Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
When Jesus raised up Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, many people began to believe in him. Raising a person from the dead has that effect!
This was problematic for the chief priests and Pharisees. They saw Jesus as a rival. But, more than that, they worried that their Roman occupiers would not appreciate his popularity: “The Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” Notice how they were not asking whether Jesus was sent from God – they were not moved by the fact that he raised a man from the dead, which only God can do – instead they were worried about losing their land and their authority.
Then, one of the most prophetic lines of all of Scripture is spoken by Caiaphas: “It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.”
Caiaphas did not say this on his own, but because he held the office of high priest for that year and the Spirit of God was upon him, despite his evil intentions.
Yes, Jesus would die for the nation. He would die for the world. He would die for us so that we might not perish. We give thanks to God for this.