4/18/2007

Gather Into One

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "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." 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.
-John 11:49-52


Is this saying Caiaphas prophesied Jesus would die to gather all God's children? Or is it saying that Caiaphas only prophesied that he would die for Israel, and the rest of this is John's explanation of how much more valuable the death is? Of course, now that Caiaphas has been dead for 2000 years, it doesn't matter a whole lot to us because we know the truth of the whole statement, regardless of whether it was said by Caiaphas or John. Just a curiosity question--any comments?

1 comment:

mrs. r said...

here's the NLT version:
And one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, "How can you be so stupid?
Why should the whole nation be destroyed? Let this one man die for the people."
This prophecy that Jesus should die for the entire nation came from Caiaphas in his position as high priest. He didn't think of it himself; he was inspired to say it.

It seems that he was just trying to come up with a reason to kill Jesus, was it just because he was the high priest that John saw his words as a prophecy of Jesus' role in the redemption of the Jews, and later the Gentiles?