John 11:38-53

38 Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance.

39 Jesus said, " Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, "Lord, the smell will be awful! He's been dead four days."

40 Jesus replied, " Didn't I tell you that if you believe, you will see God's glory?"

41 So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, " Father, thank you for hearing me.

42 I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me."

43 Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come out!"

44 The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, " Untie him and let him go."

45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him.

46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

47 Then the chief priests and Pharisees called together the council and said, "What are we going to do? This man is doing many miraculous signs!

48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people."

49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, "You don't know anything!

50 You don't see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed."

51 He didn't say this on his own. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would soon die for the nation—

52 and not only for the nation. Jesus would also die so that God's children scattered everywhere would be gathered together as one.

53 From that day on they plotted to kill him.

Images for John 11:38-53