Lazarus is alive again…then, what?  John 11.43-57

“In the beginning the Word already existed.? The Word was with God,?and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him,?and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created,?and his life brought light to everyone.”*

    The One who spoke forth life at the start speaks life to Lazarus, calling him out of the grave.  Then, what?  How did the mourners and other on-lookers at the tomb respond, and what did the Jewish leaders have to say?  Take a look:   

“That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have."

Then one of them—it was Caiaphas, the designated Chief Priest that year—spoke up, "Don't you know anything? Can't you see that it's to our advantage that one man dies for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed?" He didn't say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation, and not only for the nation but so that all God's exile-scattered children might be gathered together into one people.

 From that day on, they plotted to kill him. So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. He withdrew into the country bordering the desert to a town called Ephraim and secluded himself there with his disciples.

 The Jewish Passover was coming up. Crowds of people were making their way from the country up to Jerusalem to get themselves ready for the Feast. They were curious about Jesus. There was a lot of talk of him among those standing around in the Temple: "What do you think? Do you think he'll show up at the Feast or not?"

 Meanwhile, the high priests and Pharisees gave out the word that anyone getting wind of him should inform them. They were all set to arrest him.”

None of this caught our Lord off guard . . . but from the beginning, Jesus was all about life, even when it would cost him his own.

Because He Lives,

Christine

*John 1.1-4