doing. At a meeting of the Sanhedrin called to discuss what is to be done about Jesus, the high priest Caiaphas declares that ‘it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish’ (Jn. 11:50). Caiaphas means that Jesus must be killed lest he continue to arouse messianic expectations and ultimately cause a revolt which the Romans would have to crush violently. But John can see a hidden meaning in his words: ‘He did not say this of his own accord,