Jesus, a sign from God
by Dianne Eckermann
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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).
Today’s passage follows on from the raising of Lazarus. This very public and remarkable act astounded people who came to see the risen Lazarus. Many believed in Jesus from that time onwards. The threat Jesus posed to the powerful Jewish leaders was increasing day by day. Jesus was becoming popular, and that in itself was a threat; he was a threat to their power and even their existence.
While Rome was clearly in charge of its empire and could brutally put down any dissent, it generally had a relatively light touch when it came to local customs and religions. But the Jewish leaders were very worried they would lose their temple, and with that, their nation. Herod ruled only with the support of the Romans, and the Roman Pontius Pilate ruled Jerusalem, so their concerns were real. In fact, the temple was later razed by the Romans in 70 AD.
The Jewish people were always looking for signs that the Messiah was coming, but they did not expect Jesus to be the Messiah. They acknowledged him performing many signs. They acknowledged that many people believed in him, and they could only see this growing. But they did not explain why belief in Jesus would mean the loss of their nation. Despite the signs, they were blind to what this meant and to the nature of Jesus and so they feared the worst.
We can probably empathise with the chief priests and Pharisees as they voiced their concerns over the potential loss of their temple and nation. But it is more likely they felt concerned about their subsequent loss of personal power. They undoubtedly feared the political instability that the followers of Jesus might bring, but their only solution to this was to kill Jesus.
We can also understand emotions like fear, but we also have trust in God, knowing we are his children. Thus, we may live our lives based on this trust and not on fear.
Heavenly Father, we come to you in trust and thank you for your guidance in our lives. May we let trust and love, not fear, be our support when needed. Amen.
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