The Response of the Jewish Leaders

45  Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. 46  But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. 47  So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48  If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”

49  Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all! 50  You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 51  (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 52  and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.) 53  So from that day they planned together to kill him.

54  Thus Jesus no longer went around publicly among the Judeans, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. 55  Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 56  Thus they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 57  (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.)

12  Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. 2  So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. 3  Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 4  But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6  (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, he used to steal what was put into it.) 7  So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 8  For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!”

9  Now a large crowd of Judeans learned that Jesus was there, and so they came not only because of him but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 10  So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, 11  for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus.