4/12/2025 (Saturday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 11:45-56
45 Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs.
48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.”
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing,
50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.
54 So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves.
56 They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”
4/12/2025 (Saturday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 11:45-56
Just after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, a miracle that demonstrates His divine authority and love, we see two contrasting responses. Some who witnessed the miracle believed in Him, while others went to the Pharisees and reported what had happened. This led the religious leaders to convene a council, where they expressed grave concern about Jesus’ growing influence.
“If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation” (John 11:48).
This statement is filled with fear – fear of change, fear of losing control, fear of losing status and comfort. And perhaps most deeply, fear of letting go of their own plans for the future.
But in the midst of their plotting, something incredible happens. Caiaphas, the high priest that year, unknowingly speaks a prophetic truth: “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50). Though his motives were political, God used his words to reveal a divine purpose: Jesus would indeed die for the people, not just for the Jewish nation, but for all of God’s scattered children.
This passage teaches us a profound truth: God’s plan is not derailed by human fear or schemes. In fact, He often works through them.
1. God’s Sovereignty is Unstoppable
Even as the religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus, thinking they were preserving their way of life, they were actually fulfilling the very purpose of God. What they intended for evil, God used for the greatest good which is our salvation.
This reminds us that no matter what forces rise against us, whether it’s fear, injustice, sickness, or even death, God’s plan remains firm. He is not intimidated by opposition. He is not surprised by obstacles. Instead, He weaves every circumstance into His sovereign will.
Romans 8:28 echoes this truth: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
2. Fear Can Blind Us to God’s Work
The leaders saw Jesus perform miracles. They knew He had raised Lazarus. And still, their fear of the Romans and their desire to protect their power clouded their judgment.
Sometimes, fear causes us to reject the very thing God is doing in our midst. When we’re afraid of losing control, we may resist the changes God is trying to bring in our lives. We might cling to comfort when He’s calling us to step into something new and bold.
But God invites us to trust Him. Even when His ways don’t make sense. Even when His plans challenge our understanding. His love is perfect, and perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18).
3. God’s Love Reaches Far and Wide
Caiaphas said Jesus would die for the people. But John explains that Jesus would die not only for the Jewish nation but also to gather into one all the scattered children of God (John 11:52). This is the heart of God—that none should perish, but all should come to eternal life.
Jesus didn’t die just for a select few. He died for you and for me. For the broken, the outcast, the sinner, and the seeker. His mission was never about exclusion, but inclusion. He came to bring us home.
So today, let’s remember this: even when the world seems uncertain, and fear tries to grip our hearts, God’s plan stands firm. He is sovereign over every season. He is working even in the shadows. And His love is bigger than anything we can imagine.
Let us not be like those who were blinded by fear, but like those who believed and followed Jesus wherever He led. Because God’s plan is always greater than our fear.
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