Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture. Reread them. From memory, determine the central points.

1          The miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection forced the hand of the Jewish leadership. There is no indication or rejoicing by anyone but family members and close friends.

1. Here we see the utter blindness of many; the miracle worker must be done away with.
2. It was all based on fear, fear that the Romans would see the presence of a miracle as a threat and work to illuminate that. It would not have been something new at all.
3. How quickly minds are changed. At one moment no doubt glad to see their friend Lazarus alive, but at the same time a determination to murder the healer/miracle worker not to mention close friend of their friend.
4. Caiaphas, the high priest, astonishingly leads the way to sanctioning the death of Jesus. He utters a phrase that is ironical in saying that it is best for one man to die for the people. He is not referring to what would take place, the crucifixion of Jesus, but basically says that Jesus must be killed to prevent something worse from taking place.
5. John tells us that Caiaphas did not say this on his own, but it was instead a prophesy. Here it must be that at that moment the high priest actually uttered a great truth, that Jesus’ death would mean the gathering of the “children of God” that were scattered abroad, people known as those of the dispersion.
6. Jesus, then knowing these things, travelled north with His disciples, to the area of Ephraim, and thus away from a premature confrontation. But with Passover coming, some thought that Jesus would come to Jerusalem and then He would be arrested.