John 11:39-57 ▼

39 "Take away the stone," said Jesus. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, "Master, by this time there is a foul smell; for it is three days since he died."

40 "Did I not promise you," replied Jesus, "that if you believe, you shall see the glory of God?"

41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me.

42 I know that Thou always hearest me; but for the sake of the crowd standing round I have said this--that they may believe that Thou didst send me."

43 After speaking thus, He called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out."

44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in cloths, and his face wrapped round with a towel. "Untie him," said Jesus, "and let him go free."

45 Thereupon a considerable number of the Jews--namely those who had come to Mary and had witnessed His deeds--became believers in Him;

46 though some of them went off to the Pharisees and told them what He had done.

47 Therefore the High Priests and the Pharisees held a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What steps are we taking?" they asked one another; "for this man is performing a great number of miracles.

48 If we leave him alone in this way, everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and blot out both our city and our nation."

49 But one of them, named Caiaphas, being High Priest that year, said, "You know nothing about it.

50 You do not reflect that it is to your interest that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish."

51 It was not as a mere man that he thus spoke. But being High Priest that year he was inspired to declare that Jesus was to die for the nation,

52 and not for the nation only, but in order to unite into one body all the far-scattered children of God.

53 So from that day forward they planned and schemed in order to put Him to death.

54 Therefore Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but He left that neighbourhood and went into the district near the Desert, to a town called Ephraim, and remained there with the disciples.

55 The Jewish Passover was coming near, and many from that district went up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

56 They therefore looked out for Jesus, and asked one another as they stood in the Temple, "What do you think? --will he come to the Festival at all?"

57 Now the High Priests and the Pharisees had issued orders that if any one knew where He was, he should give information, so that they might arrest Him.