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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, April 26, 2024
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Caiaphas Prophesies Bible Verse:John 11:45-57 (ESV) "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. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. " Message:
Today we reach a turning point. Jesus’ time has come. The “council,” which is known to historians today as the Sanhedrin, commits to the arrest and execution of Jesus. But the matter has become almost entirely political, in the eyes of the Sanhedrin; and the tone of John’s Gospel changes abruptly from philosophical and poetic to straightforward and historical.
Caiphas was the nominal chief priest of Roman Judea for sixteen years, the longest term of any chief priest in the New Testament. He was at the height of his power, but his father-in-law, the powerful Sadducee named Annas (who had been chief priest earlier), continued to enjoy great influence. Annas, like Caiphas, had some very non-religious bones to pick with Jesus; the Sadducees derived income from the vendors in the Temple, and Jesus’ major demonstration against them—when he threw the money-lenders out of the Temple—would most likely have made Annas his enemy.
Annas and Caiphas
Understand that the worry about Romans “destroying us” has nothing to do with the Hebrews. It is clear that Christ has made no attempt whatsoever to overthrow Roman rule (and Pontius Pilate will refuse to judge him). The Romans are not going to punish Judea for anything Jesus has done. Rome was quite lenient with local religious beliefs in conquered nations and tended to recognize whatever religious leadership would keep the populace quiet. What Caiphas is worried about, then, is Rome forcing him and his cronies out of power and replace them with another set of priests—Jesus and His disciples.
The passage is mostly straightforward, but John adds one double meaning to enrich it. Caiphas cynically states that “it is better for one man to die” than for the Hebrews to be destroyed. (Cynical because, as he well knows, it is not the Hebrews whom the Romans might possibly destroy, but Caiphas’ political power.)
Caiphas does not realize what he is saying, because it will become the foundation of Christianity: One man will die so that the entire world may be truly saved. But not in the sense that Caiphas means it. Christ will die, but not to save the Pharisees or the Sadducees or even the Jews; he will bring salvation to all humanity.
Meditation : Prayer : May it please you, my good Lord, that there may come a day when I can repay a little of my great debt to you. O Jesus, strengthen my soul, you who are good above all good; and since you have inclined my soul in this way, show me how I may act for you, whatever it may cost, O Lord. Here is my life, my honor and my will; I have given them all to you and they are yours: use me to do whatever you want.........Amen |
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