April 13, 2020
To Believe or Not Believe, That Is the Question
John 11:45-57
Daniel Quinn
Central Truth
Choosing not to believe that God is who He says He is ultimately allows your circumstances to define and dictate what is important.
Key Verse | John 11:48
"If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
John 11:45-57
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for 1 11:56 Greek were seeking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Dive Deeper | John 11:45-57
The year was 2019, and it began with a lot of hopeful milestones I couldn't wait to achieve. We had just moved into our dream home and were celebrating the discovery that we were pregnant with our third child. Then in May, just three short months away from welcoming our baby girl, I was laid off. My entire world suddenly felt like a terrible nightmare from which I couldn't wake. Within just hours of hearing the news, I began prematurely mourning the loss of all the physical things God had provided us. I began to take my eyes off my Provider, worried about my circumstances.
But it was time to put my faith into action. By God's grace, He informed my heart of His truths and surrounded me with His people. This was essential for me to walk faithfully in this season. Rather than focus on 1,001 different ways to keep my worldly security, it took every part of my heart, mind, and strength to trust that He was my shield (Psalms 18:30) and that all things happen for my good (Romans 8:28). Can you relate?
In this passage, the Pharisees were given a choice to believe or not believe Jesus was who He said He was. This passage illustrates that if my heart is not anchored in the fundamental truth that God is who He says He is, I will trust my current circumstances instead to define and dictate my identity, emotions, and self-worth. I was worried about what being laid off would say about me or if I would lose my new home. Likewise, the Pharisees were worried the Roman government would take their temple or their national identity.
We all wake up with one central choice each morning: We can either believe that God is everything He says He is, or we can trust ourselves. Disbelieving God's goodness will often invite the kind of anxiety the Pharisees endured, causing us to take an inventory of all our worldly pillars while missing out on the only cornerstone that matters (Isaiah 28:16). What choice will you make today?
Discussion Questions
1. What are some ways you can remind yourself of who God says He is?
2. Are certain truths about God easier or harder to cling to during difficult times?
3. What circumstances, possessions, or forms of "control" are you afraid of losing if you went all in with Jesus?