Jesus Revealed Pt. 11 - I AM The Resurrection And The LifeSample

The Plan to Kill Jesus  

Thoughts on the Passage

There is so much here.

First, we are coming to the time when Jesus will die. It will happen at Passover. It will happen not because man is planning to do it, but because it is God’s timing. So Jesus steps away from Jerusalem for a time… but He will be back.

Second, the religious leaders see Jesus as a threat to the nation. Jesus will upset the whole religious and political system if He is not stopped. It is such a great threat that they see the Jewish people being dispersed and losing their nationhood. Jesus has to be stopped.

Third, there is a prophetic word by the High Priest – Jesus will die, and His death will unite God’s people everywhere. They think this means that His death will stop His followers and cause all the Jewish people to unite under the leadership of the religious leaders. It is so very close to accurate. Jesus’ death will unite all of God’s people – but it is people from the nations, and they will unite because His death opens the door for salvation for all mankind. However, the religious leaders will be left in the darkness. 

Is this a prophetic word from God? How can God give this word through evil people? John includes this in this letter, because it is from God. God has used the High Priest to release His message to the world – but the priest does not understand it and interprets it incorrectly. That happens. Even today God gives dreams and visions of Jesus to many people – good people and bad people. These people sometimes get it right – and they go looking for Jesus. Sometimes, they get it wrong and they miss what God is saying to them.

Fourth, the people are confused. They hear the religious leaders want to kill Jesus. They see the good things Jesus does. It does not make sense to them. They wonder if Jesus will risk coming to the Passover. The Passover was one of the feasts that God commanded all men to attend – of course He will come!

The showdown is coming.

Application

Have you had a dream or vision of Jesus? Has it caused you to seek Jesus or to find a way to ignore Him? There is great danger in ignoring Jesus; search for Him and truth and you will find both.

Do our words and actions give clarity about Jesus or do they cause confusion to those around us? Make sure that our message, our lives and our actions all give people a clear perspective of Jesus. Do not let the risk of a negative response cause us to make it less clear. Jesus told His disciples at the beginning of this chapter to walk while it is light – and you will not stumble. Let’s walk in God’s light and let God’s light shine through us to our world.

Time to Pray

Father, Jesus was not afraid to walk in the light of day even when people threatened Him. He knew what You wanted from Him and Jesus just walked faithfully in it. There are days that I know what to do and there are days that I am confused. I want to walk in the light of day just like Jesus did. He was not afraid of the anger of people – but He knew when it was necessary to avoid it. Jesus knew the power that He had available – and He used it according to Your plan. That is my prayer today. Give me the courage to walk in the light of day – even if it puts me in difficult situations. Give me the courage to walk in the joy of my salvation so that people see a clear picture of Jesus. Give me clarity of understanding so that when I read Your word, receive a dream or vision… I know what You are saying. In Jesus’ name, Amen.