What Jesus Did : John 11:49-50 - One to Die for the People
by Phil Ware
One to Die for the People - John 11:49-50
One of the men there was Caiaphas. He was the high priest that year. Caiaphas said, "You people know nothing! It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed. But you don't realize this." (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
Jesus came to live as God among us and to die for our sins to bring us to God. However, we are saved from destruction because of grace, not because of some corrupt religious leader's decision. This was God's plan, so that a perfect sacrifice could be offered that would completely take away our sin. Jesus is our atoning sacrifice, who died so that we can live. What incredible love! What overwhelming grace!
Today's Prayer
LORD God Almighty, thank you for your incredible mercy and grace demonstrated through the sacrifice of your Son! Thank you, Jesus, for bearing my sin and shame so that I could receive your salvation. May my life be a worthy response of praise to all that you have done, and all that you will do, to bless me and make me yours. Amen.
Today and over the last several weeks, our brothers and sisters in Iraq and many other places in the Middle East and Africa, have had to make the ultimate sacrifice for their faith. They have been servants to the end. Some have been crucified. Some have seen their children beheaded before they themselves were martyred. Many others have had their earthly lives destroyed. Please take a minute and go to Voice of the Martyrs and learn more about their plight and pray about ways you can help. Thank you!
Phil Ware & the Heartlight.org, VerseoftheDay.com, and aYearwithJesus.com Team
Today's Verses in Context
There were many Jews that came to visit Mary. They saw what Jesus did. And many of these Jews believed in Jesus. But some of the Jews went to the Pharisees. They told the Pharisees what Jesus did. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish council. They said, "What should we do? This man (Jesus) is doing many miracles. If we let him continue doing these things, all the people will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our temple and our nation." One of the men there was Caiaphas. He was the high priest that year. Caiaphas said, "You people know nothing! It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed. But you don't realize this." Caiaphas did not think of this himself. He was high priest that year. So he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish people. Yes, Jesus would die for the Jewish people. But Jesus would also die for God's other children that were scattered {in all the world}. He would die to bring them all together and make them one people. That day the Jewish leaders began planning to kill Jesus. So Jesus stopped traveling around openly among the Jews. Jesus left {Jerusalem} and went to a place near the desert. Jesus went to the town called Ephraim. Jesus stayed there with his followers. It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. Many people from the country went to Jerusalem before the Passover. They went to do the special things to make themselves pure {for the Passover}. The people looked for Jesus. They stood in the temple area and asked each other, "Is he (Jesus) coming to the festival? What do you think?" But the leading priests and the Pharisees had given a special order about Jesus. They said that if any person knew where Jesus was, the person must tell them. Then the leading priests and the Pharisees could arrest Jesus.-- John 11:45-57 (ERV)
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