171. The Sanhedrin Resolves to Kill the Lord. He Goes to Ephraim. Jn. 11:47–54

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said: “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them: “You know nothing at all! Do you not realize that it is better for you that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish?” He said this not of his own accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

From that day on they resolved to kill the Lord Jesus. Therefore he no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples.