made plans
The phrase "made plans" suggests a deliberate and calculated decision. The Greek word "βουλεύω" (bouleuō) implies a council or consultation, indicating that this was not a spontaneous decision but rather a strategic move. This reflects the growing tension and desperation among the religious leaders to maintain their power and suppress the burgeoning influence of Jesus. Their plotting against Lazarus reveals the extent of their fear and hostility towards anything that validated Jesus' ministry.

to kill Lazarus
Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, became a living testimony to Jesus' divine power. The Greek word for "kill" is "ἀποκτείνω" (apokteinō), which means to put to death or destroy. The chief priests' decision to kill Lazarus underscores their moral and spiritual blindness. Instead of acknowledging the miracle as a sign of God's work, they chose to eliminate the evidence. Lazarus' resurrection was a pivotal event that drew many to believe in Jesus, thus threatening the religious leaders' authority and prompting their drastic measures.

as well
The phrase "as well" indicates that Lazarus was not the only target; Jesus was already in their sights. This addition highlights the extent of their conspiracy and the lengths to which they were willing to go to protect their interests. It underscores the pervasive corruption and moral decay within the religious leadership, who prioritized their positions over truth and righteousness. The inclusion of Lazarus in their plot reveals the depth of their animosity and the threat they perceived from the growing belief in Jesus as the Messiah.

(2) On the chief priests. The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. They deliberated to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. It was not enough that one man should die; another and another must follow if their plan is to succeed. And now the hour had come (John 2:4; John 7:30), but not until our Lord once more warned the disciples with intense significance and explicitness of his approaching death and burial. Thus another striking illustration is given of the judgment, the crisis, the sifting process, which is always going on in the presence of Christ. His greatest signs, his wisest teachings, his most amazing love, bring out the twofold result. Some receive, some reject, some burst into louder acclaim, some try to slay. As with the history of this "Gospel," some hear in it the very voice of the Eternal, but there are others who would grind it to powder. Because Ignatius and Polycarp bear witness to the existence of the Gospel, these Lazaruses must be put to death, or banished to a later period out of harm's way. Even the genuineness of the Apocalypse, so long a tower of defense for the Tübingen school, is too powerful a proof of St. John's residence in Asia to be accepted with equanimity or left in possession, and some of the later critics have taken counsel to repudiate its Johannine authorship.

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