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Many of the Judeans 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. (John’s first century eyewitness biography of Jesus 11: 45-53)
 
The year is AD 30, the place is Bethany about 2 miles outside Jerusalem. Jesus has just raised from the dead his friend Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. He had been in the grave for four days – in that hot climate.

Understandably, “many of the Judeans believed into him”. Many Americans today believe into Donald Trump when he claims “God was with me” having survived the sniper’s bullet which only touched his right ear.

In AD 30, other Judeans went to “the Pharisees” (a political-religious grouping) because they knew that Jesus had no supporters among them. They were correct. Today there are no Trump believers either in the Joe Biden camp. 

But what were the Pharisees to do? To do in the light of a man who had the ability to raise to life a four-days-dead man.

In AD 30 no election for President was imminent. But the issues were the same. This is how the Pharisees responded -
 
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.” 
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The “council” was the Judean governing body known as the Sanhedrin. Its majority first-response was to acknowledge that Jesus presented a mega catastrophic problem to their nation and to their way of life.

That’s probably the way America’s Democrats view Donald Trump today.

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.” 

Yes! An eureka moment. Of course. If Jesus dies, this would be excellent for all the people and would save the nation. Both Republicans and Democrats think that, if their candidates are voted in the people will be blessed and the Americans nation become great (or greater in the case of the Democrats). A great blessing for the people and the nation if my opponent is eliminated.

Back in AD 30, Caiaphas pretended that he was thinking only of the people and the nation. For him, having among the people this man who could raise dead men and women to life, was not “good” for any of “you”, meaning “us”. 

The remarkable thing about the statement of “the high priest that year” was that he was absolutely right – but in the wrong way…..
 
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. 
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Truly, the AD 30 death of Jesus at the hands of the Pharisaic Judeans, would indeed be for the nation of Israel, the nation which put him to death. In his death he took upon himself the punishment they deserved from the hand of the LORD God Almighty. And the death of Jesus would also be on behalf of other “children of God” like many of us gentile Christians. He took my sin at Calvary.
 
So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. 

What are you doing? Have you eliminated your opponent?
 
Sinner Syvret
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