47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, a What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe : on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named "Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, z Ps. ii. 2. a ch. xii. 19. Luke iii. 2. Acts iv. 6. ch. xviii. 14. came to Mary, went their ways to the Pharisees." But even supposing that these last were of the number of those who had come to the sisters, it must not be too hastily concluded that they went in sheer malice. It is not improbable that they were persons of weak minds who knew not what to make of the matter, and went for some sort of guidance to the recognized religious leaders. 47. "Then gathered. . . . What do we? for this man doeth many miracles." "What do we ?" not, what shall we do? but what are we doing? as if the case was very urgent indeed. "This man doeth many miracles." Mark here how they said among one another what they really believed. How marvellously do we see in their conduct the words of the Saviour fulfilled, "If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." We learn from this that the will of man has power to set aside the force of the clearest evidence, so that the man should not act upon it, and should reject the conclusion to which it necessarily leads. This unbelief being immoral arose from an impenitent state of heart; they were not persuaded when the Lord Himself rose from the dead. 48. "If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him... place and nation "-i.e., all men will combine to make Him King, and there will be a dangerous tumult, which will end in the Romans coming and taking away our place and nation; our place, i.e., our Temple, the one place of our religion, our nation, so as to destroy the few remains of national life and independence left to us. 49. "One of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year," &c. As if he said, Why do ye hesitate? One man's life must be sacrificed to save the nation from destruction by the с 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one c ch. xviii. 14. man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 51, 52. "That nation;" rather, "the nation." Roman power. He is much too dangerous to be tolerated. If He is allowed to live the whole nation will perish. 51. "This spake he not of himself." He himself used the words "One man must die for the people," in his own unjust and wicked sense, but he knew not that in using these words he was not speaking of himself, but God was prophesying by him. He held a priesthood which, though he was doing his utmost to degrade and prostitute it, was even yet the most sacred of all human offices. The people of the Jews were even yet the people of God, and he was their head so far as they were a Theocracy, and God, because of this his most sacred office, made his accursed lips the means of declaring the all-atoning significance of the Death which he desired to bring about. He urged the Death for a political purpose, and God made his words to foretell universal Atonement. Godet has some very suggestive remarks: "Since Caiaphas was high priest for eleven consecutive years, why did St. John, three times over (vv. 49, 51, xviii. 13), use the expression, high priest that year? Certainly because he desired to recall the importance of that unique and decisive year, in which the perfect Sacrifice terminated the typical sacrifices, and the Levitical priesthood as exercised by Caiaphas. It devolved upon the high priest to offer every year the great atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people, and this was the office now performed by Caiaphas, as the last representative of the ancient priesthood. By his vote he, in some degree, appointed and sacrificed the Victim, Who, in that ever memorable year, was to bring in everlasting righteousness,""&c. "In the Old Testament, the normal centre of the Theocratic nation was not the king, but the priest. In all the great crises of the nation's fate, it was the high priest who received, in virtue of a prophetic gift communicated for the occasion, the decision of the Most High for the welfare of His people. (Num. xxvii. 21, 1 Sam. xxx. 7, &c.) St. John by no means asserts that 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of d Is. xlix. 6. God that were scattered abroad. 1 John ii. 2. e ch. x. 16. Ephes. ii. 14, 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel 15, 16, 17. together for to put him to death. & vii. 1. 54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly fch. iv. 1, 3. among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, g See 2 Chron. and there continued with his disciples. 54. "A country." Properly," the country." xiii. 19. the high priest was generally endowed with this prophetic power; he merely regards Caiaphas as playing, at this decisive moment, the part assigned him in such cases as God's accredited organ to His people, and that notwithstanding the contrast existing between his individual character and the spirit of his office." 52. "And not for that nation only," &c. The Evangelist here notices the very wide significance of this prophecy. Caiaphas by "the people" meant to signify the Jews only, but God, Who overruled his words, meant by it a far more numerous people, the true people of God, then scattered throughout the world, who would embrace the faith of the Son of God. It is the echo of the Lord's prophecy, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring. . . . and they shall be one flock and one Shepherd." 53. "Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death." Having determined that He must die, they henceforth took counsel how the death was to be accomplished. This seems recorded to show that they intended at once to put Him out of the way. But His time, though fast approaching, was not yet come. He could only die at the Paschal Feast, as the Paschal Victim, and so we read in the next verse, 54. "Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews." He withdrew Himself again, though only for a few weeks. "But went thence unto a country near to the wilderness." Rather into the country as opposed to the town or city. "Into a city called Ephraim," &c. According to Jerome, a town in a thinly-peopled country, twenty miles to the north-east of Jeru h 55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. h cho ii. 13. & v. 1. & vi. 4. i ver. 8. ch. vii. 11. 56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him. salem. The place was, from its situation, suited to our Lord's design to keep out of the way of the Jews till His hour was come, and yet be near Jerusalem. 55. "The Jews' passover was nigh at hand." This is one instance amongst several in which St. John uses the word "Jews" with no sinister meaning as signifying those opposed to Christ, but simply as designating the nation. Thus he speaks of the Jews' feast of tabernacles (vii. 2), and of a feast of the Jews (v. 1). "To purify themselves." Apparently none of the sacrifices of which part, or the whole, were partaken of by the people, could be properly eaten by unclean persons (Levit. vii. 20). In 2 Chronicles xxx. 18, 19, it is recorded that the King prayed specially for those who had eaten the Passover in a state of uncleanness. No doubt they had better opportunities in Jerusalem for keeping from defilement, than if they were at their homes engaged in their usual business. 56. "Then sought they for Jesus," &c. This verse very graphically describes the excitement, even amongst those who had come up from the country for the feast, about the person and claims of Jesus. It could not have been written except by one who had observed with deep anxiety the groups questioning among themselves whether the fear of the rulers would deter the Lord from coming up. 57. "Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment." This may be recorded to account for the questioning of the last verse as to whether Jesus would be deterred from coming up, and also for the opportunity given for Judas to betray Him. TH CHAP. XII. HEN Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, a where Lazarus was which had a ch. xi. 1, 43. been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 6. Mark xiv. 3. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha Matt. xxvi. served but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 1. "Which had been dead," omitted by N, B., L., Old Latin (a, c, e), Syriac, but retained in A., D., most later Uncials, all Cursives, some Old Latin, Vulg. 1. "Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany raised from the dead." There are very great differences of opinion amongst commentators as to the day on which this took place. Taking Friday, the day on which our Lord was crucified, to be the day of the Passover (i.e. of the slaying of the Paschal Lamb, at about the time at which our Lord was slain), six days before this would be the Saturday before. It is not likely that on this day, being the Jewish Sabbath, our Lord would have taken the long journey from the house of Zaccheus, where He lodged (Luke xix. 5) on His way from Ephraim to Jerusalem by Jericho. So that it is best to suppose that He took the journey on the Friday, so as to arrive at Bethany on the commencement of the Sabbath, i.e. about six o'clock on Friday evening. He would spend the Sabbath at Bethany, and on the evening of that day they would make Him the supper. Then on the next day, answering to our Palm Sunday, He would, probably late in the day, make His entry into Jerusalem. 2. "There they made him a supper. . . . at the table with him." St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us that this supper was in the house of Simon the Leper, that is, one who had been a leper, and had been, no doubt, healed by our Lord; for it is impossible to suppose that one who was on such friendly terms with Him as to receive Him into his house, would have been permitted to remain afflicted with such a loathsome disease. "Martha served: but Lazarus was one of those that sat," &c. |