John 11:45-57 - The Jewish Leaders Plot To Kill Jesus
45 Now a number of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and who witnessed what he had done, believed in him. 46 But some of them went off to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done;
47 whereupon the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "Whatever is to be done?" they said. "The fellow is performing a number of Signs. 48 If we let him alone, like this, everybody will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and suppress our holy Place and our nation."
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, "You know nothing about it ??50 you do not understand it is in your own interests that one man should die for the People, instead of the whole nation being destroyed." 51 (He did not say this simply of his own accord; he was high priest that year, and his words were a prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation, 52 and not merely for the nation but to gather into one the scattered children of God.) 53 So from that day their plan was to kill him. 54 Accordingly Jesus no longer appeared in public among the Jews, but withdrew to the country adjoining the desert, to a town called Ephraim; there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the passover of the Jews was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem, to purify themselves before the passover. 56 They looked out for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple they said to one another, "What do you think? Do you think he will not come up to the festival?" 57 (The high priests and the Pharisees had given orders that they were to be informed, if anyone found out where he was, so that they might arrest him.)