John 11:48

48 If we let him keep going on this way, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both the Temple and the nation."

John 11:48 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:48

If we let him thus alone
Going about from place to place, teaching the people, and doing such miracles:

all men will believe on him;
the whole nation will receive him as the Messiah, and proclaim him their king, and yield a cheerful obedience to all his commands:

the Romans will come;
against us, with their powerful armies; interpreting the setting him up as Messiah, to be an instance of rebellion against Caesar, and his government:

and take away both our place and nation;
that is, will destroy the temple, their holy place, the place of their religion and worship; and their city, the place of their habitation, and lay waste their country; and take away from them that little share of power and government they had, and strip them both of their civil and religious privileges: the Persic version renders it, "they will take away our place, and make a decree against our religion".

John 11:48 In-Context

46 But some of them went off to the P'rushim and told them what he had done.

47 So the head cohanim and the P'rushim called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we going to do? -- for this man is performing many miracles.

48 If we let him keep going on this way, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both the Temple and the nation."

49 But one of them, Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that year, said to them, "You people don't know anything!

50 You don't see that it's better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people, so that the whole nation won't be destroyed."