Viewing God’s Sovereign Work

“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, ’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.’ 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" (John 11:45-53, ESV.)

Have you heard the name of Carlos Yulo?

He was Filipino gymnast, who won two gold medals during the 2024 Paris Olympic!

As we consider what he did, many things would enter in our mind. Many would focus on the rewards he received; some would be on his personal problem with his mother.

We acknowledge his performance, but as Christians, we should not fail to consider the Sovereign One, who extended the common grace in the life of Carlos Yulo.

So, this time, let’s focus on the topic, VIEWING GOD’S SOVEREIGN WORK while we study our text (John 11:45-53).

How should we view when God exercises His Sovereign Power? Or, when we consider His Sovereign Work, what should enter our mind?

Before we proceed in our text, be refreshed in our mind that the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John. He addressed himself repeatedly in the book as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He focused on the life, works and words of Jesus in His few remaining days on earth. He pointed out that Jesus is God. And he related the importance not only of believing, but also of loving Jesus.

Some verses before our text, we realized that when Jesus “unleashed” His word, there were at least two glorious effects, especially if it is directed to us. First, we accept it. Second, we act on it.

Now, in our text, we could learn at least two things, as we encounter or consider the Sovereign Work of God. What are those?

I -- IT CREATES APPRECIATION IN THE HEART (verses 45-48).

We read verses 45-48, “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, ’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.’"

Notice the two main reactions when the Jews witnessed God’s Work. After they saw Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, there were Jews who believed in Christ. There’s a belief, when there’s appreciation.

In other words, they appreciated Him for what He did, so they believed in Him. However, some of the Jews, instead of expressing their great gratitude or appreciation for Christ, they went to the Pharisees. They reported what Jesus had done. They expressed their doubts or resistance to Jesus. While the authorities or the Pharisees were threatened and, as we’ll learn later, they planned to kill Jesus.

The Jewish authorities, instead of being appreciative that God’s work was being done in their midst, valued more the position of authority they occupied. Romans gave them certain authority in the land, but they were subject to the Roman Empire. If the Jews allowed Jesus to perform more “signs” that He was indeed the Messiah, the Savior and King of the Jews, according to the Pharisees, every Jew would become His followers and “Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” In short, they would lose the positions they were enjoying.

They were not appreciative of the glory of God’s work. They did not appreciate the Personal Word, the Messiah.

As we read the first chapter of Genesis, there was light and darkness. We believe also that in this world, there are children of God and children of the devil (1 John 3:10).

Also, there are optimists and pessimists. Optimists see the good thing in a particular situation, while the pessimists see the bad things. A glass half filled of water, the optimist will say, “Oh, half of the glass was filled with water.” The pessimist will remark, “Oh, the glass was half-emptied with water”!