Bible Materials

A DEATH FOR THE SCATTERED CHILDREN OF GOD

by   03/27/2008   John 11:45~57

Message


In the previous week we studied the last miraculous sign in John’s gospel, Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the tomb. It is the greatest miraculous sign of Jesus, the victory over death. Then what happened after this spectacular event? Many people put their faith in him and more and more people were coming to believe in him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees felt very threatened and decided to take his life. But they could not stop what God was doing. God overrides the evilness of men and fulfills his purpose of world salvation through his Son’s death. In this passage Jesus’ death was prophesied by an evil man and the meaning of his death was excellently described. First, many of the Jews putting their faith in Jesus; some not (45-46). Look at verse 45. “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.” They were those who came to comfort Martha and Mary in the loss of their brother Lazarus. They came to mourn, and participated in the funeral ceremony of Lazarus. According to Ecclesiastes 7:2, it is better to attend a funeral ceremony than a wedding ceremony: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” It was good that they came to the house of mourning. Furthermore, it was a wonderful thing that they witnessed Jesus raising the dead Lazarus from the tomb after four days of burial. The corpse came out of the tomb his hands and feet tied with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. They took off the grave clothes with their own hands and let him go at Jesus’ command. They came to mourn and comfort the family but they benefited the most valuable thing in life, faith in Jesus, the resurrection and the life. The meaninglessness of life was gone from their hearts. They began to taste the victory over death and Satan through their faith. In Jesus they were assured of eternal life beyond death. When they put their faith in Jesus, they became truly blessed people. Sadly, there were some other people who saw the same marvelous thing but acted otherwise. They went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. They were not only unbelieving but also hindering the work of God through Jesus. How could they do that? Probably they thought that by doing so they could get practical benefit. For them to get some immediate benefit was more important than to put their faith in Jesus and have victory over death. Still we wonder how it could be possible that they did not believe in Jesus even after seeing his raising the dead man with their own eyes? It was possible because believing requires change of heart (repentance) and decision. This is what Jesus said in Luke 16:31, “…If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Here we newly learn that faith is the matter of one’s heart attitude. Second, the Pharisees calling a meeting of the Sanhedrin (47-50). When some of the Jews reported what Jesus had done to the Pharisees, the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the highest ruling council of the Jewish nation composed of 71 members. When they did this, they were gathering their human power and authority to resist Jesus. In their meeting what did they discuss? They asked one another, “What are we accomplishing?” They seemed to be men of accomplishments. It was true that they climbed up the ladder of success until they achieved the membership of Sanhedrin. It was good that they wanted to continue to accomplish something. But the problem was that they wanted to accomplish their own destroying the work of God that was going on through Jesus. They went on to say, “Here is the 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.” It was likely that they cared for their nation. However, in truth they were only concerned about their selfish gain or loss and cared for their own security. They rejected God’s sovereign work (Jn 3:27) and lost their true identity before God, even though they kept their Sanhedrin position. They judged that if everyone believed in Jesus, the Romans would come and take away their temple and nation. They really did not know the history of their nation and the history of God. In retrospect of their history, the chosen nation suffered and was often conquered by the super power nations when they did not rely on God but abandoned him and relied on other gods and seemingly powerful countries. In short they were destroyed because of their sin of unbelieving and betraying God. It applies to any nation and any individual. The Pharisees’ assumption that the nation would be taken by Romans if everyone believed in Jesus, was wrong. How much the nation would be blessed if everyone believed! In fact the destruction of the nation by Romans indeed took place not because of their belief in Jesus but rejection of Jesus. The Jewish nation was completely destroyed with the falling of the Jerusalem temple by a Roman military force consisting of about 30,000 troops under the command of Titus at A.D. 70, when they rejected Jesus to the end. They were so self-centred that they were totally ignorant of the history of God despite their high intellect. The Sanhedrin members were in a dilemma, not knowing what to do with Jesus’ growing power. Then one solution came up. What kind? Look at verse 49. “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.” What an excellent idea! Just one man’s dying for the sake of the whole nation! It is mathematically correct. And it happens in the political world: one person can be a scapegoat so that the troubled waters of a nation may be calmed and her whole people become safe. Caiaphas was the high priest that year and was supposed to act as the representative of all the people of God’s chosen nation. But he was a man of political intrigues. He looked distinguished but was tactical and murderous. The author commented in verse 51: “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation…” What Caiaphas said had a deep meaning spiritually. But he did not know what he was saying. He only prophesied not knowing the true meaning of what he had said. He seemed to be in control of the Sanhedrin and the whole nation. However, he did not comprehend even his own words and did not know what was going on. He was the one who knew nothing at all He did not realize that he was still in God’s control and God was fulfilling his purpose according to his sovereign power, using even the evilness of men. Those who do not know what they are saying and what they are doing are pitiful people regardless of their positions. In verses 55-56, ordinary people came to Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover Feast. They kept looking for Jesus, and they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the Feast at all?” They did not know why they came to Jerusalem. They did not know why they were looking for Jesus. They did not know what they were talking about. They did not know at all what God was doing at this special Passover Feast. In verse 57, “the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Jesus.” The religious leaders did not know why God gave them high positions and authority. They did not know why they were making a hard effort to arrest Jesus. In this part we see that both high authorities and ordinary people were living and acting and speaking not knowing why they did so. This is really a pitiful life. In light of this, those who live under the sovereignty of God, knowing what they are doing are great people. Their purpose in God’s sovereign will is to be accomplished and fulfilled. Third, the meaning of Jesus’ death (52). Look at verse 52. “and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” In the previous passage Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Now he would die. His death would be a saving and gathering death. Time and again Jesus’ death was implied in John’s gospel: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29) “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up…” (Jn 3:14). “Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood has eternal life…” (Jn 6:54). In John 10 is the unambiguous description of Jesus’ death: “I lay down my life for the sheep.” Now through the mouth of the evil high priest Caiaphas Jesus’ death was prophesied. Later on Jesus said in John 12:32, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” It is easy for us to become immune to Jesus’ death, because we hear it repeatedly. However, we can grasp its deeper meaning. We know that death is the most painful thing to any human being. No one really wants to die. M. Mary Moon works in a section of a hospital where terminal patients were waiting only to die. How can we understand their sorrow, pain and fear at the impending death! They die because of their terminal illness. However, a healthy, great and beneficial man is not to die before living out his full life. But Jesus, after doing all the good things and teaching the truth of God and revealing himself as the Son of God, he had to die at his prime age. In fact, he would be severely beaten and killed by evil men. Humanly speaking, it is the most sorrowful, tragic and unreasonable thing to happen in the world. Yet, he would die according to Gods’ sovereign plan for a clear reason. Here is written the excellent reason and meaning of his death: Jesus’ death was not only for the Jewish nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. What a great and meaningful death! The biggest joy of the parents whose children are scattered is to gather their scattered children together. On the contrary one of the most sorrowful things in this world is the members of a family being scattered with no hope of being gathered. Many children cry and suffer a lot because of broken families. But when a family is gathered and eats together around a table again, what a work it will be! Nothing can be compared to this beautiful work, the work of gathering of the family members. When a broken family is restored through reunion, there is an inexpressible joy and happiness. When the West and the East Germany was reunited, the nation rejoiced greatly. For this reunification the West Germany paid countless amount of money, and they are still paying the cost willingly. Now Korea is the only country still being divided into North and South. Many families have been in the divided and scattered situations more than half-century. God’s people believe and pray for the day when the nation be unified and many scattered family members be united again to come. What a happy day it will be to the families and nation! But it will require much sacrifice. Spiritually speaking, God’s children have been scattered to many nations. Jesus would redeem his scattered children one by one through his own life-sacrifice and gather them together to himself and into the family of God. Once Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” In the light of the whole Bible God wants to gather all of his children scattered in many nations to himself through his Son Jesus’ death. God’s mind of saving the people of the world was revealed from the beginning of his redemptive history when he called Abraham, saying, “…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Ge 12:3). And Ezekiel 34:11-13 says, “For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered…I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries…” For this work of gathering God’s scattered children Jesus paid the invaluable price with his own life. It is for you and me and for many more. His death was the death of love and truly meaningful death. Since then, the work of redeeming and gathering scattered children of God has having been done so beautifully from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev 7:9) People can give their lives for many good things in the world. But how great the life will be, if one gives his or her life to this beautiful work of gathering the scattered children of God! We are preparing for 2008 International UBF Summer Bible Conference at Purdue University. We will see this beautiful work of God worldwide. As we do our own preparation work for the conference, may we newly give our hearts and time and energy to participating in sufferings and joy of the gathering work of the scattered children at U of T and in this city of Toronto. Look at verse 52 again, “and not only for that nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” It is like as Jesus said, “There shall be one flock and on shepherd.” This gathered children of God would be a holy nation having Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Look at verses 53-55. “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.” He stayed in the lonely desert, but the time would come for him to be fruitful through his death on the cross. We thank God that he is the sovereign God. He fulfills his purpose interweaving both goodness and evilness of men. His purpose, one grandiose purpose is to gather all the scattered children of God to himself. For this his Son Christ Jesus had to die in the hands of evil men, and it was done according to sovereign will. Because of his sacrifice we are gathered and welcomed into his eternal family. In this grace may we give ourselves to doing the work of our sovereign God, the gathering work of his scattered children, believing that the work would be accomplished in the end.



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