John 11:45–57

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what He did believed in Him. ^g46But some of them went to the Pharisees ^hand told them what Jesus had done.

⁴⁷So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin ⁱand said, “What are we going to do since this man does many signs? ⁴⁸If we let Him continue in this way, everyone will believe in Him! Then the Romans ^jwill come and remove both our place ^kand our nation.”

⁴⁹One of them, Caiaphas, ^lwho was high priest ^mthat year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You’re not considering that it is to your ⁿadvantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” ^o51He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die ^pfor the nation, ⁵²and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children ^qof God. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to kill Him. ^r54Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly ^samong the Jews but departed from there to the countryside near the wilderness, ^tto a town called Ephraim. And He stayed there with the disciples.

⁵⁵The Jewish Passover ^uwas near, and many went up to Jerusalem ^vfrom the country to purify ^wthemselves before the Passover. ⁵⁶They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple complex: ^x“What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, ^ywill He?” ⁵⁷The chief priests ^zand the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it so they could arrest Him.