John 11:50

50 You don't realize what is good for you. It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed."

John 11:50 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:50

Nor consider that it is expedient for us
Priests, Levites, Pharisees, the sanhedrim, and ecclesiastical rulers of the people; who, as Caiaphas apprehended, must suffer in their characters and revenues, must quit their honourable and gainful posts and places, if Jesus went on and succeeded at this rate: wherefore it was most expedient and advantageous for them, which was the main thing to be considered in such a council, so he thought it was,

that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation
perish not;
he proceeded entirely upon this political principle, that a public good ought to be preferred to a private one; that it was no matter what the man was, whether innocent or not; common prudence, and the public safety of the nation, required him to fall a sacrifice, rather than the Romans should be exasperated and provoked to such a degree, as to threaten the utter ruin and destruction of the whole nation.

John 11:50 In-Context

48 If we let him keep on doing this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come. They will take away our temple and our nation."

49 One of them spoke up. His name was Caiaphas. He was high priest at that time. He said, "You don't know anything at all!

50 You don't realize what is good for you. It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed."

51 He did not say this on his own. But he was high priest at that time. So he told ahead of time that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.

52 He also prophesied that Jesus would die for God's children scattered everywhere. He would die to bring them together and make them one.