104. The Sanhedrin Decides that Jesus Must Die
47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council,a and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.”b49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; 50you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” 51He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.c
54Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, and there he stayed with his disciples.d
(Jn. 11:47–54)
a “the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council”—The Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court and ruling body, met to decide what to do about Jesus.
b “If we let him go on thus, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.”—The Sanhedrin knew that many of Jesus' followers regarded him as the Messiah, Israel's deliverer. They were afraid that this would lead to serious problems with the Roman authorities.
c “So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.”—For a long time the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court) had sought to apprehend Jesus and bring charges against him. Now they go even further; they decree his death in advance of anything resembling a trial.
d “Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, and there he stayed with his disciples.”—Probably he returned to the regions of Perea and the Decapolis, the provinces lying across the Jordan River from Judea. This area was outside the reach of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
Jn. 11:54 wilderness, and / wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and (RSV) (168:3/1847)
