John 11:48-55

48 “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.”

49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 

50 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.” 

51 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,

52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 

54 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.

55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

“One Man Should Die For the People”

“What do we do about this man who performs these miraculous signs? He is causing us so many problems!” I can just hear the Pharisees and chief priests all gathered together with the council. Paraphrasing, this was what they said: “If we let Him continue like this, then everyone will believe in Him, and we will lose our positions of power as spiritual leaders over the nation. If Jesus’ popularity grows, it will cause the Romans to rise up against us and destroy our religion and our nation.” They were not looking at the wonderful things that Jesus was doing for others. They were not considering that only God could perform the signs that Jesus was doing. They were only thinking about themselves and their status as “spiritual” leaders in the community… although they were far from leading anyone spiritually. They were blind people leading other blind people, and heading straight for the ditch. These people’s evil hearts are so overwhelming to me. Jesus had healed countless people, including a man who was blind from birth, and then had raised a person from the dead, and all they are worried about is their earthly position and power. How very sad. Then in verses 49 and 50, it gets even sadder, but also prophetic. Caiaphas, the high priest, blatantly says, paraphrasing, “It is better for one man to die for all the people, than for the entire nation to be destroyed because of this one man.” In verse 51, John reveals that this statement was prophetic, because Jesus would actually die for the Jewish nation and every other nation on earth past, present, and future. Caiaphas did not realize that he had just foretold the future. His statement held a much deeper meaning than he intended. Caiaphas wanted Jesus to die, so he and the other Jewish leaders could go on doing what they were doing…..which was going through the motions of the old law. He didn’t realize that his words were prophetic, and tied like an invisible thread to Isaiah 53. Jesus was literally going to die for the Jewish people, but not so they could all keep their exalted positions, and not so they could keep the Romans at bay. Jesus was going to die so that the very people who rejected Him, Caiaphas included, could have the chance to be forgiven and live eternally in heaven. Jesus would die to bring in a new law… a law of grace and truth……a law that, when obeyed, would provide the complete forgiveness of sins through the perfect sacrifice of the sinless Son of God. If only Caiaphas knew the magnitude of the statement that he made, “If we kill Him, we will save our nation.” WOW! I wonder… what did these Pharisees and chief priests think when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”? A man who healed people and raised a person from the dead had been executed, and what did He do while hanging in agony? He asked God to forgive the very people who put Him there. I wonder if any of them gave that a second thought. Surely some of them changed their minds about Him at that point. I would hope so anyway.

Verse 52 states that Jesus wouldn’t just die for the Jewish nation, but for all people, Jews and Gentiles. Jesus brought everyone who believed in Him together in unity as one body (church) of children of God. All those who were of the Jewish lineage, and all who were scattered abroad, could be included as Jesus went to the cross for the salvation of every single person, but… they had to believe in and obey Jesus to be part of that body (church). 

From that day forward, the Jewish leaders plotted to put Jesus to death. Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews because of this plot against Him. It was not the right time for Him to be glorified. He went to another country near the wilderness, to the city of Ephraim with His disciples and remained there. He would remain there until the Passover, which was coming up soon. Every male Jew was required to come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many Jews went to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. It was time for the Passover lamb to be slain… a lamb without blemish… that would roll the people’s sins forward for another year. Little did they know that Jesus would be that lamb without blemish that would not just roll their sins forward, but would completely blot out their sins, IF… (and this is a big “if”), they believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and submitted their will to His will. Sin cannot be forgiven without true belief in and obedience to Jesus. 

In verse 55, people were preparing for the Passover feast by purifying themselves. It was a physical purification. But what these people really needed was a heart purification… a spiritual purification. The flesh might be clean, but the soul can still be filthy. This was the condition of these Jews who were plotting to murder Jesus. What about us? When we are baptized, we get wet, right? Many people don’t understand the significance of water baptism. What good does the water do? Physical dirt might wash off as we go down and come up out of that water. But baptism is so much more than that. It is a spiritual cleansing of our souls. Our souls are filthy and have to be purified before God. The water represents Jesus’ blood that He shed for the remission of our sins. To be cleansed, we have to come in contact with that precious, sinless blood. 

What other way do we come in contact with His blood other than water baptism? Water baptism connects us to the blood of Christ. In Acts 2:36, after the people were cut to the heart over what they had done in killing the Son of God, they asked Peter what they needed to do. “How do we fix what we have done?” They were heartbroken at that moment.  Peter answered them in Acts 2:38 by telling them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ… why? “For the remission of sins.” In Matthew 26:26-29, when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He made the statement, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” This says that Jesus’ blood was shed for the remission of sins, and Peter said that repentance and baptism were to be done “for” or “in order to have” the remission of sins. Many denominations teach that “for” means “because of”. But if you study the word “for”, you will find out that it does not. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Where do we come in contact with the blood of Christ? We come in contact with it in the waters of baptism. There is no other way! If we put all the pieces together, it makes perfect sense. Water baptism = contact with Christ’s precious blood = remission of our sins = purification of our souls = salvation = eternal life! The puzzle is complete! 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!