Crown of Life Sermon -- 27 January 2008

ONE MAN WOULD DIE FOR THE PEOPLE -- MARCH 9, 2008

John 11:47-53

The dormant volcano known as Dante’s Peak was no longer dormant. It erupted spewing ash and other debris into the air. Molten lava was being forced from the crater, creating a path of destruction and fire in its wake. As the lava poured into the mountain lake, it began to turn it into acid. That was a big problem for Grandma, her daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and a geologist who were on this lake in an aluminum boat with a little 10-horsepower motor, trying to escape the fire of death.

For acid eats metal, and the more the lava poured into the lake, the more acidic the lake became, eating away at their boat and motor. Soon their boat was half full of water and sinking fast. Then the motor died, prop gone. The boat glided to stop just yards from shore. With their boat moments from sinking, and their bodies being plunged in acid, it seemed certain they would all die. But Grandma, not thinking twice, jumped into the chest deep water and pulled the boat to safety, saving her daughter-in-law, grandchildren and the geologist from death.

But in saving her family. it had cost Grandma her life. The injuries sustained by the acid were too great. But this sacrifice Grandma was willing to make if it meant her family would survive

The whole idea of a person giving up their life to save others is not just found in the movies. This drama has played out in real life time and time again. Most recently after 9/11. The order was given to shoot down a plane full of people if by that action more lives would be spared. After all, doesn’t it make sense that one life, or a number of lives, be sacrificed in order to save many?

It probably makes sense if you are not the one sacrificing your life but the one who is going to be saved by the action. Then it makes perfect sense. This is why when Caiaphas, the high priest that year, told the members of the Sanhedrin, "It is better for you that one man die for the people than the whole nation perish," it made perfect sense to them. If Jesus had to die in order for them and the nation to be saved, that was just fine with them. Even better was that the person who would die was a person they didn’t like. Almost to a man the 70-member Sanhedrin gave their approval to this plan: “one man would die for the people.” A plan that was plotted in hate. A plan that was conceived in love

Jesus had performed another miraculous sign. Lazarus was back from the dead. The Pharisees had a hard enough time explaining away Jesus healing a man blind from birth. But raising the dead. There was no way to deny this miracle. If Jesus was allowed to go on like this, the Pharisees believed everyone would believe in Him. And Jesus would gain such a following that the Romans will take note. And seeing this as a rebellion uprising against the Romans, they will come and take away our place and our nation. And we will be left out in the cold -- wealth and power all gone.

You hear their desperation, "What are we accomplishing, what are we doing about this? We have got to do something. We can’t let what Jesus is doing continue." But what? That is when one of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for that one man die for the people than the whole nation perish." Here is the plan plotted in hate.

Hatred for Jesus and how He had spoke against their teaching. Hatred for Jesus because of the way the people were following Jesus. Hatred for Jesus because they believed the popularity of Jesus would mean the end of their way of life. It would mean losing their popular status with the people. Losing more of their power and control. Perhaps most important of all, losing some of their wealth. This plan was plotted for their benefit. It was all about preserving their life.

It was a plan plotted in hate. And Caiaphas must have been so pleased with himself as he saw this plan of hatred take shape when Judas came to them, agreeing to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And how pleased he must have been when Jesus was arrested and brought before him and charged with blasphemy. And how pleased he must have been when the other members of the Sanhedrin shouted, "He is worthy of death!" And how pleased he must have been when they spit on him, struck them with their fists. And how pleased he must have been as they lead him away to Pilate the Roman hovernor. And how pleased he must have been when the people shouted release "Barabbas! Crucify Jesus! Crucify!" The plan plotted in hatred was carried out. One man died for the people. The nation, our rule, our place, our power is intact. It is better that one man die.

Caiaphas' plan had been carried out to perfection. Hatred for Jesus had won the day. Or had it? Did hatred win out when one man died for the people? Was it Caiaphas' plan that was being implemented as Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted and killed? Caiaphas had not come up with this plan at all. This plan was conceived in love long before Caiaphas plotted in hate.

For he did not say this on his own but as high priest hat year he prophesied Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. He did not say this on his own! If he did not say this on his own, then where did he get such a plan? As high priest that year he prophesied. The plan for one man to die for the people was God’s. God gave Caiaphas the words to speak just the way He wanted them spoken. Caiaphas may have been speaking and in hatred carried out this plan, but the plan was God’s, and conceived in love. A plan He conceived not just to save the Jewish nation, but a plan to save us by the death of one man.

In love, God conceived a plan to have one man die instead of us. We needed this plan to be implemented because who of us has not plotted plans in hatred? Maybe we have never plotted to kill someone to maintain what we have. But have we ever created a story full of half-truths and lies to keep what we have? Who have we been willing to walk over to keep what we have? Do we look to the interests of others or are simply concerned about our own skin? When we are in danger of losing power or money or position or status, the Pharisees are not the only ones who have plotted in selfish hate and jealously, are they?

So, when God conceived this plan, He was doing so for us. He did it in love, love for us because He did not want to see us die for our sin. He wanted to save us. So in love He had one man die to save us. Not just any man, but His own Son. His perfect Son, who never plotted in hatred. Who never made others suffer in order to save His hide. But instead willingly gave himself for all. He willingly made the payment required for our lives to be spared. His death. Because of Jesus' dying, we have been forgiven for plotting in hate, making others pay the price while we are spared. We are forgiven of all sin. And because of this one man dying, we are one. We are all in the same boat -- a boat that is not sinking, but a boat that is full of life, forgiven of all sin. We are in a boat where death cannot harm us -- eternal death -- because one man made the ultimate sacrifice, Himself, to save us from death.

It goes without saying that the grandma who jumped into that lake of acid, pulling her loved ones to shore, did so in love. In love she sacrificed herself so others could live. She wasn’t thinking about herself, she was thinking about her family.

When Caiaphas suggested that it would be better if one died for the nation than the whole nation perish, he wasn’t making that plan in love. He wasn’t looking to save others. He was only looking out for himself. God knew once mankind fell into sin, every man woman and child, every single person, would die not just physically but eternally in hell.

But when Jesus submitted to the plan of Caiaphas that one man die, He wasn’t looking out for Himself, He was looking out for us. He gave up His life to save us, because He knew this was the only way. Now that one man died, we will not perish. If only Caiaphas knew how true his plan was that it is better if one man die for the nation then the whole nation perish. Amen.

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