Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness, and he remained there with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him. (John 11:45-57, NRSVue)
“The need of the many outweighs the need of the few, or the one.” This was said by Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Spock sacrificed himself so that others might be saved. It is very Christlike.
Kind of like Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, who sacrifices himself so that others might live. Groot only ever says, “I am Groot.” Until the end, before he sacrifices himself, when he says, “We are Groot.”
Jesus dies for the nation, and not just the Jewish nation, but for all of creation, because when He came to show us what love is, the powers of the time did not like losing their power, so they killed Him. Power does not stand for love. Love shows indifference to power structures and makes all things equal, and if it does not make things equal, it is not love.
Are you willing to be one for all?
