Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the scattered children of God
Gospel
text (John 11,45-56): Many
of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did;
but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief
priests and the Pharisees called the Sanhedrin Council. They said, «What are we
to do? For this man keeps on giving miraculous signs. If we let him go on like
this, all the people will believe in him and, as a result of this, the Romans
will come and sweep away our Holy Place and our nation». Then one of them,
Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, «You know nothing at all nor
do you see clearly what you need. It is better to have one man die for the
people than to let the whole nation be destroyed». In saying this Caiaphas did
not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold as a
prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but
also to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day on,
they were determined to kill him.
Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and as they stood in the Temple, they talked with one another, «What do you think? Will He come to the festival?». Meanwhile the chief priests and the elders had given orders that anyone who knew where he was should let them know so that they could arrest him.
Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and as they stood in the Temple, they talked with one another, «What do you think? Will He come to the festival?». Meanwhile the chief priests and the elders had given orders that anyone who knew where he was should let them know so that they could arrest him.
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