The Unbeliever's Dilemma - [John 11:45-57]

The Gospel of John and the Purpose of the Book

I'd invite you to open your Bibles to John chapter 11 as we finish the 11th chapter of the gospel of John. Many of you have been asking when we would finish John chapter 11. No, nobody's asked me that.

But it's today. We're finishing it today. Lord willing it's interesting to me that so many Christians Christians so many people in the Christian world. Want to suppress the truth about Jesus Christ. You say well, what are you talking about?

Well, I have an example. It just so happens. I have an example. Just from a couple months ago for four years Karen King. And this is local news, by the way, she's a professor at the Harvard School of Divinity.

She's the historian over there. And she has been defending the so-called gospel of Jesus's wife. She's been defending against scholars who argued that it was a forgery. But here just less than two months ago. She uh admitted That this book that she'd been promoting since 2012 is probably fake.

She reached this conclusion after reading an article in a magazine about the papyrus's origins. Papyrus is just a name for the the little piece of paper that was written on just refers to the material it's on.

This magazine Convinced her she said it tips the balance towards forgery. Now critics had argued for years that errors in coptic grammar. Similarities with the gospel of thomas and for those of you who don't know the gospel of thomas is not your bible.

For good reason it's it's what's called a gnostic book. It was written years and years after all the gospels were written and it's neither a gospel. Which means good news, nor was it written by thomas, but I digress.

Similarities with the gospel of thomas and other problems that all pointed to forgery, but king this doctor Placed her faith in the opinions of expert Papyrologists, which means they study little fragments of ancient paper.

Along with a series of this is interesting carbon dating and other scientific tests. Listen. I said it was a local story at mit harvard and columbia. That had turned up no signs of modern tampering or forgery.

Now what's interesting is if you if you look down the list of all the tests that she underwent. She never bothered to compare it with what? the bible. When the author of the magazine article called her in march this past march.

She said she was not interested in commenting on or even hearing about the findings of this article before publication. In mid-june, however She called the author and said that the story was fascinating and very helpful.

She recounted how she had exchanged numerous emails with the owner of this papyrus back in december of 2011. But she realized after reading the article in 2016 that she knew next to nothing about him.

His name was walder fritz. And he never mentioned the years that he spent at the free university Egyptology institute or that he had studied Coptic remember there were problems with the coptic grammar.

He studied coptic. He also failed to mention that he had worked as a pornographer. Making movies with about his wife. A woman who had written a book of universal truths and claimed to channel the voices of angels.

Instead he presented himself as a family man who enjoyed trips to disney world and was independently wealthy, etc, etc, etc. She says I had no idea about this guy. He Lied to me. Now she has a phd from brown university.

She's a professor at harvard school of divinity. But she fought tenaciously for four years for something that any child in one of these classrooms. Any child maybe over the age of seven or eight could tell you was fake.

Why? Because she desperately wanted it to be true. She desperately wanted the jesus of this fake manuscript. To be the real jesus. She desperately wanted the jesus of the bible. To be wrong. Why was she so gullible?

Why was she so easily hooked by a man who was a fraud? Even though she's very intelligent. She's also very much at enmity with god. She doesn't love god or the god of the bible. She hates the god of the bible.

But in fact her actions are really similar to what a lot of unbelievers do and we'll see that This morning even in our text. John chapter 11. John chapter 11. There's no fraudulent manuscript. But there's a lot of sinful thinking.

John 11 verses 45 to 47 or i'm sorry to 57. Many of the jews therefore who had come with mary and had seen what he did Believed in him. But some of them went to the pharisees and told them what jesus had done.

So the chief priests and the pharisees gathered the council and said. This man performs many signs. 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.

But one of them Caiaphas Who was high priest that year said to them? You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you. That one man should die for the people not that the whole nation should perish.

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that jesus would die for the nation. And not for the nation only but also to gather into one the children of god who are scattered abroad.

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness. To a town called ephraim. Where and there he stayed with the disciples?

Now the passover of the jews was at hand and many went up from the country to jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves. They were looking for jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple.

What do you think. That he will not come to the feast after all. Now the chief priests and pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was He should let them know so that they might arrest him.

The Signs of Jesus and the Unbelief of the Jews

As you can see we're getting very very close to the end and as we get closer john just will kind of slow down and he's going to recall a lot of Instruction that jesus gives in the last days that he's on the earth.

But just to kind of bring us up to where we are now john the apostle the beloved apostle. Man i've called jesus best friend on earth. Wrote this gospel a few decades after the other ones after matthew mark and luke so-called synoptic gospels.

And his focus was on demonstrating that jesus is god that he is fully God. In fact in john 2031 He writes the purpose of his gospel. These things are written so that you the readers May believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and that by believing you may have life in his name.

And so, you know pretty much regularly when I Preach when i've been preaching through this I conclude with a gospel presentation. Well, why is that. Because here's the purpose of the entire gospel so that you might believe That jesus is the christ the son of god and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Last week we looked at the most profound demonstration Of jesus earthly ministry. I mean what could be more spectacular? More awe-inspiring more likely may I say? to cause belief. Right. Than raising lazarus from the dead.

What could be bigger than that? What could possibly be a bigger demonstration of the power of god than Raising lazarus from the dead but this morning We're going to see the jewish Opposition to jesus late in his ministry really kind of take shape harden.

They're not backing down and this opposition is similar in many ways to the opposition. That we see against jesus even today. We're going to have three kind of stepping stones here as we go through the text first we're going to see jesus feared.

Then we're going to see jesus condemned. And then we're going to see jesus pursued firstly jesus feared. Now as we said last week in verse 45 Some who had accompanied mary to the tomb believed. I mean What does it take if you see lazarus.

Jesus calling lazarus out of the tomb and you don't believe who he says that he is who he says he is then what is going to convert you. And the answer is apparently nothing. In fact, if we look at verse verses 45 and 46, we're going to see that some believed.

And some basically went to the theological police. You know if they could have dialed 9 -1 -1 they would have done that. Again look at the text many of the jews therefore who had come with mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

Which is what we would expect but some of them went to the pharisees. And told them what jesus had done. Some saw the miracle they studied it. They examined it. They believed. Others saw it and did not believe.

But they didn't just not believe. They went to the pharisees. By raising lazarus from the dead jesus effectively cut that group at the tomb into two parts believers and enemies. You say well not just unbelievers.

No, they're enemies. Because they were motivated enough by what they saw. To not just say you know what? I don't believe it. You know must have been some kind of trick or something like that. And if we if they knew the backstory i'd i'd you know, i'd love to sit down with one of them.

So, what do you mean? He let the body stay in there for four days so that it's actually decomposed and then he raises it from the dead just by saying Father i'm glad that you've heard me lazarus come forth the body.

Lazarus now, it's not a body anymore, but lazarus comes forth even though he's all as we talked about last week he's bound by all these bandages and I didn't really want to demonstrate last week and I don't want to demonstrate this morning either because I might get hurt but You have to think that he almost had to hop to the front of the cave.

And then they had to cut him loose from these things and in spite of that They don't believe. They were motivated enough to take action. Listen that they hoped would be detrimental to jesus. They were just innocent bystanders, they weren't just unconcerned they wanted to damage him that's why they went to the pharisees they weren't trying to Convert the pharisees.

Now there's an idea, right? They were really looking to put an end to jesus ministry. And as a result of them going the jewish leaders hold a meeting look at verse 47. So the chief priests and the pharisees Gathered the council.

And said what are we to do for this man performs many signs. 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. This is like an emergency cabinet meeting, you know, let's get together everybody.

That's important and let's just we got to figure out what to do about this. Jesus guy. These are the religious leaders of israel, this is the sanhedrin it says in the esv by the way, we're going through some of the verses in the esv this morning in Fundamentals of the faith and I have to say I found maybe the ultimate really bad translation there, but I digress.

This word council if you look at the greek you'd say well, there's the word sanhedrin. That's the word it is the word so when I say council or sanhedrin those words are interchangeable. A sanhedrin session would be composed of chief priests.

And they would be mostly Sadducees. And then the pharisees this would be the most powerful people the people who controlled the temple religious life everything. They were studied. They were men of letters.

They would be like today maybe like they would be Dr. King at harvard with the letters and the robes. And hatred for jesus and these studied powerful men were gripped by really fear. Now it's interesting that they don't deny that he did many signs in fact they say it this man does many signs.

What do they mean by signs? They meant miracles. And if we just think about just some of the bigger ones that we've seen. What do you do. A man who'd been lame most of his life. Restored him to full health so that he could walk.

What was the pharisee's response? Anger. Why. Because he did it on the sabbath? Healed the man born blind. What was the pharisee's response? Anger. Again the sabbath and now he Outdoes himself so to speak.

Raise a man from the dead. And what's their response? Panic. Panic. Now a reasonable thing to do. I mean if you. You know you hear this response. All these people are coming to you from lazarus. Funeral essentially essentially and they're saying lazarus lives.

He's been raised from the dead now. If it were you and you were an unbeliever try to put on your unbelieving thought process here just for a minute. What would you think you'd be thinking? This is kind of amazing.

Maybe I need to figure out who this jesus guy is. In fact your response might be akin to whom? Nicodemus. When he comes to him he comes to jesus by night and he says. You know, we know that the things that you do are from god, but how do you know?

Who are you essentially? Right. But they don't do that. Then you think well I would believe it if I saw that. Well, they don't do that either. Here's their concern if we don't put an end to this miracle worker.

Everyone is going to believe in him. We're going to lose all of our flock all of our followers are going to transfer their allegiance to him. Now it shows several things here. But I mean firstly miracles don't cause faith.

Miracles don't cause faith. We talked about the red sea. You know what happened after the red sea. They immediately started worshiping a golden calf. What happened after jesus fed the multitudes? At the sea of galilee did they instantly believe in him?

No, they wanted to take and make him king. They had the wrong idea. Miracles don't convert people but their concerns the sanhedrin was concerned with really politics. They were looking for a political Deliverer they were thinking about a political messiah.

They wanted somebody to throw off the yoke of rome. And so jesus is doing these things these signs these miraculous signs and they're they're concerned. That everybody is going to believe in him and if that happens.

They didn't think believe as in faith. They thought believe as in follow as in line up with him politically and then what. He's going to try to get rid of rome and we're going to be in trouble. We're going to be in big trouble.

Because guess what? As soon as we rebel the romans are going to send their legions in and we're done and that's what they say they say. The you know, essentially we're going to lose our place and our nation.

What do they mean by that? They were afraid that Rome was going to crush israel and take away control of jerusalem the temple. And maybe even kick all the people out of the land exile all the jews out of israel.

Caiaphas's Unwitting Prophecy and Christ's Death for the Nation

But in the midst of this discussion. About how they're worried about losing all their power and everything one man. Finally lays out a plan. So we've seen jesus feared now. We're going to see him condemned.

Look at verse 49 but one of them Caiaphas who was a high priest that year said to them. You know nothing at all. Now caiaphas was in modern modern parlance the man. You know, in fact, they they should just call him the man if I were doing a translation.

I'd just say the man you know. He was high priest he was the highest authority in judaism. And he was also as you could see right there, you know, nothing. I mean, there's a fine conversation starter.

It was rude arrogant. Manipulative. Not to mention duplicitous. In fact, I was thinking you know what? He's a man for our presidential campaign. Oh, sorry. He doesn't talk. He doesn't talk to the other members of the sanhedrin.

Like they are his equals. Like they're his advisors or like he cares about them at all. You emphatic put in a place of emphasis, you know, nothing you people are airheads. He was so full of himself that he's Virtually compelled to insult the sanhedrin before manipulating the situation in order to make himself look good.

Look what his plan is and it's on the surface. It's very simple verse 50. You know nothing nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people. Not that the whole nation should perish.

I mean this is Politician 101. I mean look at how he just turns it and says it is better for you. My concern is for you. My fellow sanhedrinites, whatever he called him. He's going to save the nation.

And all it's going to cost is the life of one man. All this destruction and death doesn't have to have to happen. We just have to get rid of one man jesus of nazareth. The sanhedrin had really worked his way in kind of a frenzy a panic.

And now caiaphas was putting forth his plan. But he was really more concerned about his own preeminence Than he was about anything else. So he frames killing jesus really as the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few and for those of you.

Who could finish that sentence shame on you? He uses nationalism. Nationalism as a motivation to put an end to the man christ jesus. To essentially as we'll see he's going to put out an arrest warrant for his death if israel followed jesus.

The theory goes destruction would ensue. On the other hand if jesus were destroyed Then israel would be saved pretty basic. The irony of course is if you know The history of israel. What he's saying is exactly the opposite of what happened when they put jesus to death.

It's like what 35 38 years later. That jerusalem well the the jews rebel against rome and jerusalem is sacked. The temple is destroyed and then 60 years after that they rebel again and all the jews by the power of the roman empire.

All the jews are put out of israel. They're all exiled. So everything that they said that they were concerned about eventually happens. In spite of the fact that they put jesus to death. Now caiaphas's words were much more significant than his plan than his stated plan.

Look at verse 51. He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year. He prophesied that jesus would. That he would die for the nation and not for the nation only but also to gather into one.

The children of god who are scattered abroad when they came out of His mouth these words from caiaphas. They were very well designed. They were very political. They were very astute. He would motivate first the sanhedrin and then the people by this sense of nationalism by the sense of overall the good of the overall people the nation and instead ultimately of it being some kind of Evil edict where he said, you know, jesus has to die just because I want it that way which is closer to the truth.

He phrased it in such a way to make. Putting an innocent man to death seemed like a noble cause. But what he said had a meaning beyond what caiaphas intended. He was responsible for what he said. And for what he did.

And but god sovereignly intended something else. What caiaphas meant for evil god meant for good? As the high priest caiaphas technically had a position similar to an old testament prophet. But he wasn't trying to act as god's mouthpiece.

In fact his evil or his intention was entirely evil. However God is certainly capable of using the sin of men for his own sovereign purpose. Right man is responsible. God is sovereign. As one man put it without becoming aware of it the villain Had become the prophets Jesus would indeed die for a people.

God's elect both jew and gentile who would be brought into one new entity two groups brought into one New entity the church in fact. If you don't have to go there, but just think back to john 10 verse 16, what did he say about his sheep he said.

And I have other sheep. That are not of this fold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock one shepherd. Now keeping your finger in john chapter 11 turn over for a moment to ephesians chapter 2.

And we typically look at you know, the first 10 maybe 12 verses of this chapter and we Are going to now look at verses 13 to 16 because it's the same thing that paul's writing here. That the lord is going to use the words of kaiaphas.

To bring about here ephesians 2 verses 13 to 16. But now in christ jesus you who were once far off that is to say exiles spiritual exiles and Physical exiles they were outside of israel Have been brought near by the blood of christ.

For he himself is our peace who has made both Made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. Though the law was the dividing line between israel and all the surrounding nations between jews and gentiles it separated them.

It kept the jews a peculiar people. But in christ who put an end to the law who abolished the law of commandments it says here. That's all done. Look what's the purpose? Again in verse 15 that he might create in himself in christ.

One new man in place of the two. So making peace and might reconcile us both jew and gentile to god in one body through the cross thereby killing the hostility In the cross. In the grace of christ the hostility of the law Between jew and gentile has been set aside.

So we're now one body in christ. Let's go back to john chapter 11. He died for a nation he died for a people. And that people were god's elect both jew and gentile. Those who were scattered abroad now the sanhedrin Implement Caiaphas's plan look at verse 53.

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Now it's interesting in jewish law. It was Well, i'll just say In jewish law, you could not condemn a man to death and then execute him on the same day.

Well now they had virtually condemned jesus to death. They had An official agreement as it were To put him to death. Which they all felt really good about because it benefited all the little people. All the citizens whom they were so concerned about.

They weren't. And all they had to do was agree to put jesus to death and so They vowed they got together and they they decided they were going to do this and they were going to pursue jesus to his death.

Jesus Withdraws, the Passover Nears, and the Plot to Arrest Him

So we've seen jesus feared jesus condemned. And now jesus pursued. Now we're not really told how jesus knew we don't know if somebody Leaked it or if they put the word out, you know some kind of press bulletin and then jesus found out.

But we know that he knew because it's in the text verse 54 jesus Therefore no longer walked openly among the jews. But went from there to the region near the wilderness to a town called ephraim. And there he stayed with the disciples.

We don't know how he knew but he knew why because Therefore because of this edict from the sanhedrin. He was no longer going to walk out in the open, but down he was going to be kind of laying low so he leaves bethany near jerusalem.

And he goes out to a region near the wilderness to a town called ephraim and that's where he's kind of Laying low with his disciples. So was he afraid? Was he afraid to be arrested? No. But it wasn't time yet.

He knew the end was near. He knew it was getting closer. But he also knew that this wasn't yet the time so he wasn't going to allow himself to be arrested now. Experts don't exactly know where ephraim was.

But it's likely that it was about 14 or 15 miles north by northeast of jerusalem in an area obscure enough and rough enough so the Sanhedrin the pharisees would not go out there and find him. It's a place that they could basically hide out.

But not for long look at verse 55. Now the passage some time passes we don't know exactly how long but now. The passover of the jews was at hand. And many went up from the country to jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves.

So at hand makes it seem like It's happening. But that's not quite right because it it was just near it was close. It was coming. It's like, you know, if I said I wouldn't say this, but if I said chris.

Well better example is if I said labor day is approaching. Well, it's not labor day yet, but it's not that far off the text says that many Jews Were going up to jerusalem and it should give you the idea again these gigantic festivals that would occur during the year.

Everybody would come from all the regions of israel from outside of israel into jerusalem to celebrate these things. And of course, we know that jesus is the passover lamb. And this is going to be the last passover of his human life.

The last celebration that he would ever see. We're not far from palm monday as it were. And the word was out jesus was a wanted man. Look at verse 56. They were looking for jesus and saying to one another these jews who had come early into town as they stood in the temple.

What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all. Now the chief priests and the pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was he should let them know. So that they might arrest him you could almost picture a couple of jewish pilgrims.

Having traveled some way. You know and they're now in the temple and they've gone through some purification rituals. And they're just kind of catching up on family things and then they're like, well, what about this jesus?

What about this guy that they're saying that they want to arrest? You don't think that he's going to come to? Jerusalem for. For the passover, do you you know and and the idea is absolutely not he'd be Nuts to come because they're looking for him they're going to go everywhere they can to find him and.

And look, they they not only want to find him, but they're going to basically. I mean the implied result here of 57 is if anyone knows where he is and doesn't tell us then what? You're an accessory and you're subject to arrest.

You better tell us what we want to know. Jesus feared. Jesus condemned. Jesus pursued. I said in the beginning unbelievers. They reinvent jesus. Like karen king. They want to find the jesus who is. Or they they don't they find the man who is.

Fully man and fully god jesus christ. They find him offensive. They find that they don't want the one who's going to come back and judge all of mankind. So they make him nicer. And it's not just forgeries like the so-called gospel of jesus's wife.

There are other examples even in our culture we think about. I I understand they're making another da vinci code movie. They can't make enough of these things to try to assault christianity. There's the search for the historical jesus because what's the implication of the search for the historical jesus?

That the gospels themselves that the bible can't be relied upon. They're going at it from every possible angle. A few years ago was the So-called ossuary of james. You know that if if what the inscription said on this ossuary was correct, then that would undermine the virgin birth.

Why is there so much effort and so much imagination spent on assaulting? The person of the work of jesus christ. Think about the bible's attacked. Why. Well the same reason that satan attacked it in the garden of eden.

The word of god. Anyway, not the bible but the word of god. Because if you can undermine that you can get people to believe anything. His existence is even questioned or was questioned. And i've had unbelievers tell me that you know.

That this is just like so many other religions that predate christianity by Centuries. Why do you want to be a christian? His miracles are denied. Since the enlightenment since mankind became so brilliant they've denied the the miracles.

In fact thomas jefferson if you recall he even cut the miracles of jesus out of the bible. Why. Because. No intelligent person could believe that a man could do those things. And even the jews who saw them didn't believe.

The christ of scriptures is terrifying to the carnal mind. The idea that jesus is the creator and sustainer of all life. That he alone is the source of resurrection. That he alone is a source of eternal life.

That he alone could pay the price for sin be the lamb of god. That he alone is the soon returning king and judge of all mankind. It's terrifying. Because they've spent their entire lives denying the reality of sin.

Follow your heart do what you feel is right. Do whatever pleases you. After all if you don't hurt anyone else, how bad can it be? But all that the bible says about christ is true. Everything that it says about sin is true.

Everything that it says about the holiness and wrath of god is true. Hell is a real place reserved for those who reject christ. And here's the choice today. We talked about there being two groups of people.

There are believers and there are unbelievers. There are sheep and there are goats. And on judgment day he will say what? Either well done or depart from me. And for those that he says depart from me.

What awaits them a punishment beyond belief. For their sins their failure to obey the law. But the truth is no one obeys the law. No one except jesus christ alone. He obeyed the law in the place of believers.

He died in the place of believers. And he was raised on the third day. And all who believe in him will never suffer the wrath of god. For unbelievers jesus is feared condemned. Pursued for believers. For believers He's worshiped.

He's obeyed. He's followed. He's loved. What have you today? What have you done with the lord jesus christ? Have you believed in him? Have you trusted him? Friends if not, I pray that today would be the day That you would believe in the lord jesus christ and be saved.

The Prayer of Jesus and the Final Appeal to Believe

Let's pray Father in heaven. We look at the plans of an evil man like caiaphas so set upon. Preserving himself and his power in his station. Keeping the people ignorant using their false sense of patriotism and nationalism.

To cover the fact that he wanted to murder the lord jesus christ a man he saw as His rival. As a problem father your plan was something else entirely. Your plan was for the lord jesus christ to die to suffer.

That a people might be eternally redeemed. Your concern wasn't temporal. Your concern wasn't the nation of israel whom you already knew would be destroyed. Father your concern was the eternal souls of men.

What a wonderful savior is jesus christ. Lord, we give you all the praise and all the glory for your wonderful plan of salvation. We do so in the name of jesus christ.