John 11:50 kjv
Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
John 11:50 nkjv
nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."
John 11:50 niv
You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
John 11:50 esv
Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."
John 11:50 nlt
You don't realize that it's better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed."
John 11 50 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 11:47 | Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.” | Setting the stage for Caiaphas’ speech |
| John 18:14 | Annas had sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. | Caiaphas' role in Jesus' trial |
| Matthew 26:3-4 | Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, called Caiaphas. | Council gathered concerning Jesus |
| Acts 4:5-6 | On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, and with them Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. | Caiaphas’ continued influence |
| Isaiah 55:8-9 | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. | Contrast of human vs. divine plans |
| Romans 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! | God’s inscrutable wisdom |
| Genesis 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. | God turning evil for good |
| John 1:11 | He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. | Israel’s rejection of Jesus |
| Luke 21:5-6 | And when some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, he said, | Foretelling temple destruction |
| Luke 19:41-44 | And when he drew near the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day of peace what makes for peace! But now your eyes are blinded. For days are coming upon you, when your enemies will raise a barricade against you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down, and your children within you. And they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” | Jesus weeping over Jerusalem's fate |
| John 11:48 | if we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” | Caiaphas’ fear of Roman reprisal |
| John 12:19 | The Pharisees therefore said to one another, “You see how you gain nothing? Look, the whole world has gone after him!” | Pharisees noting popular following |
| 1 Corinthians 1:20 | Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? | God’s foolishness of worldly wisdom |
| 1 Peter 2:4 | As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, | Jesus, the rejected stone |
| Acts 17:6 | and when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, crying, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, | Accusation against early Christians |
| John 11:51 | He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation. | The prophetic nature of Caiaphas’ words |
| Acts 4:27 | For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both | Gathering against Jesus |
| Acts 4:28 | Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. | Roman and Jewish authorities unite |
| 1 Corinthians 2:8 | none of the rulers of this age knew, for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. | Rulers’ ignorance of Jesus' identity |
| Philippians 2:6-7 | though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, by being born in the likeness of men. | Christ’s self-emptying |
John 11 verses
John 11 50 Meaning
This verse reveals the strategic foresight of Caiaphas, the High Priest. He understood the potential threat Jesus posed to their religious and political stability. His statement indicates a recognition of Jesus' widespread influence, which he believed could incite Roman intervention, ultimately harming their entire nation and religious system. His primary concern was preservation, not divine truth or justice.
John 11 50 Context
This verse is spoken by Caiaphas, the High Priest, in John chapter 11. The religious and political leaders are meeting because Jesus’ growing popularity and miracles, especially the resurrection of Lazarus, are seen as a threat to their established order. They fear that Jesus’ influence will lead the general populace to follow him, which could provoke Roman authorities to intervene and suppress both the Jewish people and their religious system. Caiaphas articulates this concern to the council, believing that eliminating Jesus is the only way to safeguard their nation and their own positions. Unbeknownst to him, his statement becomes a profound prophecy about the salvific purpose of Jesus’ death for all humanity.
John 11 50 Word Analysis
"It is expedient": This phrase, from the Greek word sumpherei (συμφέρει), suggests practical advantage or what is beneficial in a utilitarian sense. Caiaphas' argument is based on perceived necessity and self-preservation for the nation.
"for you": This refers to the religious council, including chief priests and Pharisees, addressing their collective welfare and interests.
"that one man should die": This starkly highlights the individual sacrifice being proposed in contrast to the perceived danger to the multitude. The singular focus on Jesus' life versus the collective "nation."
"for the people": This signifies the Jewish populace. Caiaphas frames the sacrifice of Jesus as a necessary measure to protect the entirety of the Jewish nation from potential destruction or subjugation by Rome.
"and that the whole nation": Emphasizes the magnitude of the perceived threat to the entire populace, the Jewish nation as a whole.
"should not perish": Apolluntai (ἀπόλλυνται), meaning to be destroyed, lost, or perish. This points to the fear of complete ruin – the loss of their way of life, their political autonomy, and possibly their very existence as a distinct people.
Words group analysis:
- "It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.": This is Caiaphas' political pragmatism. It’s a cost-benefit analysis, a cold calculation aimed at preserving their status quo and preventing collective punishment. The irony is profound, as the leaders’ calculation becomes God’s salvation plan. It's a deliberate rejection of Jesus' divine identity for temporal security.
John 11 50 Bonus Section
The word "expedient" (sumpherei) carries a sense of usefulness or bringing benefit, yet Caiaphas applies it to the murder of an innocent man. This highlights the moral bankruptcy of the council. Furthermore, Caiaphas, as High Priest, represents the apex of the Mosaic covenant's priesthood. His role was to offer sacrifices for the people. Ironically, by plotting the death of Jesus, he inadvertently fulfills his priestly function in the most ultimate, albeit unintended, way, foreshadowing Christ as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). This moment also sets up the accusation the early church faced: that they were "turning the world upside down" (Acts 17:6), just as Caiaphas feared Jesus would disrupt their world.
John 11 50 Commentary
Caiaphas' statement is a masterpiece of ironic prophecy. He speaks as a worldly politician, concerned with immediate security and power, but his words are divinely orchestrated to convey a deeper, eternal truth. His focus is on preserving the nation in a temporal sense, advocating for Jesus’ execution as a pragmatic measure. However, John the Baptist interprets this not as a mere political calculation, but as a prophecy: Jesus would die for the nation, and indeed for more than just the Jewish people, but for the scattered children of God. This reveals God’s sovereignty over human plans, even those born of malice and political expediency. God uses the perceived weakness and foolishness of men to accomplish His perfect will, turning a plan for destruction into the means of salvation.