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The Plot To Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26.1-5; Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2)

45 Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw the things Jesus did, and they put their faith in him. 46 Others went to the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What should we do? This man is working a lot of miracles.[a] 48 If we don't stop him now, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation.”[b]

49 One of the council members was Caiaphas, who was also high priest that year. He spoke up and said, “You people don't have any sense at all! 50 Don't you know it is better for one person to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?” 51 Caiaphas did not say this on his own. As high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation. 52 Yet Jesus would not die just for the Jewish nation. He would die to bring together all of God's scattered people. 53 From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death.

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Footnotes

  1. 11.47 miracles: See the note at 2.11.
  2. 11.48 destroy our temple and our nation: The Jewish leaders were afraid that Jesus would lead his followers to rebel against Rome and that the Roman army would then destroy their nation.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,(A) and had seen what Jesus did,(B) believed in him.(C) 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees(D) called a meeting(E) of the Sanhedrin.(F)

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.(G) 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,(H) who was high priest that year,(I) 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.”(J)

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.(K) 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.(L)

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