Jesus Divides
Opening Prayer
“Our Father in heaven,… forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:9,12,13).
Read John 11:45–57
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 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.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Has living for Jesus ever caused someone else to reject you?Having seen a man unquestionably raised from the dead, how would you expect the witnesses to react? With belief in Jesus? Yes (45). With galvanized opposition? Unfortunately, also yes (46–48).
No two ways about it: Jesus divides. He told us this would happen: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matt. 12:30). In this case, the Pharisees and Council felt their ruling position threatened by Jesus (48) and therefore could not allow him to go on living (49–53). So blinded were these rulers that they began to plot to kill the man who had just brought life to a corpse.
When we explain the Gospel or even pray for the sick and see them healed, we should not be surprised when people either respond in faith towards Jesus or reject him. Jesus still divides today, and to such an extent that sometimes we will be rejected (Luke 10:16). This is part of the dynamic that comes with the kingdom of God breaking into our everyday lives, turning over the
tables and unsettling the status quo.
Apply
Has God put someone on your heart today? See if you can do a kind act for them today and see how they respond.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, please increase my faith so that You can use me. Strengthen me so that I no longer fear rejection if people reject You.
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