John 11:47–52

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

John’s point here is that Caiaphas says something prophetic without knowing it. He thinks he’s just arguing that killing one guy is insignificant. Who cares that one man should die compared to the whole nation perishing?

But he didn’t just say, “that one man should die.” He says, “that one man should die for the people.” Those three extra words make all the difference. They barely make sense in the way Caiaphas means them.

One can argue that if they knock Jesus off to keep Him from getting Rome upset, He would be, in a figurative sense, dying for the people. It’s a stretch but still makeable.

Little does Caiaphas know, his prophesy will come true literally.

This was not just a coincidence; it was prophecy. John attributes it to Caiaphas’s office as high priest.

But how could Caiaphas prophesy without knowing it? He wasn’t in a trance. What does this say about God speaking through people without them knowing it? Does this apply to us now? What’s the takeaway?

Well, much of this can’t apply to us exactly. This event happened before the canon was closed, in a time of real prophecy. The reformed view (to which this author subscribes) is that supernatural gifts like prophecy ended with the end of the apostolic age. Miracles still happen, but not that one.

But God does bless people in unexpected ways, and sometimes He inspires people to function above their level. For example, this devotional was written by someone who never got above a “C” in any English class in high school. Writing was the very last thing I would have ever imagined I’d be doing.

But in 1992, I got an HP LaserJet printer for my birthday. As the only person in my church with a laser printer, I found myself doing a lot of printing (specifically the church bulletins). That led to my publishing the church newsletter, which led to writing a monthly column. In my next church, a friend asked me to take over his ministry of writing a daily devotional called the DEEP. The rest is, as they say, history.

I don’t know exactly what to call it, but that didn’t just happen randomly.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Saturday DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.