Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe 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 convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, 50 nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him. 54 So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. 56 They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” 57 For the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should inform them, so that they might arrest him.
After Jesus raised Lazarus, the response was divided. Many of the Jews who had come to comfort Mary saw what Jesus had done and began to believe in him (v. 45). But others went to the Pharisees and reported it (v. 46). John shows again that the works of Jesus do not leave people neutral. Some come to faith. Others move toward opposition.
The chief priests and the Pharisees then convene the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council made up of chief priests, elders, and scribes (cf. Mt. 26:57, 59; Mk. 14:53; 15:1; Lk. 22:66). Their concern is clear: “This man is performing many signs” (v. 47). They do not deny that signs are being done. Their fear is that if Jesus is left alone, more people will believe in him, and the Romans will intervene and take away “both our land and our nation” (v. 48). They fear that public excitement around Jesus could be seen by Rome as a threat to public order and could bring a harsh response against the Jewish people and their leaders. So the council begins to think in political terms rather than in terms of truth.
Caiaphas then speaks with contempt: “You know nothing” (v. 49). He argues that it is better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish (v. 50). On the surface, he is speaking politically. He sees Jesus as a danger to public order and argues that the death of one man is preferable to unrest that could bring disaster upon the people. John presents a deep irony here. Caiaphas speaks as though the death of Jesus will save the nation, but his words point instead to the true meaning of Jesus’ death in God’s plan. Because he was high priest that year, he “prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation” (v. 51), and not only for the nation, but also “to gather into one the dispersed children of God” (v. 52). Caiaphas speaks from political calculation, but God uses his words to announce a far deeper truth.
This is the center of the passage. Jesus will indeed die for the people. But his death will not be the removal of a political problem. It will be the saving death by which God gathers his people. John has already prepared for this when Jesus said, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn. 10:16). The death of Jesus will have a unifying purpose. It will gather the scattered children of God into one.
That gathering should not be understood narrowly. John’s words look beyond Judea. The prophets had already spoken of God gathering his scattered people (Is. 43:5; Jer. 23:3-5; Ezek. 37:21-24). John now shows that this gathering takes place through the death of Christ (v. 52). The saving work of Jesus reaches farther than Caiaphas knows. He speaks about preserving one nation. God is bringing together a people drawn from every place into one flock under one shepherd (Jn. 10:16; v. 52).
“So from that day on they planned to kill him” (v. 53). The decision is now fixed. What had been hostility becomes a settled plan. John presents this not as an accident of events, but as part of the movement toward the hour for which Jesus came (cf. Jn. 7:30; 8:20; 12:23). The plot is real, and the guilt of his opponents is real. Yet above their decision stands the purpose of God.
Jesus then withdraws from public view and goes to Ephraim with his disciples (v. 54). This withdrawal is not fear in the ordinary sense. It shows that Jesus still moves according to the Father’s time. His enemies do not control the hour. The approach of Passover will bring that hour into view.
The final verses place everything against the background of Passover. Many go up to Jerusalem early in order to purify themselves before the feast, that is, to undergo the ritual cleansing required for those who wished to take part properly in Passover worship (v. 55; cf. Ex. 19:10–11, 15; Nm. 9:6–14). They are asking whether Jesus will come (v. 56). Meanwhile the chief priests and Pharisees have already given orders that anyone who knows where he is should report it so that he may be arrested (v. 57). The whole scene is tense. The feast is near. The people are wondering. The leaders are watching. Jesus is absent for the moment.
This reference to Passover is important. John is setting the stage for the death of Jesus. As the Passover approaches, we are meant to see that Jesus is moving toward his sacrificial death.
Lord Jesus Christ, as your Passion drew near, your enemies plotted against you, yet the Father was at work through all things for the salvation of your people. Help us to see more clearly the meaning of your death and to remain faithful to you. Gather your scattered children into one, and keep us in the flock that hears your voice and follows you. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011.
- José María Casciaro, gen. ed., The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008.
- Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010.
- Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018.
- John J. Collins, Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior, eds., The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022.
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