J Albrecht…Quinquagesima 26…Feb. 15, 2026…John 11:47-53…The Fool’s Prophecy…

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.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.

INJ Whose death became the destruction of Satan’s power and our greatest hope, DFR:

Every once in a while, someone gets it right. I’m talking about future predictions. Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors of the 20^th century, predicted that the world would be “converted into a huge brain” through perfectly applied wireless technology. In 1983, the internet was officially invented, and the world wide web became publicly available in 1991. John Elfreth Watkins was a civil engineer who lived at the end of the 19^th century. He wrote an article titled, What May Happen in the Next 100 Years. In it, he accurately predicted that Americans would be 1-2 inches taller, live global broadcasts, mobile phones, and fast, automated trains, and many others. Not every prediction came true, but exactly 100 years later, the Acela Express train reached a max speed of 150 mph.

Not every prediction is fortunate, however. Morgan Robertson wrote a novella, Futility, about an “unsinkable” ship called the Titan that sank in April after hitting an iceberg, 14 years before the Titanic. Ferdinand Foch, a French general, noted of the Versailles treaty, “This is not peace. It is an armistice for twenty years,” accurately predicting the start of WWII.

Some may chalk these predictions up to luck, some to happenstance, others to carefully rationalized deductions from very smart people. The prediction that serves as our sermon text this morning is none of those. Caiaphas’ outcry that it is better for one Man, Jesus, to die and not the whole nation, is a prediction of an evil fool. It was not meant as a prophecy about God brining salvation through the Messiah, but only the desire of a heart filled with envy and jealousy. And yet, for you, me, and countless Christians throughout the history of the world, it is our greatest hope. It shows us two things: God’s will is not limited by evil; and He can use even those who reject Him to accomplish His will.

As we consider these words of hope, let us pray: Sanctify us by Your truth, O Lord, Your Word is truth, Amen.

⁴⁷ So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs

Immediately before this convening of the council, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. John reports that many who witnessed that miracle believed in Him, but there were others who still refused to believe. It’s a solemn reminder of Jesus’ own words, that even someone rising from the dead is not enough to convert someone if they reject Moses and the prophets, that is God’s Word.

None of the Pharisees were present for this miracle, but some of those who refused to believe in Jesus ran to tell them what had happened. Evidently, enough eye-witnesses came forward that proved what Jesus had done, truly happened. And here, it is revealed the nature of the hearts present in the chief priests and Pharisees. They knew Jesus performed signs, miracles. In public, they would decry these works of Jesus as invalid. Sometimes because He did them on the Sabbath and thus was a breaker of God’s Law. And even when He performed a miracle not on the Sabbath, they claimed He did so by the power of the devil. But here, in the safety of their own cohort, they admit the true nature of His deeds.

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.”

It’s painfully ironic, isn’t it? They realize that Jesus is winning over the hearts of the people, but the fail to understand why. They are thinking along the lines of the people in John 6. When Jesus fed the 5000, they turned and wanted to make Him their “bread king.” They see Jesus as this miracle worker and that is what is winning over hearts, when, in reality, these miracles only served as a confirmation of the words Jesus spoke. What truly won over the hearts of the people, was Jesus’ preaching of the kingdom of heaven. It was the forgiveness of sins that He offered as true God sent to redeem His people. But the Pharisees and chief priests couldn’t see it. Instead, all they see is a threat; a threat to their power and the nation.

But why is Jesus a threat? Again, it isn’t because they recognize Him as someone who is doing good things. That’s not what they are afraid of. They are afraid of the Romans coming in and deposing their power and destroying the nation. More irony. To His enemies, Jesus is nothing more than a political leader – a usurper, an insurrectionist, someone who has come to overthrow them. Sound familiar? Go back to shortly after Jesus’ birth to the coming of the wise men. Herod viewed Jesus with envy and jealousy thinking Him to be an earthly king who would take his throne. And so, he ordered a mass murder to remove this threat. It’s no different now with the chief priests and Pharisees. Hearts are filled with envy and jealousy, a gross misunderstanding of Jesus’ purpose, and they want nothing more than Jesus dead.

The predictions of Tesla and Watkins share one thing in common: They were both optimistic predictions for the benefit of the people. The chief priests and Pharisees were the opposite. Their first concern was not the welfare of the people, but only for their place in power. This is made more clear by Caiaphas’ words.

 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.”

As the current high priest, Caiaphas held the most authority amongst this council called the Sanhedrin. He commanded the room and he spoke like it. When he says, “You know nothing at all,” he is really saying, “You are all dumb fools. You bicker with such panic, yet you fail to see the solution is obvious.” Death to Jesus and life for the nation. How foolish a proclamation, one spoken out of jealousy and envy.

We’ve seen that popup over and over again, haven’t we? Jealousy and envy. These attitudes of the heart have raged against the kingdom of God since the beginning. The very nature of Satan is filled with jealousy and envy. He uses these to attack God’s kingdom and His people. See, it was Satan behind this plot to kill Jesus. His thinking more knowledgeable than Caiaphas, but just as foolish. Caiaphas saw expediency in the death of Jesus in order to keep power. Satan saw expediency in the death of Jesus in order to destroy God’s plan of salvation. Both failed miserably.

In a few weeks’ time, Jesus would be put to death, much to the rejoicing of Satan and Caiaphas. But, three days later, Jesus would rise from the dead, destroying any thought of victory Satan thought he had. Some forty years later, in 70 A.D. Caiaphas’ prophecy unraveled as the Romans bore down on Jerusalem, utterly destroying the city and its people. No more temple, no more priesthood. It was Jesus’ words that proved to be true, Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

Envy and jealousy were the downfall of Caiaphas and so may others who followed him. But, be one guard. Envy and jealousy are not sins of the past, but are sins that are a very present danger. Today, envy and jealousy can’t put Jesus to death anymore, but it can rage against His church. Think of what these sins do: They tear apart the communion and fellowship we share in Christ. Jealousy and envy look at what is expedient, even if that means sacrificing the truth of God’s Word to obtain self-serving goals. Envy and Jealousy, like other sins, do not come fully grown, but they start off small in the heart, as a feeling of indignation toward someone or something else. They fester and grow until it is borne into a sin never thought possible.

Caiaphas did not see himself as an enemy of God or God’s people. Neither would we, for sin had blinded him just as sin has blinded us at times. But see in Caiaphas, the danger when sin is not kept in check by daily contrition and repentance. When we do not ground ourselves by God’s Word, the evils we are capable of are great.

But this is where you have hope. 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.

Higher than Caiaphas’ will, or the will of the Sanhedrin, was God’s will and God’s sovereignty. It was expedient that one should die for the people and not the whole nation perish, but not for the reason Caiaphas wanted. The reason was to fulfill God’s long-standing promise to send a Savior from sin. The Sanhedrin’s plot to put Jesus to death would become their chance at eternal life. Their disdain for Him was the very sin that Jesus came to die for. In the days of old, their ancestors looked to the bronze serpent when they had been bitten by poisonous snakes, were healed, and found life. So also, the chief priests and Pharisees could look to the cross of Jesus and find forgiveness for their sin and have life everlasting.

Hope was there; all they needed to do was look. Hope is here for you. Jesus was offered up into death for your sin. Every sin of thought, word, and deed that has made us unworthy before God, Jesus paid for. Jealousy and envy that we have let slip into our hearts, Jesus paid for. Look to the cross and find for yourself mercy and grace. Lay your guilt and sin upon Him, not just today, but everyday and be refreshed knowing that because of your Savior’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, God offers you His forgiving love.

You and I can take heart in Caiaphas’ foolish prophecy. For it reminds us that our God is sovereign and His will is always done. When we fail to do what is right, or we fall into sin, our God still works things out for our good. Though we may suffer consequences, we know we have forgiveness and restoration through Jesus. And when things are going in a direction we don’t like, we don’t have to think what is expedient for us, but trust that if God gave up His own Son to die for us, there is nothing He can’t turn into a blessing for us. Amen.