Have you ever walked by freshly poured cement and felt the urge to make your handprint like the stars do in Hollywood? Have you ever wondered what the squishy gooey substance might feel like before it hardens into unmalleable stone? I have to admit, there is a part of me that likes the idea of leaving my mark in stone for generations after me to see and remember.
Recently as I was reading in John 11, the Holy Spirit showed me one place where cement certainly doesn’t belong. This chapter presents one of the greatest miracles of Jesus during His time on Earth: the resurrection of Lazarus. As a result of this miracle verse 43 says that many of the Jews began to believe in Jesus, but not everyone was pleased.
The chief priests and a group of leaders called the Pharisees not only disapproved of Lazarus’ resurrection, but they did not approve of Jesus. They were afraid of Him. Verse 48 shows us that the Pharisees felt Jesus’ followers were growing in number and that was dangerous. The Romans, who ruled Israel at the time, had allowed the Jews to continue their religious practices, including worshipping in the Temple. The Pharisees feared that if too many Jews began to follow Jesus, the Romans would think that the Jews were revolting. That could lead to the destruction of the Temple. The destruction of the Temple would inevitably be the end of the religiously influential Pharisees.
The High Priest Caiaphas, however, had an interesting reaction to the fears of his peers. Rather than worry about what Rome might do if Jesus’ ministry got out of hand, he chose to focus on a plot to murder Jesus.
The phrase that really got my attention as I read this passage is found in verse 53. It says, “In that moment they [the Pharisees] cemented their intentions to have Jesus executed,” (The Voice). Most translations of this verse say the Pharisees began to “plot” Jesus’ death. They started to plan, to strategize, to make arrangements for how, when, and where they would be able to crucify Him. When I think about their plans with the word cement in mind, I am struck by the hardness of their hearts. Internally they had become as hard as stone and they were about to leave their mark on the world. But at what cost?
In cementing their intentions the Pharisees in this passage eventually got what they wanted—they succeeded in executing Jesus. But in the process, they missed believing in, receiving from, and following the Son of God. He was right there in front of them and rather than take their fears to Him, they fixed their minds on their own solution. They got exactly what they wanted in the end—but they missed the greater eternal outcome.
I admit that in certain situations in my life, I am not much better than the Pharisees. I plan, I strategize, I plot to get the outcome that I want, all while Jesus beckons me to let go and surrender the outcome to Him. It sounds so simple, but the fear in my own heart threatens to harden me toward His plans. I plan based on my desires and limited vision. He plans with a perspective that sees beyond the moment and far into eternity.
My prayer for us both today is that we would not cement our intentions and miss what God has planned for our lives. May our hearts remain tender, soft, and pliable. Rather than being fixed on our own solutions, may our eyes remain open to the truth that His ways are better and His thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:8-9). Rather than allowing our fears to harden us, may they drive us closer to our miracle working Savior.
-Liz