Ash Wednesday – Vicar Anderson homily
Text: St. John 11:45-53

In Christ Jesus, whose enemies plan was to silence Him and His message, instead prophesied His plan of salvation for you, dear fellow redeemed:

God’s people have had a history unlike any other. It could have been anyone, but God made a promise to Abraham that He would be great. The people of Israel had great success when they worshiped and followed and loved God with all their heart, soul, and mind. More times than not however, they failed to listen to God. In our text as the nation of Israel looks to be thriving, we see that they are only a shadow of what they once were. They were back to their old antics of not listening to God. The only issue on their mind is self-preservation. The religious leaders like their power. Instead of rejoicing that the Messiah is here, all they can think about is how to keep their power and not make Rome upset. The text shows their breaking point. It teaches how bad the corruption is as the religious leader of the nation prophesies his plan of evil. His plan is to kill Jesus.

Jesus raising Lazarus excites the crowd as they watched a man who had been sealed for four days in a tomb come out alive. There should be no way for anyone to deny that Jesus is the Christ. As most of the people are overjoyed with what has happened, some report the miracle to the authorities. The Jewish leadership cannot deny what Jesus is doing, they see His power. They even say, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.” They can’t deny it. Instead of believing in His message and who He is, they are only thinking about their power and the repercussions that could come of this. There worst fear is that the people will get so worked up that Rome will come in and it will be like what happened to Israel with Babylon. The Babylonians were a nation that God used to take Judah into exile. They were in exile for 70 years from the land. The religious leaders see their influence dwindling. Caiaphas, the High Priest, the Spiritual leader of the people hatches what he thinks is the perfect plan. He thinks it is his own plan. He says, “You know nothing at all. 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.”

Caiaphas’ “sermon theme” is that Jesus should die. The wickedness of power and greed springs forth. Who needs a Savior, who needs the Christ when you can rule over yourself. When religion is mixed with politics, politics takes over and the religion disappears. Politics is law. We can think like the world that the law can change hearts. We think that if we can follow the law somewhat, that is good enough. We get too invested in what is happening in the world, we turn politics into religion and then we go to war against friends and relatives for ourselves. The Pharisees did the same thing. Their made-up laws make them look better than everyone else. That is what politics can do today. It wants you to look at the issues at hand and it wants you to put yourself over the other side. Being better than your neighbors because of political affiliation can turn you into a god as you judge others for what they do, and you can end up not showing them love.

Caiaphas and the religious leaders were worried that they were going to be destroyed by Rome. They are not focused on their job which is to be the religious leaders for the people. They are doing the opposite. All they care about is where they stand in the world. When the world tries to push its dividing agenda on us, we can do the same thing. We are tempted to make sure that our outward appearance fits in with society. When we fall into this sin then we don’t confess the truth of Scripture. The truth to love God and serve our neighbors.

As Caiaphas “sermon theme” is that Jesus should die, God has other plans. “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Caiaphas was right in that God’s will is that Jesus will die for the people. Jesus did not die to keep him in power. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Caiaphas thought he was getting rid of a problem. Instead, the power that he thought he had was being used by God.

Jesus’ salvation won for us comes to us not because of our own plans or attempts to get it on our own. It comes to us by God’s Will. The gospel changes hearts showing the world that we are to rely on Christ. He did not come to rule over an earthly kingdom. He went to the cross with your sins on His back and died for you. He takes away the sins that weigh us down and keep us from helping our neighbors. This is the glory of the gospel on display. Jesus did not come and die for one group, He came and died for those who are scattered abroad. He came and died for you and me. He lived out a life in service to God and He served those who couldn’t care for themselves. When we fail and fall into these temptations to serve ourselves, it is Christ who takes those sins away because His life counts as ours.

What looks like doom and gloom as Jesus’ enemies look to carry out an evil plot, God works this out for the good of those who love Him. Our enemies will continue to plot against us, because our confidence is in Jesus. They will want us to take sides against one another. It will look like they are going to win in their evil deeds. The world is crumbling all around us. We are eternally protected from those who do evil as God shows us that even when they think that they have it all figured out, He can turn what they think is evil into good. Caiaphas had gotten it all wrong yet confessed it right. He confesses God’s plan, His plan of salvation.

God’s Will is far greater, and it serves His purpose. His purpose is that Christ would die for the sins of the whole world. This was not Caiaphas’ idea. Our loving Father had a plan from the beginning to send His son to save all mankind. The world wants to keep its power to be its own god and cause divisions. As the world tempts us to sin in these ways and when we fail, Christ tells us that our sins have been taken away as He has overcome the world. With Jesus death and resurrection, we do not need to fear when the end comes near. As we return to dust, we return to dust knowing that our bodies will rise again. Caiaphas’ sermon ends with a risen Jesus.

Caiaphas thought that he had it all. Rome had put him in power as the religious head of the nation of Israel. Instead of guiding the people in the Word of God, he was only concerned about keeping the power that he was given. God works through the evil that is around us. He carries out His divine Will. Caiaphas thought that his plan was foolproof and made sense. He thought he would kill Jesus and save the people, or really his own power. And Jesus did die, but the result was not what Caiaphas had planned. God used Caiaphas as His mouthpiece. Caiaphas would prophesy not a plan of evil, but a plan of salvation. Jesus would die, not to preserve earthly power, but He would die to save you and me. Our enemies may look like they are powerful. We know that they are no match for God and His plans. God’s plans overcome evil, they have you in mind, and they work to your good, for your salvation. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.

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(picture from “Christ before Pilate” by Mihály Munkácsy, 1881)