ONE MAN DIES FOR THE PEOPLE (Outline)
March 21, 2010 -
Lent 5 -
JOHN 11:47-53
INTRO: “All for one and one for all!” was the boast of the three musketeers. They pledged their allegiance to one another. Whatever was a threat for one of them would involve all of them. Any danger for all of them would be a concern to each as an individual. God’s will for mankind is one-sided. Our Lord God Almighty provides one for all. One man dies for the people. The danger that infects all of mankind is taken away by the sacrifice of one. Once again, we are privileged and blessed to gather around God’s word to see this one Man, this Jesus, our Savior. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone" (HEBREWS 2:9). God’s grace: Jesus tasted death for everyone.
ONE MAN DIES FOR THE PEOPLE.
I. The plot of a wicked court.
II. The plan of a perfect Judge.
I. THE PLOT OF A WICKED COURT
A. In John 11 Lazarus dies. Jesus raises Lazarus after 4 days in the grave to live again. Some believe.
1. Verse 47. Others do not rejoice in this miracle of Jesus. The synagogue leaders oppose him.
2. The miraculous signs the leaders once demanded of Jesus now present a problem for them.
B. Verse 48a. Too many will turn away from the leaders to follow Jesus. This could cause trouble.
1. Verse 48b. The leaders think the Romans (= government) will take away their power, place.
2. The Jewish nation might also be in danger. In 70AD the temple and Jerusalem are destroyed.
C. Verse 49. Caiaphas who is in charge speaks up. Caiaphas speaks as if he knows the answer.
1. The answer to save the temple and nation is to offer up Jesus as an appeasement to Romans.
2. This would show the government that the church could take care of itself. A wicked plot.
D. What an amazing display of arrogant power. Even before Jesus’ betrayal and arrest the church leaders put in place a plan to sacrifice one for all. Unknowingly, their wicked plot was to be exactly what the Lord God Almighty had chosen for them to do. Even in wicked plotting, even in selfish conniving, and even in man’s thinking the will of God gets done. The wisdom and the strength of man really never match the wisdom and strength of our gracious God. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong"(1 CORINTHIANS 1:27).
E. Man plots to fulfill his desires and motives. The wickedness of mankind in treating one another goes on generation after generation. Man’s evil does not undo the will of God. Joseph’s father favored him so much that his brothers hated him. Rather than kill Joseph he was sold into slavery. In Egypt Joseph was falsely accused and falsely imprisoned. Eventually Joseph became the second most powerful man in the world. A severe famine reunited Joseph and his family. At the death of their father Joseph’s brothers were worried that Joseph would finally want to get his revenge for their wicked actions against Joseph 20+ years earlier. "But Joseph said to them, ‘Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives’" (GENESIS 50:19,20). (See Genesis 37ff for the complete account.) Man’s plotting is often only wicked.
F. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is why every generation has leaders that grab all the power they can once they are in control. Part of being in power is the feel of control. Today we can all too easily think that we are the masters of our own destinies. We like to think that we are the ones in control. "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One" (PSALM 2:1,2). How true that we conspire and plot against God. Our nation stands against God and the sanctity of human life. Abortions are done in the name of convenience. Millions have been slaughtered.
ONE MAN DIES FOR THE PEOPLE.
The plot of a wicked court unknowingly does God’s will..
II. THE PLAN OF A PERFECT JUDGE
A. The Sanhedrin was made up of 70 members considered to be religious leaders for the synagogue.
1. The Sanhedrin meets here to selfishly try and preserve their self-important positions. .
2. Verse 50. Caiaphas is the one who boldly moves the Sanhedrin along the path God chose.
B. Verse 51. Caiaphas is not even aware that his wicked plotting is exactly what God wanted.
1. The Lord God Almighty puts into Caiaphas’ mouth the very words the Lord wants spoken.
2. Verse 52. One man would die for the nation: more than the Jewish nation – all people.
3. How little Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin knew about God’s great plans for saving the world.
C. Verse 53. Very soon comes betrayal, arrest, crucifixion. Man’s wicked plots do God’s perfect plan.
D. This is not the only place that God’s plan is carried out in spite of what man says, wants, and does. This is not the only time that God’s weakness overpowers man’s strength. In what appeared to be weakness on the cross the power of God is fully displayed. A thief repents and asks for a place in heaven as he watches Jesus die on the cross. At Jesus’ death on the cross-even unbelievers were moved to confess God’s truth. "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’" (MATTHEW 27:54). Such is the plan of a perfect Judge who wants all men to confess his holy name.
E. But, of course, God’s plan is not always what the world would consider as their plan. The Lord God Almighty lived in flesh in this world to redeem mankind. Jesus lived as one who came to serve. A life of service is what made our country great. Our nation was founded on the very fact that dedicated people lived to serve God and country. This is still true today in all of our armed forces. Thank God for every dedicated soldier who serves God by serving our country. This same attitude was clearly seen in the lives of our early founders. Today there appears to be an attitude of service BUT only an attitude of self-service. God’s plan is the very opposite of what our sinful nature wants. "Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (MARK 10:44,45). One man dies for the people. Believers are saved to serve God.
F. The kernel of Christianity at lent is seen over and over again in Jesus’ sacrifice of one for all. This simple, yet vital fact and teaching of Scripture cannot be overemphasized. There is an attack against the cross of Christ taking form in the mega churches in our country. Too many feel and teach that the cross of Christ is too controversial. The cross is removed. This is the wicked plot of evil man. Man’s wickedness will not undo the power and the wisdom of God – the cross of Christ! "The Lord Jesus Christ…gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever"(GALATIANS 1:4-6). One man dies for the people and we are rescued.
CONC.: What love God shows us! One man, Jesus – his Son, our Savior, dies for the people. Miracle of miracles we know, believe, and confess that Christ is our Savior. This is God’s grace. Jesus was crucified according to the perfect plan of our perfect Judge, our Lord God Almighty. The plan of salvation included the plotting of a wicked court. Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Judas, the soldiers, Pilate, and the crowd all played their wicked part in carrying out God’s perfect plan. It took all of them in their sinfulness to do God’s will. ONE MAN DIES FOR THE PEOPLE. Yes, this sacrifice began because of man’s sin. Yes,, this sacrifice happened because of a wicked court. Yes, definitely, everything happened according to the plan of our perfect Judge. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (ROMANS 5:8). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
LENT 5 rdgs:
ISAIAH 43:16-21;
PHILIPPANS 3:8-14;
LUKE 20:9-19;
(PSALM 94)
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min. (Sat)/12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / 7:00pm @ Hays (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: 10:55am @ Redeemer (SUN) / 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF (TUES.)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
