Thematic Bible: In avoiding his enemies

So the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the council (the Sanhedrin) and said, What are we to do? For this Man performs many signs (evidences, miracles). If we let Him alone to go on like this, everyone will believe in Him and adhere to Him, and the Romans will come and suppress and destroy and take away our [holy] place and our nation [ our temple and city and our civil organization]. But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, declared, You know nothing at all! read more.
Nor do you understand or reason out that it is expedient and better for your own welfare that one man should die on behalf of the people than that the whole nation should perish (be destroyed, ruined). Now he did not say this simply of his own accord [he was not self-moved]; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation, And not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide. So from that day on they took counsel and plotted together how they might put Him to death. For that reason Jesus no longer appeared publicly among the Jews, but left there and retired to the district that borders on the wilderness (the desert), to a village called Ephraim, and there He stayed with the disciples.

But the Pharisees went out and held a consultation against Him, how they might do away with Him. But being aware of this, Jesus went away from there. And many people joined and accompanied Him, and He cured all of them, And strictly charged them and sharply warned them not to make Him publicly known.

Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him; and also people from Judea, Verse ConceptsCrowdsFollowing Jesus ChristDisciples' Movementslakes