Monday 29 August 2022

45 Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 46 But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” 49 Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! 50 You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” 51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world. 53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. 54 As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. 55 It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?” 57 Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.

Jesus was, and still is, a controversial figure. This passage occurs just after he raised Lazarus from death – a huge miracle – and one to which people needed to respond. It prompted many to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It prompted others to report Him to the Pharisees, and it threatened the power structure of the ruling Jewish council, prompting them to decide to arrest and kill Jesus. Three very different responses to what was originally a very positive occurrence.

Think about people’s reactions to Jesus today. Some hear and believe in him. Some tattle and scoff. But maybe more are threatened by him than are willing to admit it. Think of nations who rigorously persecute Christians. Think of new atheists who don’t just want to ignore Christianity but want to stamp out any semblance of faith. Why do some people feel so threatened by Jesus? Maybe because, like the high council, he threatens our power structure. Our natural selves want autonomy. We want to rule ourselves, oversee our own lives, feed our self-importance. Jesus asks us to surrender to him – to be living sacrifices and to trust him with our lives.

So, I ask myself – in what parts of my life do I try to take back control from Him? What do I need to surrender afresh? Where do I need to trust him more?

Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for the times when I haven’t fully trusted you. I’m sorry for inflating my importance. Jesus, I surrender afresh to you today. Please show me where I withheld parts of my life from you. I ask you to be Lord over all of my life today.

Written by Megan Cornell