45 Because of that, many of the Yudeans believed that Yeshua was from God after having followed Maria and seeing what Yeshua did. 46 But others went and told the Pharisee party what Yeshua had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisee party called a formal meeting and asked, “What should we do because this man is doing many miracles. 48 If we allow him to continue like this, all the crowds will be believing he’s the messiah, and then the Romans will come and destroy both our temple and our governance.”

49 But one of them, Caiaphas who was chief priest that year, spoke up, “You don’t know anything. 50 Don’t you all realise that its better for all of us if one man dies so that the people and the nation won’t be destroyed?” 51 (He didn’t say this from his own thinking, but being chief priest that year, he was announcing God’s message that Yeshua was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for this nation, but for all of God’s children scattered around the world to become united.)

53 As a result, from that day on they decided that Yeshua needed to be executed. 54 Because of that, Yeshua no longer walked around Yudea in public, but went out to the town of Ephraim out in the wilderness and stayed there with his followers.

55 At that time, the Jewish Passover celebrations were approaching, and many people from the regions went to Yerusalem ahead of the celebrations to purify themselves. 56 They were looking out for Yeshua and as they stood around in the temple, they asked each other, “What do you think? Surely he won’t come to the celebrations.” 57 The chief priests and the Pharisee party had already announced that if anyone knew where Yeshua was, they must inform them so that they could arrest him.