The Stakes Are High

John 11:49-50

49Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was a high priest that year, spoke up, 'You know nothing at all! 50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."

The high priests were the final decision makers in the plot to kill Jesus. Just a few short verses above, the high priests admitted to Jesus performing the miraculous signs. But the fear was that everyone would believe in Jesus and then they would lose their good standing with the Romans. Rome was the ruling government of the area the Jews occupied. Per the Zondervan NIV Study Bible, Caiaphas had no concern for Jesus' innocence. His main quest was to get the group to see that Jesus needed to be scapegoat to keep their own agenda afloat. But Caiaphas really didn't not understand the words which he spoke. Yes, Jesus was indeed to be sacrificed so that no one else would perish but not for the reasons he assumed. The agenda of the high priests was to keep their political standing and position. The stakes were high for the high priests. They were high because to go on with their charade of "power" someone had to look guilty. But later, scripture says Jesus withdrew.  Jesus still went to death on the time frame that God had designated, not man.

Many people have agendas but when an agenda consists of finding a scapegoat for the sake of saving face like the high priests, it's a dangerous mission. Especially if the scapegoat is innocent. How many times have missions such as this backfired? The high priests' own greed for power led them to do what they did. But in the end, they still lost. One's own agenda of power at the cost of others is not only setting the stakes high but also a sure way to fall.


P.S. Remember to check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show Mondays on www.Qliveone.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!