48
If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”
49
Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!
50
You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
51
He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation.
52
And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.
53
So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.
54
As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.
55
It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.
56
They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”
57
Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.