John 11:51 kjv
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
John 11:51 nkjv
Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
John 11:51 niv
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,
John 11:51 esv
He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
John 11:51 nlt
He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation.
John 11 51 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 11:51 | This . . . he did not say on his own authority, but being High Priest that year | John 18:14; Acts 4:6 |
| Exodus 28:1 | Then take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him | Heb 5:1, 4 |
| Lev 16:32 | And the priest whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate | Heb 5:1 |
| 1 Sam 2:10 | The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king | 1 Sam 15:1; Jer 23:5-6 |
| Ps 2:2 | The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together | Acts 4:26, 27 |
| Ps 110:4 | The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek | Heb 5:6, 10; 7:17, 21 |
| Isa 49:6 | And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel | Isa 11:10; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47 |
| Jer 23:5-6 | Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch | Jer 33:15-16; John 1:45; 14:6 |
| Zech 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass | Matt 21:5; John 12:15 |
| Matt 1:21 | And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins | Luke 1:31; Acts 4:12 |
| Matt 20:28 | Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many | Mark 10:45; 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pet 1:18-19 |
| Matt 26:56 | But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled | John 19:36, 37 |
| Mark 14:49 | But this is your hour, and the power of darkness | Luke 22:53 |
| Luke 1:70 | As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began | Luke 24:44 |
| Acts 17:31 | Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained | Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 15:24-25 |
| Acts 4:25-26 | Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. | Ps 2:1-2 |
| Acts 4:28 | For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done | Ex 4:21; Acts 2:23 |
| Rom 3:23-26 | For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God | Rom 1:17; 1 Cor 1:30 |
| 1 John 2:2 | And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. | John 3:16; Heb 9:28 |
| Rev 13:8 | And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. | Rev 17:8; 17:8; 20:15 |
John 11 verses
John 11 51 Meaning
This verse highlights Caiaphas' unwitting prophecy concerning Jesus. As High Priest, his position gave his words a certain authority, but he spoke them with worldly motives. God's Spirit used him to declare a profound truth about salvation, not just for Israel, but for all humanity.
John 11 51 Context
John 11 narrates the miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead. This event deeply troubled the chief priests and Pharisees, fearing Jesus' growing influence and the potential impact on Roman occupation. Caiaphas, the High Priest, called a council to address this "problem." It was in this assembly, driven by political and religious expediency, that Caiaphas made his fateful pronouncement regarding Jesus. The immediate context is the escalating tension between Jesus' ministry and the Sanhedrin's authority.
John 11 51 Word Analysis
- Now Caiaphas - Refers to Joseph Caiaphas, the High Priest appointed by the Roman governor Valerius Gratus. He served from 18 to 36 AD, a significant period encompassing Jesus' crucifixion.
- was High Priest - Highlights his supreme religious office. The High Priest was the intermediary between God and Israel, particularly in sacrifices.
- that year - Implies a recognition of the changing political climate and potential threat Jesus posed, suggesting the urgency and perhaps the ephemeral nature of their council’s authority. Some scholars suggest it points to the High Priest’s office being subject to Roman appointment and thus susceptible to change.
- this - Refers to Jesus' current action or presence, the rising tide of his followers.
- did not say - Indicates that his utterance was not intentional as a prophetic statement from his own understanding or spiritual insight.
- of himself - From his own personal thought, volition, or will.
- but being High Priest - The key point. His office, appointed by God through historical succession and custom, provided the platform and the prophetic authority, irrespective of his personal intentions.
- that year - Repetition underscores the particular circumstances of his priesthood that year, emphasizing the divine orchestration.
- he prophesied - His words, unknowingly to himself, foretold a future spiritual reality that God intended to reveal.
- that Jesus - The specific person about whom this prophecy is made.
- should die - The ultimate purpose of Jesus' earthly mission.
- for the nation - Initially perceived by Caiaphas as a political act of removing a disruptive figure to preserve national peace.
- and not for the nation - The broader, spiritual truth: Jesus' death was for all, not limited to Israel, but extending to the whole world.
- only, but also - Emphasizes the inclusiveness of Jesus’ atonement.
- that he might gather together - Captures the essence of salvation – bringing lost sheep into the fold.
- in one - Unity under Christ, transcending ethnic and national boundaries.
- the children - All believers, Jewish and Gentile.
- of God - Those chosen and brought to salvation.
- scattered abroad - Refers to humanity's fallen state, dispersed and lost due to sin.
John 11 51 Bonus Section
This verse is a classic example of unconscious prophecy, where a human leader, unaware of the true significance of their words, utters a truth ordained by God. The Jewish sacrificial system, with the High Priest’s role in the Day of Atonement, prefigured Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. Caiaphas, though his heart was filled with malice and political maneuvering, was God’s chosen instrument to articulate the universal scope of the Messiah's atoning death, a truth the Sanhedrin completely missed. The phrase "that year" could also subtly imply the prophetic significance of that particular year, the year of Passover when the Lamb of God was slain.
John 11 51 Commentary
Caiaphas, driven by political pragmatism, uttered a statement that was divinely intended to be a prophecy. His aim was to eliminate Jesus for the perceived good of the nation, but the Holy Spirit, through his office as High Priest, used his words to declare that Jesus would die for all people, uniting believers into one family of God. This illustrates God's sovereignty, turning human plots and imperfect pronouncements into vehicles for His perfect redemptive plan, bringing salvation to a scattered humanity.