120. Religious Leaders Plot Against Jesus

When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by stealth, and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”

Many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him, but some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus had done. The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? This man does many signs. If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our positions and our nation.”

Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you realize it is better for us that one man should die for the people, than the whole nation perish.” Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. From that day forward they began to plan for his death. 

Jesus walked openly among the Jews no more, but departed into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.

The Passover was at hand and many went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and spoke with each other as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the feast at all?” The chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded anyone who knew where he was to report it, for them to seize him.

Reflections

 As Jesus became increasingly popular, the Jewish leaders focused on what they had to lose because of him rather than on what they had to gain. Those with power and privilege always act to maintain their positions. Can you think of modern day examples? If you were in a position of power today, would you see Jesus as a threat? 

Prayer: Open my eyes, Lord, when my self-interest blinds me from seeing what is good and right for everyone.

 

119. The Raising of Lazarus

Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, was sick. The sisters sent to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified.” Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, but when he heard Lazarus was sick, he stayed two days where he was. After this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”

The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If you walk in the day, you don’t stumble, because you see the light of this world. But if you walk in the night, you stumble, because the light isn’t in you.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him from his sleep.”

The disciples said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought he spoke of sleeping. He said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. I am glad for your sakes I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”

Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”

When Jesus came, he learned Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. Bethany was near Jerusalem, less than two miles away, and many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother. When Martha heard Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know whatever you ask, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even after death. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, who comes into the world.”

When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling you.”

When Mary heard, she rose quickly, and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him. The Jews in her house consoling her, when they saw Mary rise up and go out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” When Mary came to where Jesus was, she fell down at his feet, saying, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in his spirit, and was troubled, saying, “Where have you laid him?”

They told him, “Lord, come and see.”

Jesus wept.

The Jews said, “See how much affection he had for him!” Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of the one who was blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb, a cave with a stone against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha said, “Lord, by this time there is a stench; he’s been dead four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”

They took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. I know that you always listen to me, but because of the crowd standing around I said this, that they may believe you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The one who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face wrapped with a cloth.

Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”

Reflection

The tension in this story comes from Jesus not being there when Lazarus was sick and delaying his coming until after he had died. Have you ever been upset with God for something terrible that happened? In retrospect, can you see ways in which God was present and involved through it all? 

Prayer: Open my eyes to see your presence in the darkest days, Lord, and know you are still at work.