You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. 

- John 11:45-54

Yesterday, we read the completion of the story of the seventh sign, the resurrection of Lazarus (see earlier readings here and here).   Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  We remember that the term the Jews is used in John's Gospel as a sort of political affiliation with the ruling parties in the temple at Jerusalem:  the Pharisees, priests, elders, scribes, and Sadducees.  (All the people in our story are Jews, including Jesus and the author of the Gospel.)  Many of those who were present at the raising of Lazarus are members of this religious elite from Jerusalem, who had come to comfort Martha and Mary at the death of Lazarus.  In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus made this sign so explicit that it was unmistakable the power He had over life and death.  There is no doubt about what happened.  And now were told that many of those witnessed believed in Him.  But others have gone to tell the Pharisees what has happened.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  My study bible tells us that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It is a part of the office; the failings or even wickedness of the officeholder don't diminish the grace of the office itself.  What Caiaphas intends to say is that Christ's death will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is more full and potent:  that all people will be saved through the death of the Son.  

Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.     Jesus knows what He is going to, but it is not yet His time.  He remains away from the cities, in the country near the wilderness, until it is time for Him to go to Jerusalem.

Events take their turn; the Sanhedrin, despite the presence of some believers in Christ, now plots to put Jesus to death.  It is the indisputable miracle of the raising of Lazarus that seals His fate with them.   One would think it would have the opposite effect.  Something that simply leaves no doubt as to what Jesus is capable of doing really should build belief or faith in His ministry, and it does -- but in effect, He is too effective for some people.  He's too effective for those who wish to keep their places as the ruling elite.  He's too effective for those who have already decided they are His enemies.  He's too effective for those who do not want the people to follow Him.  This is what the religious rulers truly fear.  Caiaphas' warning about the Roman intervention is based on this fear:  that Jesus will have such a great following that the Romans will take notice.  Jesus' remarks themselves on this failure of faith in Jerusalem would indicate an opposite outcome than the one that Caiaphas predicts would happen (and that his proposal for Jesus' death is supposedly meant to avoid).  See Luke 19:41-43, in which Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, and said, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."  We don't really know the outcome of this story had there actually been an acceptance of Jesus in the temple leadership.  We don't know how He would have counseled the people, nor what His leadership would produce or what effect it would have had in the world.  But we do have His words, and we know the ultimate outcome.  At the time of His Passion, the leadership in the temple will rile up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas, a political "radical" and nationalist, precisely the type of person who would provoke intervention by the Romans.  We may assume that Jesus' leadership would have meant something very different for Israel, as it certainly did for His followers.  But all things work together with God; every outcome has its way of being approached and responded to.  Even our deepest disappointments, and the greatest evils we might find in the world or in our lives may be met with faith, and with a search for the response God would have us make.  This is perhaps the greatest mystery of the Passion, Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of Christ.  It is perhaps the greatest stumbling block we have.  Nevertheless, it is the truth of what we have -- and perhaps the most full and potent meaning that Christ's mission into the world would give us.  There is a song by Jason Gray that applies this type of perception in its lyrics.  It's called "Nothing is Wasted."    We can be certain that the ways in which Jesus' life and ministry unfold happen for us, to give us something, a great gift that keeps giving more than we can know or expect.  He gives us a way to face the world, and an understanding of redemption, God's work in us and with us, and for every aspect of our lives -- without exception.  Our faith encompasses all of it.  His light shines in the darkness, even where the darkness cannot comprehend.