One Man to Die For the Entire Nation
Today’s passage: Matthew 26:1–5, Mark 14:1–2, and John 11:45–57
Focus verse: [The religious leaders] schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. (Matthew 26:4)
Jesus has wrapped up a lengthy teaching about the end times and his later return to earth.
He shared two parables about the need for us to be ready for him to come back at any moment and the importance of being faithful and wise servants as we wait for his return.
Now he directs his attention to his disciples. He mentions the Passover is two days away, something they are all certainly aware of.
He reminds them that he’s going to die—something he’s already told them three times (Days 1 and 3). Though he’s mentioned it once before, he plainly says he’ll be crucified.
The religious leaders retreat. They call a meeting to plan how they might do away with Jesus. Since he just mentioned being crucified, I wonder if this plants the idea in their minds. Though they can’t legally execute anyone, Roman soldiers can.
Their discussions about getting rid of Jesus may now expand to drawing the Romans into their plot. Caiaphas, the high priest, recommends that they wait until after the Passover celebration, lest the people riot.
John fills in the details. He says they call an emergency council meeting of the Sanhedrin to deal with the Jesus problem.
If they don’t stop him, they worry that their Roman rulers will take away their temple—their religious practices—and what little autonomous power remains for their nation.
(Though the Romans reign overall and rule harshly, they allow a bit of local governance, which the Jewish leaders seek to maintain at all costs.)
The high priest, Caiaphas, speaks again. “Don’t you realize that it’s better for one man to die for the people than for the entire nation to perish?”
Did you catch this?
One man to die for the people is what Jesus came to do. In saying this, Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies that Jesus will die to save the Jewish nation, as well as everyone else.
They also discuss killing Lazarus. This is because many people believe in Jesus since he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:9–11, 17–19). They also give an order that anyone who sees Jesus should let them know so they can arrest him.
The plans of the religious leaders oppose Jesus, seeking to permanently end his influence. But God will use their duplicity to carry out his will and Jesus’s purpose. The Messiah will die so that we may live.
Jesus’s death on the cross will serve as the sin sacrifice to end all sin sacrifices, making us right with Father God. This prepares us to spend eternity with them in heaven.
Questions:
- When have we made a wrong decision in the name of religion or for what we believed?
- How have we moved on from our mistake?
Prayer: Lord, guide our decisions to honor you and advance your kingdom.
[This devotional is taken from the Day 17 reading in The Passion of Jesus.]
Discover more about celebrating Jesus and his passion to save us in devotional The Passion of Jesus. It is part of the Holiday Celebration Devotionals Series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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