Church Fathers Commentary John 11:47-53

"The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. Now this he said not of himself: but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation; and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad. So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death." — John 11:47-53 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: A miracle such as this should have drawn out wonder and praise. But they make it a reason for plotting against his life: Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do?

St. Augustine of Hippo: But they had no thought of believing. These miserable men only consulted on how they might harm and kill him, not on how they themselves might be saved from death. They asked, “What shall we do? For this man does many miracles.”

St. John Chrysostom: They call him only a man, even though they had received such certain proofs of his divinity.

Origen of Alexandria: This speech is evidence of their audacity and blindness. It shows their audacity because they testified that he had done many miracles, and yet they thought they could successfully contend against him, believing he would have no power to withstand their plots. It shows their blindness because they did not consider that one who had performed such miracles could easily escape from their hands—unless, indeed, they denied that these miracles were done by divine power.

They resolved, then, not to let him go. They thought that by doing so, they would place an obstacle in the way of those who wished to believe in him and also prevent the Romans from destroying their place and nation: “If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

St. John Chrysostom: They said this to alarm the people, as if they were risking the suspicion of setting up a usurper. They argued, “If the Romans see crowds following him, they will suspect us of establishing a tyranny and will destroy our state.” But this was entirely a fiction of their own. For what was the reality? Did he take armed men with him? Did he travel with an escort of horsemen? Did he not, instead, choose to go to deserted places? However, so they would not be suspected of consulting only their own interests, they declared that the whole state was in danger.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, they were afraid that if everyone believed in Christ, no one would be left to defend the city of God and the temple against the Romans, since they thought Christ’s teaching was directed against the temple and their laws. They were afraid of losing temporal things and did not think of eternal life; and so they lost both. For after our Lord had suffered and was glorified, the Romans did come and take away their place and nation, destroying the one by siege and scattering the other.

Origen of Alexandria: Mystically, it was fitting that the Gentiles should occupy the place of those of the circumcision, because salvation came to the Gentiles through their fall. The Romans represent the Gentiles, being the rulers of the Gentile world. Their nation, in turn, was taken away because those who had been the people of God were made “not a people.”

St. John Chrysostom: When they hesitated and asked, “What shall we do?” one of them gave the most cruel and shameless advice: namely, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that same year.

St. Augustine of Hippo: How is it that he is called the High Priest of that year, when God had appointed one hereditary High Priest? This was due to the ambition and contention of parties among the Jews themselves, which had resulted in the appointment of several High Priests who took the office in turns, year by year. And at times, it even seems there was more than one in office.

Alcuin of York: Josephus relates that this Caiaphas bought the priesthood for a year for a certain sum.

Origen of Alexandria: The character of Caiaphas is shown by his being called the High Priest of that same year—namely, the year in which our Savior suffered. Being the High Priest that year, he said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” This means, “You sit still and give no attention. Listen to me. Surely the insignificant life of one man may be sacrificed for the safety of the state.”

Theophylact of Ohrid: He said this with a bad intention, yet the Holy Spirit used his mouth as the vehicle of a prophecy: And this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation.

Origen of Alexandria: Not everyone who prophesies is a prophet, just as not everyone who does a just action is just—for example, one who acts for vainglory. Caiaphas prophesied without being a prophet, just as Balaam did. Perhaps some will deny that Caiaphas prophesied by the Holy Spirit, on the grounds that evil spirits can also bear witness to Christ, like the one in Luke who says, “I know you, who you are—the Holy One of God!” Furthermore, Caiaphas’s intention was not to persuade his hearers to believe in him, but to incite them to kill him.

Is this part of his prophecy—“it is expedient for us”—true or false? If it is true, then it would mean that those who contended against Jesus in the council are saved, since Jesus died for the people and they participate in the benefit of his death. You would say this is absurd and therefore argue that the prophecy is false. And if it is false, it was not dictated by the Holy Spirit, since the Holy Spirit does not lie. On the other hand, it is argued for the truth of the prophecy that these words simply meant that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for all people, and that he is the Savior of all, especially of those who believe.

In the same way, the first part of the speech, “You know nothing at all,” can be understood as an assertion of the truth. They truly knew nothing of Jesus, for they did not know that he was truth, wisdom, justice, and peace. And again, regarding the phrase, “that one man should die for the people”: it was as a man that he died for the people, for insofar as he is the image of the invisible God, he was incapable of death. And he died for the people in that he took upon himself, did away with, and blotted out the sins of the whole world.

And “this he did not say on his own authority.” From this we see that what people say sometimes proceeds from themselves and sometimes from the influence of some power upon them. In the latter case, though they may not be taken entirely out of themselves and in a certain sense agree with their own words, they do not grasp their true meaning. Thus, Caiaphas says nothing “of himself” and therefore does not interpret his own prophecy, because he does not understand it. In the same way, Paul also speaks of some teachers of the law who understand neither what they say nor the matters about which they make confident assertions.

St. Augustine of Hippo: We learn from this that even evil men may foretell future events by the spirit of prophecy. The Evangelist ascribes this power to a divine sacrament, connected to his being Pontifex, that is, High Priest.

St. John Chrysostom: See the great power of the Holy Spirit in drawing a prophecy from a wicked man. And see, too, the power of the pontifical office, which made him, though an unworthy High Priest, unconsciously prophesy. Divine grace only used his mouth; it did not touch his corrupt heart.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Caiaphas prophesied about the Jewish nation alone, in which were the sheep of whom our Lord says, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the Evangelist knew that there were other sheep, not of this fold, who were to be brought in, and therefore adds, “and not for that nation only, but also that he should gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” This refers to those who were predestined to be so, for at that time they were not yet sheep or children of God.

St. Gregory the Great: His persecutors accomplished this wicked purpose and put him to death, thinking to extinguish the devotion of his followers. But faith grew from the very thing that these cruel and unbelieving men thought would destroy it. What human cruelty had carried out against him, he turned to the purposes of his mercy.

Origen of Alexandria: Inflamed by the speech of Caiaphas, they determined to kill our Lord: Then from that day on they plotted to put him to death. Was this then the work of the Holy Spirit, like the prophecy, or was it another spirit that both spoke through the mouth of a wicked man and then excited others like him to kill Christ? The answer is that it is not necessary for both to be the work of the same spirit. Just as some people twist the Scriptures, which were given for our good, to support bad doctrines, so this true prophecy about our Savior was misunderstood as a call to put him to death.

St. John Chrysostom: They had sought to kill him before; now their resolution was confirmed.