We need to understand that, among the Jews (John 11:45), who had come to comfort Martha and Mary over the death of their brother, there were those who believed Jesus was the Messiah, but even they misunderstood many things that could only be spiritually understood. There were also men who didn’t believe, but who could be convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. Finally, there were those who, no matter what was said or done, would never believe, unless they were able to pull the strings that made Jesus do what they assumed the Messiah should do. Among those who didn’t believe but could be convinced, at least some of them believed after Lazarus arose, but of the rest, some of them went to the Pharisees in Jerusalem to tell them what Jesus had done (John 11:45-46).
Immediately, the Pharisees called the council together in order to decide what to do about Jesus, because he did many miracles (John 11:47. They were threatened by the miracles, because it was the miracles that undeniable refuted their claims about what the Messiah would be like. The people were impressed by the miracles Jesus did, and this worried the Jewish authorities. The Passover was near, when there would be many pilgrims worshiping in Jerusalem, and these miracles could prevent the Jewish authorities from doing what they wanted to do to him, because they feared the people who were impressed with him. If they seized Jesus, and the people rioted, the Romans could intervene, and who knows what would develop from that? On the other hand, if they did nothing, the people would continue to flock to him, and the Romans might see this as a rebellion and they would destroy both the nation and their Temple (John 11:48).
The officiating high priest at this time was Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas. Annas was the first choice of Rome for an officiating high priest at Jerusalem, when they had removed Archelaus from power cir. 6 AD. Annas also had five sons and a grandson who officiated this office during the Roman era. It was he who pulled the strings of those in his family, and he was probably the most powerful man in Jerusalem in the first century AD. Caiaphas stood up in the council to say: you are discussing things about which you know nothing! (John 11:49). “You aren’t taking into account that it is in your interests that one man should die for the people, in order that the nation doesn’t perish!” (John 11:50).
Thus, although he was an evil man, he spoke by the inspiration of God, because he was the leader of the Jews at that time. Yet, Jesus wasn’t to die for that nation alone, but to unite in one all the children of God, both Jews and gentiles, throughout the world (John 11:51-52; cp. John 10:16). After listening to Caiaphas, the council decided that from that day forward they would seek an opportunity to put Jesus to death (John 11:53).
Due either by knowing spiritually from the Father or through a direct warning from someone like Nicodemus, who may have witnessed the council’s decision, Jesus left Judea and walked no more in places, where the authorities might arrest him. He and his disciples retired to Ephraim, which was near the wilderness and Samaria, where they might escape, if they were found out (John 11:54).
Thus, the season of the Passover had come upon the land, and many pilgrims came from all over the Empire in order to worship at the Feast, and the Jewish authorities wondered, if Jesus would also return to Jerusalem to celebrate that annual holy day (John 11:55-56). So, the chief priest and Pharisees had sent word out that, if anyone saw Jesus, he should tell them, so they could arrest him (John 11:57).
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