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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.(A) 48 If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come[a] and take away both our land and our nation.” 49 (B)But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year,[b] 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.[c] 53 So from that day on they planned to kill him.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 11:48 The Romans will come: Johannine irony; this is precisely what happened after Jesus’ death.
  2. 11:49 That year: emphasizes the conjunction of the office and the year. Actually, Caiaphas was high priest A.D. 18–36. The Jews attributed a gift of prophecy, sometimes unconscious, to the high priest.
  3. 11:52 Dispersed children of God: perhaps the “other sheep” of Jn 10:16.

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees(A) called a meeting(B) of the Sanhedrin.(C)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.(D) 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas,(E) who was high priest that year,(F) spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”(G)

51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.(H) 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.(I)

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