So lets get started with our first point of the morning

Some Believed

Now typically, as you know I often spend most of the time I have in my first point

because that typically sets up the other 2 points in

regards to context and it is typically what builds the tension

especially as we preach through what called narratives in

the Gospel of John

However, this morning.

When it comes to those that believed,

John only gives us one verse

17 words

when compared to the unbelieving crowd which retains

all of the verses and words left in this chapter

We get no closure to the amazing miracle we saw last week

as Jesus called Lazarus from the dark tomb of death

and into the bright day of life

The only information we retain about this family is found next week when Jesus has dinner at their home

Which shows us perhaps

the main point of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

was not about

Jesus’ care for his friends

it was not primarily about how Jesus enters our pain

it may not have even been about the humanity found in Him

While all those are true

they proved to be secondary to the fact that

The raising of Lazarus’ primary function was to show us

the Glory of God

to show us the restoration of God

to show us that life is found in Christ

Because He overcame death

He and He alone has the power and authority over death

and He showed us this so that

we may believe that..

So as we come to the response of that miracle

we see in V45 that some believed

John 11:45 “45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him.”

As always, when faced with the word therefore, we should ask what is it therefore?

and here it simply stands as the transition

between the miracle and the responses

So in response to this miracle

we see that many

or the majority

of the Jews

and in this context there is no negative overtones to the Jews

so here we are talking about the normal

everyday people

not the “The Jews” that we often see that

are the leaders

that have it out for Jesus

we will see plenty of them in our next point

So these Jews, who came to Mary

well, that narrows it down some right

John is telling us that it was specifically the Jews that visited Mary and Martha that believed

well, many of them at least

it was the ones that

saw first hand

the grace of Jesus

they saw first hand

the Love of Jesus

they saw first hand

the emotions of Jesus for

His friends, believers,

and the ones He loves

It is them who saw this

just before they saw

that same Jesus

raise Lazarus from the dead

performing a miracle beyond comprehension

as Jesus, working through God

Reversed the decomposition of natural law and death

as He knitted Lazarus’ muscles back together

as He breathed life back into Lazarus’ lungs

and made his heart pump again

It is them who saw Jesus

with all the authority given to Him from God

Command Lazarus to come out of that tomb

in which, Lazarus, did

In fact it was this very group that helped Martha move the stone

revealing the stench of death

in was in fact this group that

helped Lazarus remove his burial garbs

as they unwrapped him so

that he may be let go

These, these Jews,

or at least most of them

are the ones that believed

they put their faith in Him

See, in the Gospel of John

to believe is more than an intellectual response

its more than believing just with your brain

It implies a personal trust

it implies an act of faith

that includes your entire being

including most importantly your heart

See to believe in Christ

requires more than just being impressed

by His works,

by His miracles

and by His teachings

It requires that we surrender

That we surrender to our self sufficiency

which means that we acknowledge that

we cannot save ourselves

we must admit that we need a savior

It means letting go of our pride

and the idea that can earn our way to heaven

and to salvation

because brothers and sisters

I can tell you first hand

that leads to a hamster wheel of let downs

instead we must trust completely in the

finished work of Jesus upon the cross

recognizing that it is Him

and Him alone that provides that forgiveness

When we truly believe in Jesus

we acknowledge His lordship

meaning that He becomes the authority

in our lives (not ourselves)

It means every decision we make is

made with Jesus in mind

knowing He has our best interests in hand

It means turning away from our sins

turning away from the lusts of the world

turning away from gossip

turning away from coveting

turning away from the idolatry

whatever it is for you

and turning to Him

This doesn’t mean we will be perfect

but it does mean we can strive to live in obedience to

Him and His word

See, believing in Christ

means to lay down our lives

our self control

sins

fears

and wordly pursuits

In order to take on the life that He offers

one marked by faith

obedience

trust

and transformation

It’s like having a life preserver thrown to you in the middle of a storm.

You might admire the life preserver’s design

and acknowledge its ability to save you,

but until you grab hold of it,

it can’t do anything for you.

So let me ask you

do you believe?

Because while some do

There are many many others who don’t

who, when faced with the truth of Christ

as we have just seen

Do just the opposite of coming to Him

which is in fact

running away

Running away

and even becoming hostile to Him

as so much of the world today

has become hostile to Jesus

As so many today

plot to undermine

the christian worldview

plot to undermine the values instilled in us

Plot to undermine God

However, as we will also see in this next point

is that God can use that

that God can use even those

vilely against Him

to accomplish his purpose

So as we move to our second point of the morning

we see in V 46

John 11:46 “46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”

Some Plotted

Just as Jesus’ words and deeds so often do

this divided the people

as we saw in our previous point some believed

and some went and told the Pharisees what happened

Now we could give some of them the benefit of the doubt

as in maybe they were taking the good news to them

in hopes of winning them over to Jesus

But the text here does not imply that at all

instead it seems the intent here

was more malicious we should say

So, with the information of the raising of Lazarus

in hand

coupled with everything else

Jesus had done in the past 3 years

This fresh information is passed up the chain

John 11:47 “47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs?”

Now if we remember,

Israel at this time was ruled by the Romans

But, the Romans gave the Jews the ability to rule themselves

within reason

and between politics and religion to groups emerged

we have the pharisees

which were the religious elites

bound by upholding the scriptures

and oral laws

to a point that only they could follow

and the Sadducees

which were more of a political group

aristocrats if you will

they were more wealthy

and had some doctrinal differences if you will

now for the most part these groups did not get along

the sadducees concerned with politics

the pharisees concerned with religion

that is until it came to Jesus

If we remember back in John 7 they essentially joined forces

against Jesus

because they acknowledged his threat

to both of their ways of life

together these two groups made up the Sanhedrin

with was their supreme court we could say

consisting of 70 members

with the high priest of the time making the number 71

So, all of these folks got together

and began asking the question what are we going to do with this Jesus

John 11:48 “48 If we let him go on like this, (miracles, signs, healing, preaching) everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.””

Now what’s interesting and ironic is that this group of men

who were the leaders of the Jews

the leaders of religion

who were the very ones that should have been leading the people

to Jesus, to God

Where now meeting to figure out how to deal with this problem

named Jesus

They even acknowledged his signs

his miracles

they acknowledged

his healings

They acknowledge that the works of Jesus

are so profound

that they must point to something else

Yet we see, that the very reason

they were rejecting Jesus

and beginning to plot against Him

is some of the very reasons we see today

and that is due to their selfish fear

the fear of losing something

or someone

dear to them

if followed Jesus

We see in this group the fear of losing

their position

If the people began to follow Jesus

then they would cease to follow them

And the ability to control the people

would be lost

their acceptance

their recognition

their image

would all be lost

If Jesus continued in this way

They would lose their influence

which means

their jobs

their profession

their authority

their power

would all be lost

And perhaps, if Jesus continued this way

then there could be an uprising as he established his messiahship

and if that happened

they would lose their nation

because the Romans would come in

and intervene if they lost power

very must like would eventually happen in AD 70

See they were so blinded by their sin

that they couldn’t see the

forest for the trees

they couldn’t see the messiah

because all they could see was themselves

So as they are trying to figure this out

Caiphas, the high priest at the time

enters the picture

and makes a chilling

calculated statement

or suggestion

He tells them at the end of V49 “You know nothing at all!’

which pretty much means

you don’t know what your talking about

and so he delivers his opinion in V50

John 11:50 “50 You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.””

So what he is saying that

plotting to Kill Jesus

is the best way to protect the nation

and themselves

See if Jesus were dead

then that would keep the Jewish people

from the wrath of Rome

and keep them in power

Jesus would become a scapegoat

given over to death

for their benefit

But I don’t think Caiaphas realized the true impact of his words

as John tells us in V51 that he did not say this on his own

anyone remember a donkey named from Numbers 22:21-38.

Its kind of one of those moments

if you don’t remember that story go and read it when you get home

But essentially God can and will use anyone to prophesy

and in that case He used a donkey

and in this case He is using the High Priest

and perhaps his biggest early enemy

the irony is endless there

But again the irony is there

because that is exactly what Jesus would do

He would indeed die for

The nation as he says

and for the scattered sheep of Israel

that would be us by the way,

the gentiles

the Jews would have thought of that differently

but the gentiles was Gods meaning

And while Caiaphas is saying that Jesus must die for the people

in order for them to maintain their status

What God is saying is that Jesus will

die for the people

die for us

so that we can gain our status

as His children

The language here used by Caiaphas

says for the people

or in place of the people

or on behalf of people

See Jesus went to that cross

in place of us

for us

and on behalf of us

As our substitute

And if we want to use a big church word here we call this

the Substitutionary Atonement of Christ

or the Penal substitutionary Atonement of Christ

See simply put the Penal Substitutionary Atonement of Christ

means that

the innocent King of Kings

the blameless Lord of Lords

and the spotless lamb of God

Died, in our place

As our substitute

so that we as sinners

can live in His place

so that we can be atoned for

So that we would not encounter the

penalty that we deserve

And instead reap the benefits

that He deserves

To understand that Christ

literally died in our place

that He took our sin and our punishment

bore it on the cross

and then died

so that we don’t have to endure it

Is foundational to our faith

And should humble us to the core

Because that is exactly what he did

and that what the high priest

prophesied here

But as we see

Jesus wouldn’t die for Israel alone

as Caiaphus thought

no, He would in fact die for all of us

that believe in Him

Jew and Gentile

uniting His kingdom

as one people

So we can see now

what was meant for evil

was in fact used by God

to bring salvation to the world

And all of these people

that plot against Jesus

that plot agains us today as Christians

are really in a losing battle against God

Its like trying to stop a river by build a damn with your bare hands

you can try and try all you want

no matter how much mud you try and stack up

that river will just keep on flowing

that river will break through

And no matter how

often

how many

or how much

people try to plot and disrupt the ways of God

There is no stopping His plan

So as we finish up this point let me ask you?

Are you plotting against Jesus?

Is there something in your life

that you just don’t want to give up?

Is there a part of you that you are just unwilling to surrender to?

If that is the case let me remind

you that nothing can thwart the plans of God

not even the largest plot to get rid of Him

So stop plotting, and start trusting

Because as we will see in our last point of the morning

there are those that believe

those that plot against Him

and some that linger on the fence

And in life,

the fence is not a safe place to stay

Some Were on the Fence

At the end of Caiaphas’s prophesy and suggestion

we see the decision was in fact to Kill Him

He was a guilty man walking

no longer presumed innocent

And with that we see in

John 11:54 “54 Jesus therefore 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.”

Most likely hearing the news of this meeting Jesus decides to go away for a couple of days and wait

until His hour arrives

He would plead no more with the people

He would no longer move publically among them

He would not give them up to their own desires

So while he was waiting

and perhaps

resting and praying for His time that

is quickly approaching

We see things starting to stir

as the passover celebration is about to happen

this being the 3rd passover

in Jesus’ ministry and His last

John 11:55–56 “55 Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country to purify themselves before the Passover.

Jerusalem was viewed as the capital of the nation

and so pilgrims would make their way here for the festival

as it was extremely important to their faith

And one thing they would have to do in order to properly worship at the temple

and make their sacrifices

was become clean

they had to purify themselves

this was an ordeal and one we don’t really need to get into so much

as we need to understand

That the whole purpose of passover

was to acknowledge when God

passed over his people in Egypt

thus saving them

saved by the blood

And during Passover

they would celebrate this and

they would sacrifice animals

that would symbolically be substituted

for them, thus erasing their sin

as the blood of that animal would pay for those sins

I hope this theme is starting to make sense now

because it is here at this Passover that

greatest of all substitutions would take place

So as they were going through these motions

of purification

etc

They would gather

and probably gossip

brag about their kids

etc

And there is no doubt that while this was happening

Jesus was part of that conversation

as V 56 says

56 They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will he?””

And here we are introduced to the 3rd group in this passage

those that are undecided

those that had heard and seen everything

Jesus had done for the past 3 years

and had yet to make a decision about Him

they were hoping to catch another glimpse of Jesus while they were there

to them Jesus may have been a pretty cool

teacher from Galilee

someone they had come to maybe even acknowledge

as special

but yet they didn’t have time for that

they were busy with life

kids, school, eating etc

Their minds weren’t made up

life was fine

and even if it wasn’t

Jesus was just some guy far off

who really didn’t understand what they were going through

So as this group hangs out in Jerusalem for the passover they wonder if that Jesus guy will be there

they wonder what cool tricks he may do

after all

they just heard He raised a man from the dead

but they also heard they were out to arrest Him

So they showed interest in Jesus

but no commitment

they were in fact, indifferent

In fact many who eagerly wondered here if He would show up

would soon cry out

“away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him”

See they were on the fence

And many people today are like this third group.

They’re intrigued by Jesus.

They might come to church,

sing the songs,

and even talk about Him with others,

but they haven’t fully committed to Him.

it only happens when it is conveinant

They remain in a state of indecision,

admiring Jesus from a distance

but unwilling to step into a life-changing relationship with Him.

But let me tell you this morning

being on the fence is a dangerous place to be.

In fact it will lead you to the same place as the ones that

plotted against Him and rejected Him

Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 12:30 “30 Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.”

In other words, indecision

is, in itself, a decision—

a decision to delay

is essentially a decision

to reject

so let me as you another question

Are you on the fence when it comes to Jesus?

Maybe you’ve been attending church for a while,

or you’ve been around Christian people,

but you’ve never made a personal decision to follow Jesus.

Well, the reality is, you can’t stay undecided forever.

Jesus is calling you to make a choice.

Imagine if you will

you are standing at a fork in the road.

You can’t go both ways,

and you can’t stand there forever.

At some point, you have to decide.

The same is true with Jesus—you can’t remain neutral.

you cant ride the fence forever

Conclusion

So as we come to the end of this passage and indeed the end of this chapter

We saw Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead,

an undeniable miracle that left people in awe.

Not only that but He has been busy for 3 years now

proclaiming that life is found in Him

proving that He is the Son of God

and the messiah

indeed our savior

And some believed in Him as this Messiah,

this savior

But at the same time, some plotted.

Then there were those who were on the fence

And in the middle of all this plotting,

Caiaphas, the high priest,

unknowingly prophesies about the substitutionary atonement of Jesus.

He suggests that it’s better for one man to die for the people than for the entire nation to perish.

if only He knew

And while Caiaphas thought he was speaking politically,

In fact God was working through his words

to reveal the divine plan:

Jesus would indeed die for the nation,

not just politically,

but spiritually—for all who would believe in Him

Jesus would take the place of sinners,

He would be and is our substitute

We deserve death for our rebellion against God,

but Jesus stepped in,

took our place,

and bore the punishment we deserved.

On the cross,

He took on our guilt,

shame,

and sin

so that we could be forgiven

and restored to God.

This my friends

is the ultimate plot twist—

the very act of rebellion and hatred against Jesus

Became the means by which God would save the world.

So now the question remains for all of us:

What will you do with Jesus?

Will you believe,

like those who saw the resurrection of Lazarus

and knew that only the Son of God

could hold such power over life and death?

Will you surrender your life to Him,

trusting in His sacrifice on the cross for your sins?

Or will you plot?

Will you resist Jesus' call,

like the religious leaders who,

in their fear of losing power,

sought to eliminate Him?

Will you continue to reject Him, even though He offers you life?

Or will you ride the fence,

waiting for more proof,

trying to stay neutral?

Perhaps you like the idea of Jesus,

but you haven’t yet committed to following Him.

If that is the case,

understand this:

there is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus.

To not choose Him is to reject Him.

So today,

you are faced with the most important decision of your life—

will you believe and receive eternal life,

we you receive the mercy and grace that

only He can provide

or will you turn away?

The cross stands as the defining moment where Jesus willingly laid down His life for the guilty.

He did it for you, He did it for me

He did it out of love.

And He calls you to respond.

So Will you surrender to His love?

Will you accept the life He offers?

Or will you reject the greatest gift ever given?

The choice is before you:

believe,

reject,

or stand undecided.

But remember,

the plot has already thickened,

and Jesus has already made His move.

He went to the cross for you.

Now it’s your turn—what will you do with Jesus?

Will you submit to Him

or will you reject Him

Let us Pray

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