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John 11:45-12:11 What Are Your Intentions?
John chapter 11 be reading from verse 45 to chapter 12. Verse 11. Hear the word of the Lord. Many of the Jews therefore who had come with Mary and had seen what he did. That's Jesus 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 what are we to do for this man performs many signs? If we let him 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 the church children of God.
Now, excuse me, 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 and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover 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 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 six days before the Passover.
Jesus therefore came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of Expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus had wiped his feet with her hair.
The house was filled with a fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot one of his disciples He who was about to betray him said why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and having charge of the money bag.
He used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said leave her alone so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there They came not only on account of him.
But also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priest made plans to put Lazarus to death as well. Because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
And the Lord had his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, what are your intentions? Now this used to be the in the old-fashioned days courtship. This used to be the question that a father might ask some young man coming to see his daughter.
It really wasn't a question. No, you know, he wasn't expecting a Serious answer is really a way to focus the young man's mind you know a way of saying you better be serious and honorable because I'm watching you and I have a shotgun.
Today that question is today that question is sort of a dreaded question. For a guy not from the father anymore. But now from the girl and frankly a girl that probably in many cases he wants to continue to use for sex.
But has no intention of a real relationship much less marriage. I saw online some guy openly admitting that Asking for help ask you how we can answer that question to satisfy the young woman and still get what's what he wants.
Which was he said clearly which was sex but without trying to without having to tie himself down not commit himself. Because honestly his intentions were nothing but sex. That is to say his intentions were purely about himself.
Nothing benevolent. Nothing caring nothing but himself. What are your intentions now people ask that about dating because they're vulnerable or the person they love is vulnerable and what they they need or What someone they love needs is at the mercy of someone else's often hidden intentions.
Does their purpose for this relationship really have anything to do with caring or. You just trying to use them and other areas. You know, we kind of know. We should know that people's intentions are not always what they they seem.
Surely we know if we're think about it that McDonald's or Burger King or Wendy's or whatever. Doesn't really intend to feed you. That's not what they're about they intend to make money. Now feeding you is what they do to make money.
They can make money another way. They'll do it another way. You know and it's just naive to think it's otherwise a government official in the Chicago area Whose whose responsibility was to oversee landlords and tenants and that kind of thing angrily complained that the apartment owner Didn't care about the people didn't intend on providing good housing, but only quote only in making money.
I Thought you know, I wonder I wonder if that government official if she stopped getting paid for her government work. Would she really care about the needs of the apartment tenants? Would she be out there?
Intervening for them if she had to do it for free. Or does she only care about her salary? But that's the world we live in you know our economy our politics is. Rigged in a way to make people look like they care about you.
Like they intend on genuinely serving you how can I help you ask the smiling polite counter staff? And you don't say could you go change my oil unless maybe you're in an oil change place. I guess then you would say no.
They say that so that you'll like them and you'll give them more business so that they'll get paid which is Most the time often what their real intentions are. What are your intentions coming to church?
You want to love God? Are you full of gratitude for what he's done for you? And so you desire to worship him? How do you gonna pay him off? Maybe I think if you do him a favor. An offering and attendance.
He'll do something good for you back. Or maybe you do it to satisfy someone else, you know, you make them happy by coming here. So that gives you something back. Do you really want to learn his word or Do you only want to hear what you already believe just confirmed and no amount of scripture is going to change your mind.
What are your intentions? Everything we do begins with intentions. If you buy lunch or you go on a walk or you call a friend it starts with an Intention your intentions are that the seeds of your actions but like intentions but like seeds as you say intentions Have to come from somewhere.
From they come from your goals your desires. What you think your needs are sense of your needs what you think you're missing what you think you lack. Or maybe what you believe is a threat to your happiness and how you can deal with that threat or The way to finally find your happiness if you think happiness is in money.
Then you will intend to make money. That will be your intention and then you will resolve. Maybe to start a business to work hard or maybe to now study hard so you can get a good job later if you think.
You know your happiness your goal is an athletic achievement. You'll then intend to achieve to win and so then you will resolve. To practice to exert yourself and then the results will come if you think it's in the relationship.
You'll intend to do whatever you have to do. To get that relationship and you maybe you resolve what I don't know go on a website. Get a makeover or who knows? Intentions lead to resolutions. Which lead to results.
And we see that here in John where the story of this gospel here. This passage we read is Transitioning from really the high point of Jesus's ministry in raising Lazarus. Which is the in John the last of the signs what John calls the signs and tell that really what's the great sign?
Which is the sign of the cross. Jesus of the cross himself. That's the sign. As he has lifted up and he says he draws all kinds of people to himself. No one here knows none of these other people except Jesus here knows what Jesus intends.
But we see here that God's intentions are directing. Everything we see that in two major parts the resolution and the results. Okay, so there there are two immediate results of the raising of Lazarus first.
Many of the spectators there's those who came out with Mary to the tomb. And then I ride witnesses of what Jesus did they became believers in Jesus. It's a large crowd many of them became believers but some second.
Went running to the Pharisees telling them what had happened, you know said hey, you know He raised this man from the dead, but many of those other people there they come believers in him now. They went to the Pharisees and that caused a meeting of the council called the Sanhedrin.
To oppose him now, they got a problem on their hands and they're gonna deal with it now you might think well. Why should there be a problem? They should he rose that he raised the dead. He's healed the blood man warm blind.
He's another signs. They should say hey, he's the Messiah. We're gonna believe in you, too well. No. When people's intentions are to not to believe in Jesus no amount of miracles or reasoning or logic or good examples Will get through to them people often just stuck and what they will believe and no there's no way of getting through and notice that the Discussion here.
He says has reported. They never even consider. What should be obvious to us that the miracles that Jesus is doing have proven that he really is the Messiah. Haven't they sure they have they don't even.
It's not even like up for debate. So they won't think about it instead they have a meeting with the intention of Figuring out what to do about this Jesus. That they will not accept. What are we to do they ask besides believe in him which they have no intention of doing.
He performs many signs they say. And you notice they don't exist suggest. They're fake. You know, it's not as though this. How did he do it with this Lazarus? Did he have a drug that put him to sleep for a while and he you know, he rigged the whole thing.
No, they don't they don't suggest that he's fooling the people. He's a charlatan. That his enemies even his enemies here can't deny the reality of his miracles that Itself what in law is called testimony against interest.
Which is given more weight and so this here that they can't say this is this he put on some trick. It's testimony that these miracles were real, but they're not really concerned about the truth. You know, they're not they're concerned about what they think is a threat to their lifestyle.
Notice verse 28 if we let him go on like this everyone will believe in him. That sounds good to us doesn't it? Okay. Well, what's wrong with that? If they cared about the truth then here they would hey, let's debate whether he really is the Messiah.
Crowds in Galilee had concluded. He was remember that in chapter 6 where they were gonna make him King and he walked away from that. He's healed a man born blind. Just previous to this and now he's raised the dead.
The person with any Intention of finding the truth of seeking God would just seriously consider these facts and then come to believe in him. But the fact is that most people don't really care about truth.
I wish they did they don't. There's some people so stuck in what they believe you can't get them out of it. They care about what they think will help them get what they want. A young man will often you know young man will often lie about what's what the young man on the online was trying to figure Out how can I lie about my intentions in order to keep getting what I want?
Lie because they think they know the truth interferes with what he wants here. They have no intention of finding out who Jesus really is. They intend on protecting Themselves their money their interests their status.
They reason if too many people become believers in Jesus they say quote the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. Notice that the place probably I think probably mean the temple is our place.
It's not God's temple. The nation is our nation. It's not God's chosen people. It's his it's not his holy nation. It's our thing other words. All of this this temple this religion business this nation the Jews all this stuff is is what gives us our comfortable lifestyle.
It's where our money comes from gives us a power in position. They had a lot to lose if Jesus continues to gather Believers around him and they had no intention of losing it. But they don't yet have a resolution on how to stop him so then kaiaphas speaks up rudely.
Imagine a way to begin a conversation. Your your presentation he was high priest that year and he begins you all know nothing. You know nothing at all you people. He's a practical man. This kaiaphas is even if he's the highest religious leader.
He's practical. He's not the kind to get bogged down in long debates over right and wrong Theological discussions of who the Messiah is really is. Endless talk a kind of hand-wringing worrying about what what to do.
He's a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. Let's get down to what's what's real hard truths and resolve the problem. If he were in the church business today He really wouldn't care about you know, debating whether altar calls or church discipline is a good idea.
You know what grows the church. What gets people in the chairs giving offerings? That's what he'd be concerned with. No. If giving people a sense that they could quote do business with God if they can get the assurance they want by manipulating.
Manipulating them with an emotional invitation. Patting them on the back tell him now they're saved because they came forward then baptizing them right away. That looks like success. That brings in the crowds.
We'll do it if disciplining them and removing them from membership because they never came faithfully to church after we Baptized them and so early are they won't repent of their sin if that puts them off.
That smacks of being us to controlling Draw it just deters people they don't want to be involved in that. If it looks like failure when you have to Trim your membership list good when he gets smaller.
That's it. And it's a downer. We gotta do that. You're kidding. What's in it for me? Okay, if it's a demand of action the rest of the council is a loss of what to do to him it's obvious if Jesus is going to cause us to lose our position our perks our livelihood then let's be real Jesus has to go.
That's just the way it is. Nothing personal. It's just business. He says in verse 50. Nor do you understand that it is better for you? That's the way he puts it. You Pharisees you Sadducees you counsel it's better for you.
He's appealing to their self-interest. What he knows is really their intention to protect what's in it for them better for you. The one man should die for the people not that the whole nation should perish.
The council agreed and thus was born. That's how the resolution That Jesus must die. Came about now we might like we might like to think the plot to kill Jesus it kind of was concocted by this the Satanic this perverse group of immoral people who were determined to stop good from winning over evil.
We're just enraged by goodness. But here we see the resolution to kill Jesus arises out of the same intention. That makes a man use a woman. The same selfishness masquerading as service there our economy our politics is just full of the same.
What's in it for me mentality? It makes a shopkeeper say oh so nicely. How may I serve you when in reality? They're just trying to separate you from your money. The resolution that Jesus must die comes from a committee of selfish men.
Trying to hold on to what's theirs. But That's not all that's going on here. Those were the human intentions. Just really run-of-the-mill self-centeredness, but behind those intentions were God's intentions.
Even Chiapas's it's hard to say. Very words his intentional appeal to the council's self-interest. Even those were intended by God. Verse 51 we're told that he didn't say it is better. That one man should die for the people.
He didn't say that of his own accord. Oh. It's what he intended to say. Don't get it wrong. He said it fully of his own free will. He wasn't a puppet being overpower. What's happening to me? I'm saying words.
I don't mean to say no. He wasn't being overpowered. He wasn't a mouthpiece for a force that he couldn't control. No, he said what he meant it meant what he said, but he said it John says because being high priest he prophesied.
He didn't know he was prophesying. He thought he was just talking cold hard reality for those worry works on the council. They silly weak men who can't figure out what needs to be done. That's what he thought but he was prophesying.
He said exactly what the Spirit intended him to say through Chiapas the unintentional prophet for a moment. We learned three things about what God is doing first about inspiration second about salvation and third about intention.
God's intention first the inspiration particularly the inspiration of Scripture now people today often say that Scripture can only mean what the people who spoke at that time in that context. Historically literally meant to say there's even a term for the historical grammatical method.
Isaiah could not have known that he was prophesying about Jesus when he said that the servant of the Lord will be despised and rejected. By man by been a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Since he couldn't know that they say well, he must have been talking about someone in his own day.
David couldn't have known he was describing the crucifixion when he wrote my god my god. Why have you forsaken me? All my bones were out of a joint. They have pierced my hands and feet. You know that it happens to sound a lot like the crucifixion must be then he couldn't since he couldn't have known it must be a coincidence.
They this way they reason. Isaac couldn't have known that he was describing the church when he said that Jacob the original Israel was to become a quote Company of nations so it couldn't be that can't be the meaning they say.
But here we see that while Caiaphas literally only meant to make a political statement. You know, he meant to say if if we don't kill Jesus, we'll lose our nation to the Romans. The Spirit who was inspiring him super intended Him to say must something much greater.
Peter says that no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men speak as God. Speak from God as they're carried along by the Holy Spirit here Caiaphas prophesies. He's carried along by the Spirit.
To mean much more than he intended. Second. The Spirit intends to show us through Caiaphas about salvation. How's it happen? We're saved not by our own effort or ethnicity, but by the sacrifice of Christ what is called.
In theological terms the vicarious atonement. Vicarious, it's not a word. We use a lot vicarious means the taking of taking the place of another person. The vicarious Person is serving as a substitute.
So the vicarious atonement is that Jesus stood in our place. He took our punishment so that now God has no punishment left. For us not for his people. So since he has none left for us, we're reconciled.
There's nothing between us and God because Jesus took it all the offense. He was our substitute. He stood in our place to take the punishment we deserve. So here through Caiaphas. He is saying that it's better that he die for and notice that twice.
In the verses 50 and 51 the word for is used and it's not a because for it means this word for in Greek. Literally means on behalf of okay on behalf of. Instead of or rather than as the substitute for like the Passover lambs.
Coming in the Passover here. The Passover lambs were slaughtered on the day of preparation before the Passover. On behalf of the person who offered them. The same day and they were happen to be offered here on the same day Jesus was crucified and the Passover the lamb the lamb would die to take away the wrath of God so that wrath would pass over the people it was on behalf of in place of.
So here calf is to say it's better that one man die on behalf of the people. John says he prophesied that Jesus would die on behalf of the nation. Third finally, what was God's intention of sending Christ?
Now some say God intended to set up an earthly kingdom. If only the Jews would accept Jesus. That was his intention an earthly kingdom. He reigned from Jerusalem. But in chapter 6, that's exactly what the Jews wanted to do and Jesus fled from that.
Some say that God's intention was first about the nation about the literal Israelites that the Gentiles were kind of an afterthought. After the the Jewish thing didn't work out. But here we see that God's intention was that Jesus would die for the nation here those who believe in Jesus from the literal Jewish nation and then in verse 52 and not for the nation only.
Not only for the Jewish believers in other words in Jesus. But also notice that but also in verse 52. It's a strong contrast To the idea that it was just for the literal nation, but also Something else to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
Jesus would die to assemble all the people of God from all nations into one and. This really continues and we're we're in a little disadvantage because we picked up the chapter 11 after like two years break in John but this continues a theme that was just in the previous chapter and in chapter 10 if we had been reading straight through this would Bring it out to our memory.
Aha. I remember just just previously. Not long before this chapter 10 and very verse 15 where Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd famous words. What else does he say? He says that he lays down his life for same word by the way on behalf of for the sheep.
Now who are the sheep? He's he tells us not just from the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I would not just from this sheepfold Jesus says but in chapter 10 verse 16. I have other sheep. Not in this sheepfold we're not of this fold not Israelites or not Jewish not from this nation.
He says I must Notice that must it's a it's a burden. It's a responsibility. It's a it's something he's absolutely intent on doing. I must bring them also. So that there so this is the reason there will be one flock and one shepherd.
He's the Good Shepherd. Jesus will gather his lost sheep from Europeans from Africans from Asians and he'll gather them along with the Jewish sheep. So that there will be one flock. Now back here in chapter 11 very next chapter.
There's really no long break like we just took the same theme this time is prophesied unintentionally. Through Caiaphas Jesus is to give his life for the nation. Which is not just the literal Jews. But all of God's people who are scattered throughout all other nations.
Scattered among the Japanese the Ethiopians the Americans the Mexicans the Chinese all kinds God's children are out there scattered among them and Jesus died on their behalf to save them and To gather them into one people.
There is only one people of God. There's not a white church or a black church or a Chinese church. There is in the words of the Nicene Creed the one holy universal apostolic Church. There's not an earthly people of God and a heavenly one the Israel versus the church that doesn't make any sense.
First because church deliberately just means the assembly. That's what the word means. It's the it's the gathering the assembly of God's people and if you're not in the gathering, you're not one of God's people.
What's this to make your you gathered with the people but not one of no here. Jesus says that he's the Good Shepherd in chapter 10. He's the Good Shepherd who will gather his people into one flock the whole chapter 11 where we're at now.
The Holy Spirit says through Caiaphas that Jesus is dying on behalf of his people. Who are scattered out there to gather them into one. Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 says that we Gentile believers were Formally alienated from Israel alienated from God's people.
But now we have been brought near by the blood of Christ that the wall that divided us from Israel the true Israel has been broken down so that we are quote one new man in place of the two. I Don't know how it gets any clearer than that in Romans chapter 11.
He compares the people of God to an olive tree. It's one olive tree if you believe in Jesus even if you're not physically Israelite you are grafted into that tree. If you don't believe in Jesus you are cut out.
If Jews later come to believe in Jesus and we hope they do they will be grafted back in but there is only now and always. One tree. So Peter writes in first Peter To what he calls begins first. Peter says to the elect exiles of the dispersion.
In other words the children of God Scattered abroad. You are the chosen race a holy nation a people for God's own possession one flock one tree one nation one people. That was God's intention. His resolution from the beginning intentions lead to resolutions.
Which lead to results? So we have the human resolution to put Jesus to death and The divine resolution for Jesus to die on behalf of his people to make of them one. God's resolution is using the human resolution to achieve the results he wants.
What are the results of the resolution. Well first the human resolution results in three things knows first waiting second anointing and third plotting. The first result is waiting. Jesus probably learned although it doesn't say clearly but he Seems to have learned about the resolution and so he goes back out of Judea again further north as he said before in John he Went to his mother.
My time has not yet come here. That's his time is not quite yet. Come coming soon. It's coming with this Passover. That's what he's waiting for. Waiting for the Passover as it came near. People came came early to Jerusalem to prepare themselves to purify themselves and as they're doing that they were looking for Jesus.
Talking about where he is. He's gonna show up. They were waiting for him to come. The word was out from the council to tell them if to tell them the council if they see him so they could arrest them. So Jesus is waiting for the Passover.
They're waiting to catch him. Then the anointing notice chapter 12 verse 2 in our chapter verse 1, excuse me the countdown. Just six days before the Passover that that last week. Five days before Jesus died on the day of preparation.
The clock is ticking down. Jesus comes back to Jerusalem to Bethany just two miles away. Where he was where he had raised Lazarus his followers, you know, his friends there gave him a notice there by the way verse 1.
It says therefore. You know previous the council is out to arrest him to them. I kill him and chapter 1 therefore He came back. He came back because he knew That they laid a trap for him. That they wanted to kill him.
Anybody wait his followers in there when he came back to the Bethany, which is just two miles away from Jerusalem. They gave a dinner for him. Martha served. As she likes to do probably puts on a good meal.
Lazarus was a guest too and Then comes Mary. Remember Mary is the one who chose to listen to Jesus. Mary's the one with with whom Jesus wept and If you wonder you got to wonder what did Jesus raising her brother?
Do to her. Well here we see. She took a flask. They called it pure nard. They say it's extracted from flowers from Nepal. You know on the other side of India from Israel and then it's imported all the way to Israel.
Verse 5 says it's worth 300 denarii now a denarii is worth about a day's wage. It's about your day's pay for a labor. So 300 if you say take a day off a week Sabbath day to rest the 300 denarii be worth about a year's work.
So let's say it's worth about $30 ,000 today in our money. Now imagine then imagine taking a gift of $30 ,000. It's probably something really bad. This is something you kind of keep just take a pinch of just occasionally to use for you know.
Maybe on yourself maybe on something else. It's supposed to probably last you for years. Not your whole lifetime taking that out. $30 ,000 gift and you just pour it all in one moment. Just one. Effusion of love.
And normally guests in that culture get their feet washed with water. She thought that that nearly that wasn't nearly good enough. So she reached instead for the most expensive liquid she could find a perfumed ointment.
Just made a wonderful fragrance it's an extravagant gift a lavish display. You could you could smell this sensational aroma. There's the fragrance of it all through the house just filled the place so magnificent so pleasing.
You'd never forget it. And then she's just so out of herself. You just really I'm caring. She's not putting on a show. I don't think for the people around her. She just she didn't care you're not conscious of what how she might appear.
Like the sinful woman did but at the Pharisees house in Luke chapter 7 just like that. She she bends down and uses her hair to wipe Jesus's feet. Now what did she intend. Just to express her heart her love her worship.
One of the disciples had other intentions and they sound noble don't they? People often claim their intentions are good. They care about the poor. So let's start these programs. Over which I will be employed.
Imagine what you could do with $30 ,000 for the poor. To waste it all. What a flamboyant expression of love. Is it that that squandering that unreasonable in that? Poor stewardship. So he speaks up. Why was it this ointment sold for $30 ,000 given to the poor?
That's what we're about after all in it justice for the poor. Sell all that you have give to the poor. Jesus told another man. We doing that. The Disciple was Judas and his intentions were not pure. He was the treasurer of their group and he would often help himself to their money, you know an extra 300 in their eye.
Could give him a lot of opportunities to indulge himself. And so Jesus speaks up in her defense. Leave her alone. He says this anointing. He says I'm paraphrasing. This was in intended for my burial. Intended by who?
No, the disciples surely didn't know that Jesus was going to his death and it's since that since they didn't it's doubtful Mary did. Her intention wasn't to prepare him for burial. Her intention was to show how much Jesus was worth to her.
She was ready to pour out thirty thousand dollars worth of extravagance on him because that's how valuable Jesus was to her. That's her intention. Jesus says it was intended for his burial intended by who God Super intended to use her lavish gift to prepare Jesus for what's coming in just five days.
Once again, God's superintending hand guides people to do or say. What is in God's intention for his results? Jesus says the poor you always have with you. Sure, maybe that large gift could have been able to help a few people for a while.
But what he is being anointed to do will help many for eternity. You do not always have me. He says now he's hinting at his death. That they have no ideas coming so soon in five short days so the results of the resolution man's resolution that Jesus must die on behalf of the nation and God's resolution that he will die as the Passover lamb for all his people of all nations the results are first that Jesus is waiting for the Passover to be the Passover lamb and then the anointing from Mary and finally the plotting.
Large crowds came to see Jesus and Lazarus and many of them were believing in Jesus says. It says they were going away in verse 11. That is they were breaking with the religion of the Pharisees. They weren't listening to them anymore away from their leaders to following Jesus.
The people saw Lazarus as proof that Jesus was the Messiah. The the leaders could have seen the same thing if they. If they hadn't already surrendered to self-interest to protecting their their place.
You know the temple and their religion that paid their bills that gave them their nice life. They were going to protect that at all cost. Remember Caiaphas the practical man and scolded them for not seeing what cold hard reality demanded.
We got to face facts. He said. Now they resolved to follow it they were in the grip of Expediency the ends justify the means we got to do what we got to do. They said whatever it takes to achieve our goal.
We'll do it. So having already resolved to kill Jesus now, they resolved to kill Lazarus, too. They won't consider what his being alive proves. They can't explain it. But they can do away with it. So they are swept along to the result.
That Lazarus must also die. That's the result of Their resolution that arose from their selfish intentions. Now we might think I Never do anything like that. I I would never intend to To harm someone like that.
I don't intend to anyone harm. But neither did they not at first they intended only to protect what's theirs. Their place their nation it even sounds noble. They're in public service they would say. They're thinking about they would claim what's best for the people and their reasoning is entirely practical.
They don't sound hateful. Do they? Think about it. They're not fuming with rage. Not sticking needles in their Jesus doll or throwing darts at pictures of him. Not seething with a desire to do him harm any way they can for any reason they can know their intention is first that.
They would claim for the nation to keep it safe. And even if okay, there's that's a smokescreen. Their real intention is to keep the money flowing their way to hold on to their cozy lifestyle their perks their position.
Okay, sure that's not so bad is. I mean it's kind of normal that's life, right. That's that's the way the world works. Everybody's looking out for number one, right? It's too bad. They may say that we have to make some hard decisions.
Somebody has to be sacrificed for the public welfare. They might say. So let's be real. Kappa says. This Jesus must die. Now Lazarus must die. There's no end to it really of who they'd kill. Because of where their intentions began.
But human intentions aren't everything. Sure intentions lead to resolutions which lead to results. They thought they would. They thought the result would be that they would be able to keep their place and their nation forever.
But really it was the opposite. The decision that they make here. Results in 40 years in their place and their nation being destroyed. What the decision they made resulted in exactly what they were trying to avoid.
The Lord had other intentions. He was often the foundation of the world. That the lamb would be slain to take away the sin of his people scattered throughout the world. The result of that resolution. God's resolution from eternity past.
Was that in just a few days? From Mary anointing Jesus here. That he would be lifted up on a cross. We gather all his people from all nations around him with that the result of the Lord's intention to save his people.
The result of the resolution to lift Jesus up on the cross. The result is your salvation and the result for you now Is like Mary? You can pour out your life as an extravagant gift at Jesus's feet. But of course first.
What are your intentions.