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John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw allmen unto me.

Psalm 22:15,27
My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death…

gather.

John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold,and one shepherd.

Genesis 49:10
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto himshall the gathering of the peoplebe.

Psalm 102:22,23
When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD…

the children.

Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass,that in the place where it was said unto them, Yeare not my people,there it shall be said unto them,Ye are the sons of the living God.

Acts 18:10
For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

Romans 4:17
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed,even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

that were.

Ezekiel 11:16,17
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come…

Ezekiel 34:12
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheepthat are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

Ephesians 2:14-17
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partitionbetween us; …

but also for the scattered children of God
This phrase expands the scope of Jesus' redemptive work beyond Israel to include Gentiles and Jews living outside of Israel. The "scattered children" can be understood as the Diaspora Jews, who lived outside of Palestine due to historical exiles, such as the Babylonian captivity. It also prophetically includes Gentiles who would come to faith in Christ, fulfilling the promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 22:18). This aligns with the New Testament teaching that in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:28).

to gather them together into one
This phrase highlights the unifying purpose of Jesus' sacrifice. The gathering of God's children into one body is a central theme in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of Paul, who speaks of the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). This unity is both spiritual and eschatological, pointing to the ultimate gathering of believers at the end of the age (Ephesians 1:10). Theologically, it reflects the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the restoration and unity of God's people (Ezekiel 37:21-22).

•John 11 records Jesus raising Lazarus, which leads the Sanhedrin to convene (John 11:47–48).

• High priest Caiaphas declares, “It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:50).

• Verse 52 follows, revealing God’s purpose behind Caiaphas’ words: Jesus will die not only for Israel but for all God’s scattered children.

• “The nation” points to ethnic Israel. God promised their redemption through a coming Messiah (Isaiah 9:6–7;Jeremiah 31:31–34).

• Jesus’ substitutionary death fulfills those promises—He is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

• Peter later affirms that God raised up His Servant to bless Israel first (Acts 3:25–26), showing divine faithfulness to the covenant people.

• Scattered (“dispersion”) evokes Jews living among the nations (James 1:1) and Gentiles predestined for adoption (Ephesians 1:5).

•Isaiah 49:6 foreshadowed this: “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to restore the tribes of Jacob … I will also make You a light for the nations.”

• Jesus Himself anticipated a wider flock: “I have other sheep that are not of this fold” (John 10:16).

• Thus the cross reaches both diaspora Jews and believing Gentiles, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham that “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

• The ultimate aim is unity.Ezekiel 37:21–22 foretold God making “one nation” under “one king.”

• Christ’s death breaks down “the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14–16), forming “one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

• In Christ “there is neither Jew nor Greek … for you are all one” (Galatians 3:28).

• This gathering will culminate when every tribe and language worships the Lamb (Revelation 7:9–10).

• Caiaphas spoke politically, yet “he did not say this on his own” (John 11:51). God employed an unbelieving priest’s scheme to declare the gospel.

• Similar patterns appear inGenesis 50:20 (Joseph) andActs 2:23 (the cross)—human intentions, divine orchestration.

• Believers can trust God’s rule even when opposition seems dominant.

• Our salvation and unity rest on Christ’s finished work, not cultural or ethnic identity (Romans 10:12–13).

• The church ought to display this unity across languages and backgrounds, loving one another as Christ prayed inJohn 17:20–23.

• Missions flow naturally: if Christ died for the scattered, the scattered must hear (Matthew 28:19–20;Romans 10:14–15).

John 11:52 reveals that Jesus’ death was divinely purposed to save Israel and to gather God’s dispersed children—Jew and Gentile—into one unified people. What Caiaphas uttered politically, God meant redemptively, fulfilling ancient promises, breaking down barriers, and forming a single worldwide family in Christ.

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