Section 11:45–57
The Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus
This section tells that many Jews who saw Jesus raise Lazarus believed in him. But others reported him to the Pharisees. The council met to discuss what to do with Jesus. They were afraid that if everyone believed in Jesus, the Roman government would destroy the Jewish temple and nation. The high priest Caiaphas said that it was better for Jesus to die than the whole nation be destroyed. That was true, but not in the way that Caiaphas meant. Jesus’ death would bring salvation to all people.
Jesus no longer walked around in public and stayed in Ephraim. When people went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, they looked for Jesus, thinking that he would not go there. That was because the chief priests and Pharisees had ordered people to tell them if they knew where Jesus was. Then they could arrest him.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The Jewish council decided to kill Jesus
-or-
The plot to kill Jesus
Paragraph 11:45–48
The Jews from Judea responded in different ways to the miracle that they just saw. Some believed, and others reported it to the Jewish authorities. The authorities discussed the matter in their council.
11:45a
Therefore: This word introduces what many people did as a result of the miracle that they saw.
many of the Jews: This phrase refers to many of the people who had come from Judea (possibly Jerusalem). Here is another way to translate this phrase:
Many of the people (Contemporary English Version)
who had come to Mary: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as who had come to Mary :
(1) it means “to Mary,” or “to visit Mary.” For example:
who had come to visit Mary (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, New Century Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)
(2) it means “together with Mary.” For example:
who had come with Mary (Revised Standard Version)
(Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible Bible, New Living Translation (2004))
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), together with most English translations. The author probably referred to what he wrote in 11:19, that people came from Jerusalem (or other parts of Judea) to comfort the sisters. Here, however, he just mentions Mary.
11:45b
and: This word here introduces another description of these Jewish people. These people saw the miracle.
had seen what Jesus did: This phrase indicates that these people saw Jesus bring Lazarus back to life again. They were at the tomb and saw what happened.
what Jesus did: There is a textual problem here. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as what is plural in some manuscripts and singular in others. It is recommended that you use a word that can be understood in either way, as most English translations do. The original text probably had the plural form, but the main reference is to the specific act of raising Lazarus.
believed in Him: This phrase includes the idea of believing the facts about who Jesus was and what he did. But it also includes the idea of trusting Jesus instead of trusting oneself or someone else. Both ideas are very closely related. If someone believes the facts about Jesus, it should result in trusting him. See how you translated similar phrases in 1:12b, 2:11c, and 3:16b. Here are other ways to translate this idea:
put their faith in him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
became believers
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