Jesus the Fugitive Sets Himself Up to be Killed.
Jesus Slips into Judea near Bethany and Raises Lazarus.
Late Winter, AD 30. Two notable events took place on this visit: The action of Jesus and the action of Caiaphas the High Priest.
1. On Jesus' fifth visit to Judea, he avoids Jerusalem but takes his most explosive action yet (John 11:1-44). After hearing that his friend Lazarus is desperately ill, Jesus delayed his departure from his safe hide-out near the Jordan by two days. When he told the disciples he was going to Judea they said, in effect, "What? But the Jews are trying to stone you there!" Nevertheless he was determined to go, and Thomas said, "Let's go with him, so that we may die when he dies."
By the time Jesus arrived near Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived, Lazarus had been in the grave four days. Now Jesus had raised adults and children from the dead before, but it was either in secret, or so close after the death that doubt could be cast on it by his disbelievers. No such case here: no one had heard of someone raising the dead after four days in the grave. When he asked for the stone to be rolled away from the tomb, Martha said, "But Lord! By this time after his death there will be a stench!"
There was no stench. Jesus called to Lazarus and he walked out of the tomb, still wearing his grave clothes. Jesus gained many new believers because of this, but there were others present that went to the temple authorities and reported what had happened. But Jesus had escaped again, this time going to Ephraim, a primarily Jewish town which was nonetheless in the region of Samaria, beyond the reach of the Jerusalem authorities.
2. The temple authorities were in shock, and called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, the high council of the Jews. With such a powerful act as this under his belt, Jesus would be able to challenge the authority of the High Priests, which would destabilize the government of Judea and bring the Roman military down on them. Something had to be done (John 11:45-54).
The Jerusalem authorities responded with greater resolve to arrest Jesus and bring him before the council. Apparently this time they had convinced the temple police to cooperate with them, for previously they had refused to arrest him. It was still important that he be arrested with as much secrecy as possible, for if they seized him from out of a crowd it might provoke a riot, which would likewise bring the Roman military down on their heads. So the Sanhedrin gave orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was hiding, to report it to them so that they might arrest him.
There was but one remaining Jerusalem visit coming up for Jesus, at which time the Jews would have to find a way to finally get rid of this thorn in their sides, using whatever limited power that they had.
Check back next week to see just how they nabbed their fugitive, and what they had to go through to make sure that he was finally killed.
