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As Jesus continues His ministry, the antagonism begins to reach serious proportions. The leaders of the religious “establishment” come together because they are worried about losing their power as more and more people reject them and follow Jesus. Their final solution is that Jesus must die. And while they don’t realize it, their solution was not theirs at all – it was God’s. They are right in declaring that Jesus must die: but they are unbelievably, horrifically wrong as to why He must die.

(John 11:45-57 NIV) “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" 57 But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him."

(Exodus 12:21-23 NIV) "Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down."

(1 Corinthians 5:7 NIV) "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

(Romans 5:17-19 NIV) "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

Romans 5:17-19 (the Message) “17 If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! 19 One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.”

Digging Deeper

1. Read Genesis 2:16-17 and 3:1-19. What happened? Now read Romans 5:1-21. What happened? Make a list of contrasting results or consequences between the first Adam and the last Adam (Jesus). For example: the first brought death, the last brought life. How many can you list?

2. In each of the following passages Jesus either withdraws because of the anger/evil intent of the people and/or leaders; or He simply slips from their grasp (John 11:54-55; John 7:1; Luke 4:28-30; John 8:58-59; John 10:39-40). As you read each one look at the context and answer the question “What had Jesus said or done that made the hearers so angry?”

3. Have you ever had someone be angry with you because of the things you said or did because you knew Jesus? Do you think that is supposed to happen in our lives, or is that something that only happened to Jesus and his followers? (See John 9:30-34; John 12:9-11; John 15:20-21). When was the last time someone got angry with you about Jesus? If that has never happened to you, why do you think it hasn’t?