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?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a casual question about a missed appearance; their anxious discussion reveals a tension between religious duty and palpable danger. They're wrestling with whether Jesus, knowing the chief priests want him dead, would risk coming to the Passover feast at all.
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?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The religious leaders have just plotted to kill Jesus, causing Him to withdraw from public life to a town near the wilderness. As the Passover feast approaches, many pilgrims gather in Jerusalem, and among the crowds in the temple courts, people are actively searching for Jesus and wondering aloud if the danger from the authorities will keep Him away from this important festival.
Imagine the bustling Temple courts. People are arriving for Passover, but their minds are on Jesus. What's driving their urgent search and hushed conversations?
The crowds in the temple aren't just looking for Jesus out of casual curiosity. Their search is fueled by a mix of awe, concern, and possibly even fear. They've heard about His miraculous deeds, but they also know the religious leaders have plotted against Him. This creates a palpable tension: Will Jesus show up for the feast, defying the danger, or will the threat keep Him away?
Their question, 'What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?' isn't just a simple inquiry. It reveals their uncertainty and the difficult position Jesus is in. They're weighing His past faithfulness to the Law against the very real threat to His life. It's a question born from the complex reality of following Jesus in a hostile environment.
The religious leaders have issued a decree: find Jesus and seize Him. Yet, duty calls Jesus to Jerusalem. How does He navigate this perilous path?
The verse places us right before Passover, a mandatory feast for Jewish men. The people seeking Jesus are aware of this obligation, but also the explicit threat from the chief priests and Pharisees who had 'issued an order, that if any one knew where he was, he would show it, that they might seize him.'
This tension between divine appointment (attending the feast) and human plotting (the decree to arrest Him) is critical. Jesus, aware of the plot, chooses not to walk openly in Judea but retreats to Ephraim. However, as the feast approaches, the question for the crowd is whether He will still come. This highlights Jesus's consistent pattern of weighing obedience to God's timing and purposes against the dangers posed by His enemies. He doesn't flee out of fear but out of wisdom, trusting God's plan for His life and death.
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Understand the original words
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.
The verse captures the tension and uncertainty felt by ordinary people in Jerusalem during Passover. They are aware of Jesus' growing fame and the danger he is in, leading to anxious speculation about his appearance at the festival.
c. AD 30
Jesus Retreats to Ephraim
Following the raising of Lazarus, religious authorities plot Jesus' death. Jesus withdraws to the town of Ephraim near the wilderness, ceasing to move openly among the people.
c. AD 30
Passover Feast Approaches
The annual Passover feast, a major pilgrimage festival, is near. Many people travel to Jerusalem to prepare and celebrate.
c. AD 30— this verse
Temple Crowds Discuss Jesus' Absence
As people gather in the temple courts for the Passover, many who have heard of Jesus' miracles and teachings wonder if he will dare to attend, given the threats against him.
c. AD 30
Authorities Issue Arrest Warrant
The chief priests and Pharisees have issued orders for anyone to report Jesus' whereabouts so he can be arrested, increasing the danger for him.
This passage echoes the tension of Jesus knowing His 'appointed time' is approaching, similar to how the people in John 11:56 question if Jesus will even show up to the feast due to the danger.
John 7:11The crowds at the feast in John 7:11 are actively looking for Jesus, mirroring the seeking described in John 11:56, highlighting His growing fame and the people's curiosity amidst the religious authorities' opposition.
Matthew 12:14This verse shows the religious leaders immediately plotting against Jesus, providing the 'why' behind the danger mentioned in John 11:56 and the people's hesitant questions about His attendance.
John 10:22-24The context of the Feast of Dedication, where Jesus is pressed to say if He is the Christ, sets a precedent for the tense atmosphere and direct questioning Jesus faces in Jerusalem, which informs the fears surrounding His potential appearance at the Passover in John 11:56.
meyerJohn 11:56: "Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?"
John 11:56 . The people, owing to the sensation which Jesus had in so many ways already aroused, and the edict of their spiritual superiors against Him ( John 11:57 ), have taken a lively interest in the question, whether He will venture, as heretofore, to come to the feast. Their anxious question is a double question ; What think you? (do you thi…
ellicottJohn 11:56: "Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?"
(56) Then sought they for Jesus, and spake . . . —The words imply a continuance of seeking and speaking. They describe the scene as it took place ay after day as they stood in the Temple courts. They had heard rumours of recent events in the various parts from which they had come. Many of them had seen and heard Him at earlier feasts at Jerusalem,…
This isn't just a casual question about a missed appearance; their anxious discussion reveals a tension between religious duty and palpable danger. They're wrestling with whether Jesus, knowing the chief priests want him dead, would risk coming to the Passover feast at all.
The religious leaders have just plotted to kill Jesus, causing Him to withdraw from public life to a town near the wilderness. As the Passover feast approaches, many pilgrims gather in Jerusalem, and among the crowds in the temple courts, people are actively searching for Jesus and wondering aloud if the danger from the authorities will keep Him away from this important festival.
The religious leaders have just plotted to kill Jesus, causing Him to withdraw from public life to a town near the wilderness. As the Passover feast approaches, many pilgrims gather in Jerusalem, and among the crowds in the temple courts, people are actively searching for Jesus and wondering aloud if the danger from the authorities will keep Him away from this important festival.
"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?”" — This isn't just a casual question about a missed appearance; their anxious discussion reveals a tension between religious duty and palpable danger. They're wrestling with whether Jesus, knowing the c…
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Last reviewed October 2026