John 11:45–57
45Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. 50You don't realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." 51He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation— 52and not for that nation only, but also to gather into one the scattered children of God. 53So from that day on, they plotted to put him to death. 54Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to a region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. 55Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the countryside before the Passover to purify themselves. 56They were looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple they said to one another, "What do you think? Will he not come to the feast?" 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, they must report it, so that they could arrest him.