The verse notes that people went up to Jerusalem "to purify themselves," which sounds like a mere religious formality. However, this highlights that for many, attending the Passover wasn't just a religious duty, but a complex legal process requiring specific days for cleansing from uncleanness before they could even participate in the feast.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, a powerful miracle that causes many to believe in him but also significantly increases the hostility of the religious leaders. Because of this, Jesus withdraws to a remote town called Ephraim. As the crucial Passover festival approaches, a time of national pilgrimage and celebration, crowds of people begin traveling to Jerusalem to prepare themselves ritually for the feast. Despite the priests’ efforts to capture him, many in Jerusalem are searching for Jesus, wondering if he will dare to appear during such a significant and tense religious holiday.
Why would so many people travel to Jerusalem before the main event? This verse gives us a glimpse into the vibrant, active faith of the Jewish people preparing for their most important festival.
The Passover wasn't just a date on the calendar; it was a massive pilgrimage. The verse tells us "many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover." This wasn't a casual trip. People came from all over, and they arrived early.
Why the Early Arrival?
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Just as Jerusalem buzzed with pilgrims, so too did it hum with whispers about Jesus. But while many sought Him, His enemies sought Him too. This sets the stage for a dramatic intersection.
This verse, placed right before the account of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem for the Passover, is crucial context. It explains the immense crowds present in the city.
A City Alive with Expectation
Understand the original words
pascha · Greek Noun
The annual Jewish festival commemorating God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, marked by the sacrifice of a lamb; it prefigures the sacrifice of Christ, the true Passover Lamb.
hagnizō · Greek Verb
The act of becoming ritually or morally clean before God through prescribed rites, repentance, or the application of the blood of a sacrifice.
hieron · Greek Noun
The central place of worship in Jerusalem, considered the dwelling place of God’s presence among His people. In the New Testament, it serves as the focal point for religious activity and conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leadership.
heorte · Greek Noun
The annual pilgrimage festivals mandated by the Law of Moses (e.g., Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles). These events were essential times of national gathering and religious observance for the Jewish people.
archiereis · Greek Noun
The highest ranking religious leaders in Israel, primarily Sadducees, who oversaw the temple operations and the Sanhedrin. They held significant political and religious authority and were the primary instigators of the opposition against Jesus.
Pharisaioi · Greek Noun
A prominent Jewish religious group committed to the strict interpretation and observance of the Law of Moses and oral traditions. They were known for their legalism and often clashed with Jesus over His interpretation of Scripture and His authority.
piasosin · Greek Verb
The act of taking someone into custody or seizing them by force. In a biblical context, it frequently refers to the attempt of authorities to silence or remove those who threaten their status quo.
The verse highlights the tension between the joyous national pilgrimage for Passover and the deadly plot against Jesus. Many are coming to Jerusalem to celebrate freedom, unaware that the ultimate Passover sacrifice is already in hiding, marked for death.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus Retires to Ephraim
Following the raising of Lazarus and facing growing threats from religious leaders, Jesus withdraws from public ministry to a town called Ephraim near the wilderness.
c. AD 30
Passover Feast Approaches
The annual Passover festival, a major pilgrimage feast commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, is drawing near. This is a time of national significance and religious observance for the Jewish people.
c. AD 30
Pilgrims Gather in Jerusalem
Many Jewish people from across the land and beyond travel to Jerusalem in the days leading up to the Passover. They come to observe purification rites and prepare for the feast.
c. AD 30
Rulers Plot Against Jesus
The chief priests and Pharisees, alarmed by Jesus' growing popularity and the miracle of Lazarus, actively plot to arrest and execute Him. They issue orders to report His whereabouts.
This passage highlights God's instruction for the Israelites to sanctify themselves and wash their clothes before His appearance, setting a precedent for ritual purification before approaching the divine, which is relevant to the pilgrims preparing for Passover.
2 Chronicles 30:17-18This account shows a similar situation where many in Israel were not ritually clean for Passover, but King Hezekiah prayed for them, illustrating the importance of purification and God's mercy towards those preparing for the feast.
Numbers 9:6-10Here, men who were defiled by a dead body are unable to keep the Passover and seek guidance, revealing the necessity of purification and the provision for a second Passover for those ritually unable to observe the first.
Acts 21:24In this New Testament passage, Paul participates in a purification rite in the temple, demonstrating that the practice of purification, even in later Jewish history, continued to be a significant aspect of temple worship and pilgrimage.
bensonJohn 11:55: "And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves."
John 11:55-57 . And — Soon after this; the Jews’ passover was nigh — The last passover that Christ attended; and many — From all parts of the country; went up to Jerusalem — Some little time before the commencement of the feast; to purify themselves — By certain preparatory sacrifices and ceremonies, that they might be ready to eat the passover. Thos…
meyerJohn 11:55: "And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves."
John 11:55 . Ἦν δὲ ἐγγ . τ . πάσχα τ . Ἰ .] Comp. John 2:13 , John 6:4 . ἐκ τῆς χώρας ] as in John 11:45 ,—accordingly: out of the country (as opposed to Jerusalem), not: out of that district (Grotius, Bengel, Olshausen). ἵνα ἁγνίσ . ἑαυτ .] refers to the legal usages of self-purification, which varied greatly according to the degrees of the Levitica…
The verse notes that people went up to Jerusalem "to purify themselves," which sounds like a mere religious formality. However, this highlights that for many, attending the Passover wasn't just a religious duty, but a complex legal process requiring specific days for cleansing from uncleanness before they could even participate in the feast.
Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, a powerful miracle that causes many to believe in him but also significantly increases the hostility of the religious leaders. Because of this, Jesus withdraws to a remote town called Ephraim. As the crucial Passover festival approaches, a time of national pilgrimage and celebration, crowds of people begin traveling to Jerusalem to prepare themselves ritually for the feast. Despite the priests’ efforts to capture him, many in Jerusalem are searching for Jesus, wondering if he will dare to appear during such a significant and tense religious holiday.
Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, a powerful miracle that causes many to believe in him but also significantly increases the hostility of the religious leaders. Because of this, Jesus withdraws to a remote town called Ephraim. As the crucial Passover festival approaches, a time of national pilgrimage and celebration, crowds of people begin traveling to Jerusalem to prepare themselves ritually for the feast. Despite the priests’ efforts to capture him, many in Jerusalem are searching for Jesus, wondering if he will dare to appear during such a significant and tense religious holiday.
"Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That…" — The verse notes that people went up to Jerusalem "to purify themselves," which sounds like a mere religious formality. However, this highlights that for many, attending the Passover wasn't just a rel…
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Last reviewed October 2026
