Their urgent question, "What are we to do?" isn't just about deciding on a plan; it reveals their panicked realization that their inaction has allowed Jesus's influence to grow unchecked. They admit He's performing "many signs" but, instead of seeing this as evidence of divine favor, they see it as a terrifying threat to their own power and position.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jesus's raising of Lazarus, a miracle so undeniable that many witnesses believed, the religious leaders, particularly the chief priests and Pharisees, felt their authority threatened. They convened the Sanhedrin, the high council, in an emergency session, openly admitting the power of Jesus's signs but seeking a way to stop him before his growing influence—and the potential Roman intervention it might provoke—undermined their entire religious and political system.
The religious leaders couldn't deny Jesus' power. The very signs that should have drawn them to God became the catalyst for their fear and opposition.
It’s fascinating how the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection, a profound act of divine power, didn't lead the chief priests and Pharisees to faith. Instead, it forced their hand.
Acknowledging the Astonishing
Even in their private consultation, they don't argue if Jesus is performing signs. They state it as a fact: 'for this man doeth many miracles.' This wasn't a secret; it was undeniable.
The Fear Behind the Facts
Instead of seeing these signs as proof of Jesus' identity, they saw them as a threat. 'What do we?' is a question born of panic, not genuine inquiry. Their concern wasn't how to understand Jesus, but how to stop Him. The undeniable reality of His power was viewed not as a revelation from God, but as a dangerous political and social disruption.
Their fear wasn't of God's judgment, but of Rome's intervention. The fate of their nation, in their minds, hinged on silencing Jesus.
The council's primary concern wasn't theological; it was political survival. The resurrection of Lazarus, and Jesus' growing following, triggered a very specific fear:
The Roman Shadow
They explicitly worried, 'If we let him go on thus, all will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.' Their focus was on maintaining their position and influence under Roman rule. They feared that Jesus' popularity would lead to an uprising, provoking Roman retribution that would destroy their 'place' (their religious and political authority) and their nation.
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A Perverted Logic
This reveals a deep-seated hypocrisy. They were willing to ignore divine signs and reject the Messiah out of fear of a worldly power. Instead of asking 'Is this the Christ?', they asked, 'Will this offend the Romans?' Their reasoning was twisted: the greater Jesus' influence, the greater the danger to their own power structure, and thus, the greater the need to eliminate Him.
Understand the original words
archiereis · Greek Noun
The leading priests in Jerusalem, often members of the Sadducean party, who oversaw the Temple and held significant political power within the Sanhedrin.
synedrion · Greek Noun
The supreme Jewish judicial and religious council, composed of 71 members including the high priest, elders, and chief priests. It held authority over local religious and some civil matters under Roman oversight.
semeia · Greek Noun
Miraculous events or wonders performed by Jesus intended to serve as authentication of his divine identity and messianic mission. They are 'signs' that point beyond themselves to a greater reality concerning Christ.
topos · Greek Noun
A term often used in the New Testament to denote the physical Temple in Jerusalem or the holy city itself as the center of Jewish national and religious identity.
ethnos · Greek Noun
A distinct group of people bound by common history, law, and covenant relationship with God. In this context, it refers to the Jewish people as a political and spiritual entity.
The religious leaders' fear of Roman reprisal and the potential loss of their 'place and nation' overshadowed the undeniable reality of Jesus' miracles. This highlights how political anxiety and self-preservation can blind people to divine truth, leading them to plot destruction in the name of protection.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus performs numerous signs and wonders, drawing large crowds and gaining followers throughout Judea and Galilee.
c. AD 25-30— this verse
Lazarus Raised from the Dead
Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from death, a powerful sign witnessed by many and reported to the religious authorities.
c. AD 25-30
The Sanhedrin Convenes
The chief priests and Pharisees, alarmed by Jesus' growing influence and the Lazarus miracle, gather the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council) to decide how to stop him.
c. AD 30
Caiaphas's Prophecy
During the council meeting, High Priest Caiaphas declares that Jesus must die for the nation, unknowingly prophesying Jesus' atoning sacrifice.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Following the council's decision and Judas's betrayal, Jesus is arrested, tried, and condemned by the same religious authorities.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is crucified by the Romans under the pressure of the Jewish leaders, fulfilling Caiaphas's prophecy and the Scriptures.
This passage shows a similar council convened to deal with Jesus' followers, expressing the same desperate question: 'What shall we do with these men?' They recognized the undeniable signs and wonders being performed but chose to suppress the truth rather than embrace it.
Psalm 2:1-3This ancient psalm powerfully captures the sentiment of earthly rulers plotting against God's anointed, mirroring the rulers' fear and their conspiracy to thwart Jesus' growing influence due to his 'many signs'.
Exodus 7:1-3This event, where Moses performed signs before Pharaoh, illustrates how powerful signs can provoke resistance rather than faith in those with hardened hearts. The chief priests and Pharisees, like Pharaoh, saw miracles but chose to deny their divine source.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3This passage warns against following even a miracle-worker if they lead people astray from God. The Jewish leaders likely used this principle, however twisted, to justify their fear that Jesus' 'many signs' would lead the nation away, even if they themselves acknowledged the power behind them.
Matthew 27:3-5Judas, one of Jesus' inner circle, also recognized the divine power at work and the danger of Jesus' growing influence. His subsequent despair and return of the silver, though a different outcome, echoes the internal conflict and fear that Jesus' actions, particularly the raising of Lazarus, instilled in the religious authorities.
vincentJohn 11:47: "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles."
The chief priestsOf the Sadducean party. This should be constantly kept in mind in reading both John's narrative and that of the Synoptists. The Sadducees, represented by the chief priests, are the leaders in the more decisive measures against Christ. Throughout this Gospel the form of expression is either the chief priests alone, or the chief priests and the Pharis…
calvinJohn 11:45-52: "Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him."
- Many therefore of the Jews, who had come to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46. But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus had done. 47. Then the chief priests and Pharisees assembled the council, and said, What do we? for this man doth many miracles. 48. If we let him go on thus, all will believe on him; and the Roma…
Their urgent question, "What are we to do?" isn't just about deciding on a plan; it reveals their panicked realization that their inaction has allowed Jesus's influence to grow unchecked. They admit He's performing "many signs" but, instead of seeing this as evidence of divine favor, they see it as a terrifying threat to their own power and position.
Following Jesus's raising of Lazarus, a miracle so undeniable that many witnesses believed, the religious leaders, particularly the chief priests and Pharisees, felt their authority threatened. They convened the Sanhedrin, the high council, in an emergency session, openly admitting the power of Jesus's signs but seeking a way to stop him before his growing influence—and the potential Roman intervention it might provoke—undermined their entire religious and political system.
Following Jesus's raising of Lazarus, a miracle so undeniable that many witnesses believed, the religious leaders, particularly the chief priests and Pharisees, felt their authority threatened. They convened the Sanhedrin, the high council, in an emergency session, openly admitting the power of Jesus's signs but seeking a way to stop him before his growing influence—and the potential Roman intervention it might provoke—undermined their entire religious and political system.
"So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place…" — Their urgent question, "What are we to do?" isn't just about deciding on a plan; it reveals their panicked realization that their inaction has allowed Jesus's influence to grow unchecked. They admit…
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Last reviewed October 2026
