John 11:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."

NIV: You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."

NASB: nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.'

CSB: You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish."

NLT: 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.'

KJV: Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

NKJV: nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”

Once again, Caiaphas insults the understanding of his audience. That audience happens to be composed of fellow leaders and scholars (John 11:47–49). It's statements such as this which give Caiaphas his extraordinarily poor reputation in popular fiction and drama. He's often imagined as the stereotypical Pharisee—ironic, since he was a Sadducee, and didn't hold to rigid Pharisaical interpretations of the Jewish Scriptures. He was appointed to his position by the Romans, though it's possible that the Jewish people informally considered others, such as Annas (Acts 4:6; John 18:13), to be their "real" spiritual leader.

The Scribes and Pharisees are concerned that Jesus' teachings are heresy. They are worried that Jesus will lead the people away from what they feel is the best approach to God's laws and His Word. Of course, they are also—probably more so—concerned about the threat of Jesus undermining their authority and reputations (John 11:48). That stubbornness persists even in the face of Jesus' great miracles, most recently the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:43–44).

The Sadducees, including Caiaphas, are far more worried about Jesus' political impact. In then-recent history, Jewish unrest was met with the full might of Roman military strength. In a sense, these men are correct to worry that Rome's anger might result in the total annihilation of their culture. They ignore the fact that Jesus is not taking on political power (Acts 6:15; John 6:25–27), and will play up His risk as a rebel to Rome in order to have Him killed (John 11:53). His later triumphal entry (John 12:12–19) proves their fears partly correct: had Jesus wanted it, the people were ready to follow Him.

Caiaphas' worries and statement are both prophetic. Jesus' death is, in fact, meant as an alternative to the death of sinners (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). His single sacrifice prevents countless souls from being separated from God for eternity (John 11:52).

Sadly, concerns about Rome crushing Israel will also to come to pass. The sacking of Jerusalem in AD 70, including the destruction of the temple (Hebrews 8:13), will come as a result of Jewish leaders pushing their people to antagonize Rome.

John 11:45–57 follows Jesus' seventh and most spectacular miraculous ''sign,'' the resurrection of Lazarus. Amazingly, Jesus enemies are so hardened against Him that this miracle only inspires them to have Jesus killed even more quickly. This is one of many examples disproving the claim that non-believers merely lack sufficient evidence. Critics claim Jesus may incite rebellion and invite destruction from Rome. For the most part, however, Jesus is a threat to their pompous arrogance and positions of power. When Jesus maintains a low profile, the religious leaders give orders to find Him so He can be arrested. This sets in motion the critical events completing Jesus' sacrificial death.

Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.

After giving sight to a man born blind (John 9), Jesus sparred with religious leaders on at least two occasions (John 10). After another failed arrest attempt, Jesus left the area and went out where Jerusalem's politics had little influence. In this chapter, He returns to resurrect a recently-departed friend, Lazarus. That results in a renewed commitment from Jerusalem's religious leaders to have Jesus murdered. As the crucifixion draws near, Jesus will stage His triumphal entry in chapter 12, and then begin His final teachings to the disciples.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.