Read John 11:45-57.

Introduction⤒🔗

Old Doc Runyan’s tone was weary, “Don, I am sorry, but there is no doubt. You have polio.”

The words hung in the hot, medicinal fumes of the Los Angeles County Hospital examining room. Don could recall the recent words of a newscaster: This summer of 1954 has brought with it a veritable epidemic of polio. A lump swelled in his throat. He had worked for General Petroleum for only a few months; he had no sick leave, no benefits, and now no future.

Don tried to pray. But the only words that would come forth were, “LORD, why, why, why?” Later he railed at God. “What about Clella and Randy and Davey? Who is supposed to take care of them?”

“God, You say in Your Word, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.’ Is this one of the ‘things’?”

Resentment flared and Don’s thoughts turned ugly. “Why, LORD? What about all my neighbors? They drink, gamble, and play around, and all they get is a regular paycheck—a lot bigger than mine. We are Christians, LORD. We try to be honest and good citizens, and what do we get? This!”

Due to the circumstances he faced, due to the trials he encountered, Don found himself fighting against God. But Don came to discover that fighting against God is both futile and self-defeating. By the grace of God, Don came to that realization and gave up the fight:

The realization of my helplessness overwhelmed me. 'Lord Jesus, I know I am wrong.' The words came back again, and guilt descended on me like a flood. I had built a wall between God and me. A Bible verse from a dimly remembered Sunday School lesson crept into my mind: "Whom have I in heaven except you? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside you" (Psl. 73:25).

Little by little, Don relaxed. A sense of relief and peace enveloped him. Feeling the LORD’s presence, tender and vibrant, he gave up the struggle and surrendered to God’s love. Once he did, he discovered God’s peace, and a new life of fruitful service for Christ.¹

In the passage of Scripture presently before us, we encounter a group of men who likewise chose to fight against God. Tragically, unlike Don, they did not give up the struggle, and eventually that futile struggle destroyed them.

If you are fighting against God, you are doing something that is both foolish and tragic. It is wise to give up the struggle, surrendering to His will and discovering His forgiveness, grace, and blessing.

Don’t Fight Against God, because to Do So is Very Foolish←⤒🔗

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was Jesus’ last and greatest sign, testifying to the fact that He really is the Savior sent by God.

We are now informed about the reaction to this last great sign performed by the Lord Jesus:

Many of the Jews who had come to console Mary and had seen what [Jesus] did, believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Jn. 11:45-46

Upon receiving the report of how Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests and the Pharisees called an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin to discuss the question, What should we do?

These religious leaders were concerned that if they did not put a stop to this man, Jesus, all men would come to believe in him; i.e. all Israel would hail Him as the promised Messiah. If that were to happen, “then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation” (vs. 48).

Notice the motivation for their opposition to Jesus: It is the fear of losing their place and their nation. They dare to refer to the temple of God and the accompanying service of the temple as “our place;” the place from which they derived their prestige, power, and wealth. They dare to refer to the people of God as “our nation’” viewing the people, the land, and all that composed the nation of Israel as belonging to them, as being their own personal domain.

They fail to appreciate that the temple is the LORD’s house, it is His sacred dwelling. The people are the LORD’s people, whom He redeemed to be His own chosen possession. The land of Israel is the LORD’s sacred land, on which His people live at His good pleasure. How often do we fail to appreciate the truth expressed in Psalm 24:1-2,

The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and those who dwell therein. ²For he founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.

As Christians, how often do we fail to appreciate the blessed truth, of which the Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians: “You do not belong to yourself; ²⁰you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

The religious leaders fail to appreciate that all the privileges and blessings they enjoyed were the gracious gifts of God to be received with gratitude and to be used in service to God. How often, when we find ourselves fighting against God, is there not present the underlying attitude of resentment; resentment at being deprived of something or someone we mistakenly view as belonging to us by rights: these are my children, how dare God take them from me? But note the testimony of Jacob, “Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. ‘Who are these with you?’ he asked. Jacob answered, ‘They are the children God has graciously given your servant’” (Gen. 33:5). Or we resentfully think, if not actually utter the thought, “I have a right to health and worldly happiness, and it is God’s job to provide these things for me!” But note again the testimony of Jacob, “I am not worthy of the least of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant” (Gen. 32:10a).

Caiaphas, the high priest, offers what he believes to be the solution to their dilemma: “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, [rather] than have the whole nation perish” (Jn. 11:49-50). Caiaphas views it as being “expedient for you,” (i.e. his fellow-rulers), that Jesus should die: he sees Jesus’ death as something that is suitable for achieving their particular goal, namely, preserving their position in Israel. The dictionary defines “expedient” as implying what is immediately advantageous (or, readily available) to meet a desired goal, without regard for ethics or concern with being consistent with principles.

Thus, motivated by fear, by resentment, by self-interest, there is conceived a plot to murder the Son of God. But how incredibly foolish it is to fight against God! What are these men doing? They are plotting to murder Jesus. Why are they undertaking such an evil deed? The ultimate reason is for the sake of maintaining possession of a place that does not belong to them and a position that has been divinely-bestowed upon them as a trust, not a grant for their own personal profit and benefit. The immediate reason for their undertaking is the resurrection of Lazarus and the result of that resurrection: “Many of the Jews who had come to console Mary and had seen what [Jesus] did, believed in him” (vs. 45).

The thing that finally caused them to take this concerted action was the fact that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, which was a demonstration that Jesus Himself is the Resurrection and the Life! Thus, here is a group of men plotting the death of the very One who is the Lord of life! Note Jesus’ testimony recorded in John 10:17-18,

The Father loves me because I lay down my life; [I lay it down] in order that I may take it again. ¹⁸No one takes it away from me, I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.

Notice, too, how quickly they will lose control of the whole situation: At this point they are plotting a single murder. Soon they will be forced to plot a second murder: “the chief priests made plans how they might also put Lazarus to death; ¹¹because it was on account of him that many of the Jews were leaving and believing in Jesus” (Jn. 12:10-11). Then twelve more murders will be needed to silence the apostles after the day of Pentecost when they begin to boldly give their witness to Jesus’ resurrection and call upon their countrymen to believe in Him as the promised Messiah. Before long, it will need to escalate into an all-out persecution of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; following the martyrdom of Stephen, “there arose...a great persecution against the church that was in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1).

When we set ourselves against God and stubbornly fight against Him, the situation quickly gets out of control. We find that the devil seizes the opportunity to extend his evil control; with the result being the reverse of what is commanded in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves...to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If you fight against God, you will find yourself doing something very foolish. If, in your struggles against God, you assume the role of a “civil rights protester” demanding your rights from God, to your confusion, you will discover that all rights belong to Him, by virtue of ownership: “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and all who live therein; ²for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters” (Psl. 24:1-2). The LORD declares to Israel: “Now, if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine” (Ex. 19:5).

If, in your struggles against God, you assume the role of a “trial lawyer” and seek to put God on trial and demand justice from Him, to your dismay, you will discover that He is the Source of Justice and the righteous Judge of all the earth. When Job demanded an audience with God, the outcome was far different than he had anticipated: “The LORD answered Job out of the tempest. He said, ⁷’Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ⁸Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me so that you might be justified?’” (Job 40:6-8) Upon standing in the presence of the God who is absolutely righteous, Job was forced to recant and humble himself before the LORD: “Then Job replied to the LORD...Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, matters that are too wonderful for me to know... ⁵My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. ⁶Consequently, I abhor [my words] and recant in dust and ashes” (Job 42:1,3b, 5-6).

Don’t Fight Against God, because You Cannot Win←⤒🔗

Consider again the counsel of Caiaphas, the high priest: “You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, [rather] than have the whole nation perish.”

John immediately points out that there was a far greater meaning to Caiaphas’ words than he could ever have imagined:

Now he did not say this on his own; on the contrary, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; ⁵²and not only for the nation [of Israel], but also that he might gather together the children of God who were scattered. Jn. 11:51-52

This counsel was not merely the murderous scheming of an evil man. It was, at the very same time, the prophecy of God placed upon the lips of this man in his capacity as high priest. Here is the whole meaning of the Old Testament summed up in one brilliant word from God, and in one brilliant way by God! It is God’s way of saying, “I am in control! I have seen fit to use the mouth of this villain to utter My truth. And I will employ their very scheme to accomplish My divine purpose!” Hear the testimony of the early church recorded in Acts 4:27-28,

Indeed, against your holy Servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸to do whatever your hand and your purpose foreordained to be done.

Who but God can get His enemies to carry out His will, and to do so with the same degree of zeal as His most faithful and willing servant?

If you fight against God, you cannot possibly win. On the contrary, you will unwittingly accomplish God’s good purpose in spite of yourself. By way of example, the former Soviet school system carried on an extensive propaganda campaign promoting communism and opposing God. But even this, under the sovereign control of God, served the purpose of truth:

In a 1984 Russian novel, The Riddle, a teacher complains, 'People have no faith in teachers.' This lack of faith in teachers results primarily from the fact that the children understand that the teacher is not telling them the truth. The way their teacher deceives them is obvious to school children, from the very earliest grades, since the assessment of a pupil’s progress is based not on his knowledge, but on the need to fulfill the progress plan. At the beginning of each school year, according to a Moscow teacher, 'the percentage of successful students is often set at over 99 percent.' Consequently, the teacher is obliged to give 'satisfactory' or even 'good marks' even to pupils who know nothing, so as not to upset the fulfillment of the plan by the class, the school, the district, or the republic.²

Because students have learned by experience not to believe what the teacher says, the final result is that a teacher, with a total lack of credibility, teaching lies oddly enough ends up serving the cause of truth. The students know from experience, that the truth is the opposite of what the teacher declares it to be.

As the Book of Proverbs proclaims: “There is no wisdom nor insight nor plan that can succeed against the LORD” (Prov. 21:30).

Don’t Fight Against God, because You will Eventually Destroy Yourself←⤒🔗

Why did these men seek to murder Jesus? They were seeking to do so in order that the temple, the nation, and their privileged position might be preserved.

But they failed to appreciate the fact that the entire Old Testament system: the temple, the priesthood, even the nation, were only provisional institutions. Their purpose was to illustrate the work of the Messiah and to prepare the way for His coming. The Old Testament theocracy, (i.e. God’s direct rule over His covenant nation as it existed as an earthly political entity), with all of its institutions was intended to function up until the time that the Messiah came and undertook His divinely-appointed work: dying in the place of His people to redeem them from their sins and the judgment incurred by their sins. Note that at the time of Christ’s death on the cross, God already began the work of dismantling the temple:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Matt. 27:50-51

With the death of Christ, the priesthood and the whole Old Testament system suddenly became obsolete; it had accomplished the purpose for which God had instituted it. Then, within a relatively brief time, (by 70 A.D.), God would use the Roman army to completely demolish the temple and destroy the city and scatter the Jewish nation.

If you fight against God, you will eventually destroy yourself. If, in your struggles against God you assume the role of a “military general,” pitting the strength of your stubborn will against God, to your regret, you will find that there is no possibility of success against the omnipotent God: “Woe to him who strives against his Maker! [He is nothing more than] a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground!” (Isa. 45:9a) Job asks the rhetorical question, “[The LORD] is wise in heart and mighty in strength; who has hardened himself against him and succeeded?” (Job 9:4)

But if you assume the role of the penitent tax collector and humbly ask for the LORD’s mercy, pleading like that penitent, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner” (Lk. 18:13), you will find mercy, strength, and abundant blessing. The Apostle James exhorts us, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and he shall exalt you” (Jas. 4:10).

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How do the people react to Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead? See Jn. 11:45-46. How would the disciples react to Jesus’ own resurrection? See Lk. 24:37-39, 41a. How would the chief priests react? See Matt. 28:12-14 How do you react? Note Jn. 20:29,

Many of the Jews who had come to console Mary and had seen what [Jesus] did, believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Jn. 11:45-46

³⁷When Jesus, in His resurrection body, entered a locked upper room the disciples reacted with shock and disbelief: But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. ³⁸And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself... ⁴¹But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, he said to them, 'Have you any food here?' So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And he took it and ate in their presence. Lk. 24:37-39, 41

When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,¹³saying, 'Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept.’ ¹⁴And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.' Matt. 28:12-14

Jesus replied [to Thomas], Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, but [still] have believed. Jn. 20:29

2. How do the religious leaders view the temple and the covenant nation of Israel? See Jn. 11:47-48. How did the Lord Jesus view the temple? See Jn. 2:16. What has replaced the Jerusalem temple as God’s dwelling place? See Eph. 2:20-22. As Christians, do we view the church, and our own bodies, as the leaders of Israel viewed the temple; or, are we solemnly aware of what the church collectively (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16) and our bodies individually (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19) are, and do we treat them accordingly?

Therefore, the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked, What shall we do, this man is performing many signs? ⁴⁸If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him; then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation. Jn. 11:47­-48

To those who were selling doves he said, Take these things out of here; do not make my Father’s house into a marketplace. Jn. 2:16

Writing of the church, the Apostle Paul declares,

[You are] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole building is joined together and grows into a holy temple for the Lord. ²²In him you also are being built together to become the place where God dwells by the Spirit. Eph. 2:20-22

Do you not know that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God is living in you?1 Cor. 3:16

Do you not realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You do not belong to yourself... 1 Cor. 6:19

3. What counsel does Caiaphas give the assembly? See Jn. 11:49-50. For whose interest is he concerned? Caiaphas is offering a plan that will be “expedient” for the religious leaders personally; what does “expedient” mean? As Christians, and especially church leaders, should our course of action ever be governed by what is suitable to achieve our own selfish ends? Note 2 Cor. 5:15,

One of them, [named] Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all. ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, [rather] than have the whole nation perish. Jn. 11:49-50

...he died for all, so that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again.2 Cor. 5:15

4. Who inspired Caiaphas to give this counsel? See Jn. 11:51-52. Were these religious leaders still culpable for this deed? Note what Joseph told his brothers who, out of envy, had sold him into Egyptian slavery, Gen. 50:20a. If God sovereignly used the greatest act of evil to accomplish our salvation, does this not all the more give us confidence in His assurance recorded in Romans 8:28?

Now he did not say this on his own; on the contrary, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, ⁵²and not only for the nation [of Israel], but also that he might gather together the children of God who were scattered. Jn. 11:51-52

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Gen. 50:20

And we know that to them that love God, all things work together for good, to them that are called according to his purpose. Rom. 8:28

5. What course of action do the religious leaders now take? See Jn. 11:53. Who is it that they are plotting to put to death? See Jn. 11:25a. Does it ever make any sense to devise schemes against the LORD God? See Psl. 2:1-2, 4. Do you ever try to do so? What does Job caution us by means of his rhetorical question? See Job 9:4,

So, from that day on, they plotted how they might put him to death.Jn. 11:53

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life. Jn. 11:25a

Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing? ²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed...⁴He that sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Psl. 2:1-2, 4

God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered? Job 9:4