John 11:47-57

POLITICS AND MURDER

Text 11:47-57

47

The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.

48

If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

49

But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto him, Ye know nothing at all,

50

nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51

Now this he said not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;

52

and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.

53

So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death.

54

Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed thence into the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there he tarried with the disciples.

55

Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.

56

They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?

57

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.

Queries

a.

What caused the excited concern of the council?

b.

How was Caiaphas a prophet?

c.

Why go up before the passover to purify themselves?

Paraphrase

Upon hearing of this stupendous miracle the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Council and began to say to one another excitedly, What's being donewhat can we do about this mansomething must be done because he is doing many marvelous miracles. If we let him go on like this and do not stop him, he will gather such a tremendous following among all the people that the Romans, suspicious of sedition, will come and remove us from office for our incompetence, take away our temple and destroy us as a nation.
But one of the Council, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to those gathered, It is evident that none of you know what to do! None of you are smart enough to see what is going to have to be done. In view of the situation we must put to death some man as a political scapegoat in order to keep the Roman armies from coming and subduing our nation and killing many of our people. He made this statement not merely as a personal opinion but being high priest that year he made it as an official pronouncement that Jesus should die for the nation; and not for the people in Palestine only but that by his death all the Jews scattered all over the world might be drawn into closer national unity. So from that day forward the Council made definite plans as to how they might put Jesus to death and make it appear to be a political necessity.
Jesus, knowing the murderous plotting of the Council, did not walk publicly and openly any more among the Jews. He left Bethany and went into the uninhabited country north of Jerusalem and entered into a village called Ephraim and there He rested with His disciples. Now the passover of the Jews was approaching and many pilgrims were going up to Jerusalem from all over the countryside in order to make the necessary preliminary purifications before the feast. The Jewish rulers, looking for Jesus among the crowds of the pilgrims, were saying to one another, What do you thinkdo you think he will stay away from the feast? The reason they were asking these questions was because the Council had issued an order that, if any person knew where Jesus of Nazareth was, they should tell the authorities that they might arrest Him.

Summary

The astounding miracle of raising Lazarus from the tomb has caused such furor and so great a following for Jesus that the Jewish rulers fear catastrophic political repercussions from Rome. The high priest resolves the solution by giving official pronouncement that Jesus must die as a political scapegoat.

Comment

The miracles of Jesus in and around Jerusalem since the Feast of Tabernacles (some three months previous) has caused a national crisis. There is frenzied confusion among the religious and political heads of the nation. The ruling Council (comparable to our Congress) has been called into emergency session to declare war on the enemya meek, gentle, loving, compassionate spokesman for God. So many people have become enamored of the Galilean that the leaders fear for their positions and their national existence.
They were excited over the possibility of His popularity turning into a political revolt. Most of the Sadducees and some of the Pharisees were satisfied with the political status quo. That is, as long as the Romans allowed them to maintain their political and religious stranglehold on their own people they were satisfied. They endured the bitter occupation of their land by Roman soldiers and procurators as long as they themselves were allowed to control their religious customs for these were lucrative businesses. Furthermore, they knew well the history of their nation when it had rebelled against world empires. They were taken into captivity by Assyria and Babylon. Their ancestors during these rebellions had been scattered among foreign nations, their temple was destroyed and foreign peoples inhabited their beloved homeland. Jesus had openly claimed to be the Messiah, yet He made no political overtures. The great popularity He was now attracting coupled with His claims, might filter all the way to Rome and Caesar and then the Romans would do for them what Nebuchadnezzar had done for their ancestors. Can-'t you just see the council members wringing their hands in nervous anxiety?

But there is one evil schemer among them who has not let fear overcome his reason. He rudely insults the members, saying, You are all bereft of any knowledge, The haughty one is none other than Caiaphas, present high priest, son-in-law to Annas, former high priest. Caiaphas was an opportunist who could be either uncompromising or compromising as the circumstances might dictate. He would not stop at bloodshed to serve his own ends. See these passages for clues to his personality (Matthew 26:3; Matthew 26:57; Luke 3:2; John 11:49; John 18:13-14; John 18:24; John 18:28; Acts 4:6).

Caiaphas-' statement in John 11:50 is a very shrewd political, but connivingly unscrupulous, solution to their problem. Actually, the high priest and his cohorts were not especially interested in either the temple, the nation, or the people except insofar as they must be concerned in order to protect their religious rackets. Jesus prophecied that the exact opposite would happen to the nation should they reject Him (cf. Luke 19:41-44; Luke 21:10-28; Matthew 23:27-39). And it came to pass as it was prophecied by Jesus and as the Jews wished it to be when they cried, Crucify him, crucify him, his blood be upon us and upon our children (Matthew 27:25).

The traditional interpretation of John 11:50-52 makes Caiaphas utter his scheme with full expression of his own free will and for evil purposes, but God also turned them into a prophecy concerning the atonement of Jesus for the Jews and for all nations. We quote Hendriksen, Caiaphas was left entirely free, was not prevented in any way from saying what his wicked heart urged him to say. Nevertheless, God's will, without becoming even in the least degree defiled, so directed the choice of phraseology that the words which issue from the lips of this coldblooded murderer were exactly the ones that were needed to give expression to the most sublime and glorious truth regarding God's redemptive love. Without becoming aware of it, the villain had become the propret! Perhaps this is still the best interpretation. God could certainly cause unwilling subjects or unknowing subjects to become His mouthpieces (cf. Balaam, Numbers 22:1-41; Numbers 23:1-30; Numbers 24:1-25; Saul, 1 Samuel 19:20-24; the prophets of old who did not understand all they prophecied, 1 Peter 1:10-12).

We believe (as our Paraphrase of these verses indicates) that another interpretation may possibly fit the context better. Caiaphas decided that in view of the situation, and secretly to serve his own personal ends, Jesus must be put to death as a political scapegoat. Why could not the phrase of John 11:51 (Now this he said not to himself: but being high priest that year, he prophecied that Jesus should die for the nation), mean simply that he was making an official pronouncement? His statement was not merely a personal opinion as to what ought to be donebut it was in effect an order from the chief authority, the high priest, that Jesus is to be put to death. Notice the repeated reference to his position (John 11:49; John 11:51). John 11:57 also shows that an official pronouncement had been published. Why does the word prophecied have to mean that it was divinely inspired It does not always mean that. Perhaps he also told the council that by this political intrigue and machination they might further bring all the Jews of the dispersion, in other lands, under closer national unity and thus more under their control. Perhaps is all that we can offerall interpretations of this passage hinge on the word prophecied.

This sounded like an excellent solution to the crisis so the council voted the death penalty for Jesus and began definite plans to arrest Him as a subversive and kill Him for treason.

John 11:54-56 are all actions resulting from the public order issued by the Council for the arrest of Jesus in John 11:57. From henceforth He became public enemy number one, a fugitive from the authorities. Actually, Jesus was not a fugitive for He did not deliberately run and hide from the authorities for His own personal safety. He retired to Ephraim for seclusion and privacy in order to rest up physically and strengthen both Himself and His disciples spiritually for the tremendously burdening events about to transpire. When the appointed hour set by the Father arrived, He faced the authorities and death with divine courage.

Ephraim was a village located probably northeast of Jerusalem about fourteen miles. After resting here a while, Jesus seems to have gone on a brief preaching tour through the borders of Samaria, Galilee and Perea (cf. Map #6, John 10:11-21). Between John 11:54-55 this tour takes place and in John 11:55 the passover is probably only a week or two away. Jesus would be near Jericho and the pilgrims were flocking into the city to make sure they could be ceremonially purified before the passover arrived (cf. Exodus 10:10-15; Numbers 9:9-14; 2 Chronicles 30:17-18; John 18:28). The Sanhedrin undoubtedly had their subordinates out searching among the crowds of pilgrims for the Galilean and His disciples. They nervously asked one another whether He would come to the feast or stay away.

Yes, He would come all rightin fact, He was probably already on the Jericho road, And, He would die for the nation and His death would ultimately gather together the scattered sheep, even sheep not of this fold (cf. John 10:1-16). But His death would not fulfill the evil and covetous aspirations of Caiaphas and his cohorts.

Quiz

1.

Why did the Council call an emergency session? What did they fear?

2.

Why were the rulers interested in the temple and the people?

3.

What is Caiaphas-' solution? What did happen to the nation for killing Jesus?

4.

Did Caiaphas become an unwilling prophet of God or did he merely make an authoritative pronouncement in John 11:51-52?

5.

Why did Jesus retire to Ephraim?

6.

What did His death accomplish for the nation and those scattered abroad?