Plot to Kill Jesus
Raising Lazarus from death to life caused the Pharisees to plan on Killing Jesus. They did not want the Roman Empire to interfere with their control.
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45-46. “Lazarus was raised from the dead by the power of God, and all who trust Christ have been given new life and lifted out of the graveyard of sin (see John 5:24). Lazarus was set free from the grave clothes (see Colossians 3) and given new liberty.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 337)
“Many unbelieving Jewish religious leaders believed as a result of this dramatic miracle, but others complained to the Pharisees, who called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.” [Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
“Note there was no denial of the miracle but a clamor for some plan to cut losses and protect the religious hierarchy in the future. The faith of some was countered by the hostility of others as formal religious leaders put aside other differences to combine their opposition to this annoying prophet who opened the eyes of the blind and raised the dead.” [Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Sanhedrin
47. “It was necessary that the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) meet and discuss what to do with Jesus. They were not seeking after truth; they were seeking for ways to protect their own selfish interests.” (Wiersbe, 338)
“The council members were greatly troubled by Jesus’ popularity and with what they saw as the potential for political upheaval (the breach of the Pax Romana) and the possibility of the loss of their power base.” (Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. [Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002], 364)
48. “The Jews were not willing to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, even though Lazarus had been raised. They feared that escalating messianic expectations could start a movement against Roman oppression and occupation that would cause the Romans to come and take away all their rights and freedoms.” (MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005], 1387)
48. “They feared there would be a mass turning to Jesus Christ which would bring a revolution. This would provide an occasion for Rome to pounce on them.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 442)
49-50. “Unknown to himself and to the council, Caiaphas uttered a divine prophecy: Jesus would die for the nation so that the nation would not perish.” (Isaiah 53:8) (Wiersbe, 338)
“Caiaphas unwittingly used sacrificial, substitutionary language and prophesied the death of Christ for sinners. CF. 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24.” (MacArthur, 1397)
Jesus Should Die
51. Caiaphas “actually was used by God as a prophet because he was the high priest and originally the high priest was the means of God’s will being revealed (2 Samuel 15:27).” (MacArthur, 1397)
52. “John saw in the coming of Jesus the anticipated arrival of the Messiah. Moreover, the Lord’s sacrificial death he viewed as the foundation for the gathering not only of Israel for the ‘children of God’ (cf. 1:12) who were scattered everywhere on earth.” (Borchert, 366)
53. “The Sanhedrin made its decision. It was to be death for Jesus. And it was to be death at the time of Passover. The Passover Plot had thus been hatched.” (Borchert, 367)
54. “This probably refers to the OT city of Ephron (see 2 Chronicles 13:19).…The location was far enough away for temporary safety until the time of Passover.” (MacArthur, 1398)
Passover
55. “This was the third Passover mentioned in John (see2:13; 6:4) and the last in Jesus’ earthly ministry at which His sacrificial death occurred.” (MacArthur, 1398)
56. “The crowds come to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. As they go through this endless ritual and rub shoulders with each other, there are differences of opinion and talk about Jesus. They wonder whether Jesus will come to the feast this year.” (McGee, 442)
57. “The plotters ensured that the whole city was filled with potential informants.” (MacArthur, 1398)
“The stage had been set for the greatest drama in history, during which man would do his worst and God would give His best.” (Wiersbe, 338)
References
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Borchert, Gerald L., The New American Commentary Volume 25A, John 1-11. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002
Max Anders and Kenneth O. Gangel (2012). HNTC Vol. 04: John. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004