John 11:45-57--The Plot to Kill Jesus

John 11:45-57
English Standard Version

The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 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.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
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We've seen the Jews respond with attempts to stone Jesus and plotting to kill Jesus since chapter 5 where Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath.  Would they react any differently this time?  We see different reactions from different people this time.  Many of the Jews that had gone to the funeral believed, but others who were loyal to the Pharisees went and told the Pharisees what Jesus had said and done.  The fact that the Pharisees weren't there probably tells us why we didn't see anyone immediately try to stone Him to death.

We now see the Pharisees gather the entire Sanhedrin, the civil government made of the Pharisees and Sadducees, as well as the religious leaders comprised of the chief priests (specifically the high priest, Caiaphas, and probably his father who used to be high priest but had never really stepped down and still had much control, and acted like he was high priest, Annas).  They are gathering these government officials to hold court against Jesus.

Notice their concerns here are about power and politics.  They are concerned that Jesus does many signs and if they let this continue they think that everyone will believe in Jesus (while that wouldn't be a bad thing, we know that would not be the case).  They probably fear that the people would make Jesus king and that their current form of government would be dissolved  But there is more.  The Jews are currently under Roman governance.  There is a agreement between the Romans and the Jews to let the Jews rule themselves with some oversight from local magistrates and governors that would collect taxes and some local troops being in place in the area to promote Roman law and order, but that the Jews would be free to worship Jehovah as God and would not be forced into emperor worship as long as the people remained loyal to Cesar and the Roman government and remained under control and didn't riot (the Zealots were a radical sect of the Jews who wanted to overthrow the Roman government and would have loved to see a Messiah that was a military commander that would drive out all the enemies and take back the land).

The Sanhedrin posits that if they let Jesus continue and the people believe in Him and follow after Him that the Romans will view this as treasonous and seditious and that it might even lead to the people revolting and rioting and that the Roman army will come in destroy what is left and take their people and their land by force (this was the threat that Rome made).  Then Caiaphas the high priest, though not knowing he is doing so, made a very important prophecy about Jesus saying, “You know nothing at all. 50 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 meant that Jesus should die so that the people and the land should be saved from physical destruction, but John explains, "51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. "  So we see that these government officials, though they are opposed to Jesus, are working out the will and plan of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

From this day forward they planned to put Jesus to death.  Jesus being God the Son knew what was in their hearts (we have seen this time and time again in the book of John), so He stayed out of the public eye for a little while until the time was right.  Again, Jesus is controlling the timeline here as He knows exactly when His hour has come.  He goes into the wilderness region of Ephraim ​(See the map below.  Ephraim is a small town close to the border of Samaria between Bethel and Jericho).

Now it was nearing the time of the Passover and we again see the people wondering if Jesus will make a public appearance during the feast as had happened so many other times.  Most of the conflict that we've seen between Jesus and the Pharisees in the Gospel of John has been centered in Jerusalem in or around the Temple during important feasts and festivals.  There is a lot of drama and since this is one of the three Pilgrimage Feasts of Israel, then everyone is there watching, waiting and gossiping about what was going to happen.

Some imagined that He would give up and not show up to the Feast at all, but the Pharisees seemed fairly certain that Jesus would be there and they essentially issued a warrant for the arrest of Jesus and put the word out to the people that He was wanted.  Anyone who saw Him or had knowledge of His whereabouts was to report it to the Sanhedrin immediately so that Jesus could be arrested.  Would the people comply knowing that Jesus had been right all along and that these leaders have intended to kill Jesus, would they protect Him and hide Him from the Sanhedrin, or would Jesus openly defy them and make a public appearance?  We'll see what happened next time as we move into what is known as Passion Week.