The Gospel of JohnSýnishorn

Tragic words about the aftermath of the stunning resuscitation of Lazarus open in verse forty-six: “But some.” John tells us that “many of the [Judeans] . . . had seen what Jesus did” and “believed in him” (11:45). Their faith, their allegiance, their orientation in life was directed at and from their relationship with Jesus. But some did not believe, did not surrender their lives, and could not accept the revelation of who Jesus was in the very act of summoning a dead man from a tomb. So, they report him to authorities in Jerusalem (the Pharisees, 11:46). This led to a conclave with the Sanhedrin, a term John uses for the more official gathering of the leading authorities in Jerusalem.

Jesus divides. Or, put differently, responses to Jesus divide people.

From the opening page of this Gospel to the end we watch Jesus divide the audiences who hear him and see him. “His own did not receive him,” John told us at 1:11. So, it was (and so it is today), and what happens is a discussion with some debate and with some different views tossed into the mix. People want to explain Jesus. They want to explain the undeniable influence of the church (even today). They want to explain the church’s decline. And they want to explain why some leaders are so charismatic and crowd-attracting.

The NIV’s “accomplishing” squeezes a simple verb into a precise meaning. It is best to leave the question the leaders ask with “What are we doing?” (11:47). They realize his gifts and attractiveness with “If we let him go on like this” and speculate first, that “everyone will believe in him” and they will lose ideological power and, second, that—because of the unrest that will be created by so many following Jesus—the “Romans "will have to destroy the temple (better, “our place,” which could also mean Jerusalem) and nation to calm things down (11:48). They speculate rebellion, riots, and a coup.

Exaggeration and hyperbole always gain ears, especially when it is all folded into apocalyptic images. Politicians attempt to shift a public with apocalyptic fear. That is, if you don’t vote for me our red-white-and-blue democracy will collapse into fascism.

In many conclaves someone will think more pragmatically. A high priest, Caiaphas offers a minority opinion on the case. Let Jesus be the scapegoat for all this tension, let his death soothe the populace. If he is put down, the furor will go away, and Rome will leave us alone. A scapegoat pacifies angry actors and creates a shallow peace. Jesus is now trapped between the ruthless power of Rome and the pragmatics of politics in Jerusalem.

What Caiaphas didn’t know was that “he did not say this on his own” (11:51). That is, God spoke through him of what would happen or perhaps what he said took a different life later: Jesus would die as a scapegoat “for the [NIV adds “Jewish”] nation” but that unjust death would bring redemption also “for the scattered children of God” and it would “bring them together and make them one” (11:52; cf. 10:16; 17:20–26). John is pointing either to the regathering of the twelve tribes (Jeremiah 31–33) or to gentile conversions–or perhaps both.

The conclave seems to break up without resolution. The tension was high and any attempts by Jesus to continue with his ministry in Jerusalem or Bethany was likely to lead to his arrest. John informs us that the plot was on to take Jesus down (11:53).

But Jesus’ time was not yet, so John shifts his attention to Jesus who chooses to stay away from his public, bold presence in Judea. Instead, he travels to Ephraim near the Judean wilderness: that arid, rocky area northeast of Jerusalem (11:54). He “stayed with” may indicate that Jesus withdrew to wait for the next major festival, and our next chapter’s first verse has Jesus back in Jerusalem for Passover (12:1).

People then and now want to explain the attraction called Jesus. One can only explain him right by seeing in him God’s Sign, and one can only see the Sign well if one believes in him and, like Mary, anoints Jesus’ feet (12:1–11).

Respond

• What foreshadowing are you beginning to see for Jesus’ eventual death?
• Note how John seems to center action in Jesus’ life around the major religious festivals. Why do you think that is?
• How have you seen differing views about Jesus divide people in your life?