From: John 11:45-56
The Sanhedrin Decides on the Death of Jesus
[54] Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from
there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there He
stayed with the disciples.
[55] Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the
country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. [56] 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?”
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Commentary:
45-48. Once again, as Simeon had predicted, Jesus is a sign of contradiction (cf.
Luke 2:34; John 7:12, 31, 40; 9:16; etc.): presented with the miracle of the raising
of Lazarus some people believe in Jesus (verse 45), and some denounce Him to
His enemies (cf. verses 46-47)—confirming what is said in the parable of the rich
man: “neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke
16:31).
“Our (holy) place”: this expression or similar expressions such as “the place”,
“this place”, was used to designate the temple, the holy place “par excellence”
and, by extension, all the Holy City of Jerusalem (cf. Maccabees 5:19; Acts 6:
14).
49-53. Caiaphas held the high priesthood from the year 18 to the year 36 A.D.
(cf. “The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ” in “The Navarre Bible: St.
Mark”, p. 49). Caiaphas was the instrument God used to prophesy the redemp-
tive death of the Savior, for it was one of the functions of the high priest to con-
sult God on how to lead the people (cf. Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21; 1 Sa-
muel 23:9; 30:7-8). Here Caiaphas’ words have a dual meaning: one, Caiaphas’
meaning, is that he wants to put Christ to death, on the pretext that that will
ensure the political peace and survival of Israel; the other, the meaning intended
by the Holy Spirit, is the announcement of the foundation of the new Israel, the
Church, through the death of Christ on the Cross (Caiaphas is unaware of this
meaning). And so it happens that the last high priest of the Old Alliance prophe-
sies the investiture of the High Priest of the New Alliance, which will be sealed
in His own blood.
When the Evangelist states that Christ was going to die “to gather into one the
children of God who are scattered abroad” (verse 52), he is referring to what our
Lord had said regarding the salvific effects of His death (cf. John 10:14-15). The
prophets had already announced the future assembly of Israelites faithful to God
to form the new people of Israel (cf. Isaiah 43:5; Jeremiah 23:3-5; Ezekiel 34:23;
37:21-24). These prophecies are fulfilled by the death of Christ, who, on being
raised up on the cross, draws and gathers together the true people of God, com-
posed of all believers, whether Israelites or not. The Second Vatican Council
uses this passage as a source when speaking of the universality of the Church:
“All men are called to belong to the new people of God. This people therefore,
whilst remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world
and to all ages in order that the design of God’s will may be fulfilled: He made
human nature one in the beginning and decreed that all His children who were
scattered should be finally gathered together as one (cf. John 11:52). It was for
this purpose that God sent His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things (cf.
Hebrews 1:2), that He might be teacher, king and priest of all, the head of the
new and universal people of God’s sons” (”Lumen Gentium”, 13).
In the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom explained the catholicity of the
Church using these words: “What is the meaning of ‘to gather into one those
who are scattered abroad’? He made them one body. He who dwells in Rome
knows that the Christians of India are his members” (”Hom. on St. John”, 65,
1).
54. The time for Him to die has not yet arrived; therefore Jesus acts prudently,
taking the steps anyone would take not to precipitate events.
55. Since the Passover was the most solemn Jewish feast, the people used to
arrive in Jerusalem some days in advance to prepare for it by washings, fasts
and offerings—practices established not by the Mosaic law but by popular piety;
the rites of the Passover itself, with the sacrificing of the lamb, were a rite of puri-
fication and expiation for sins. The Passover of the Jews was a figure of the Chris-
tian Pasch or Easter, for, as St. Paul the Apostle teaches us, our paschal lamb
is Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7), who offered Himself once and for all to the eter-
nal Father on the cross to atone for our sins. Paul VI recalled this happy truth
of faith: “Gave Himself for me? But does there still exist a religion which is ex-
pressed in sacrifices? No, the sacrifices of the ancient law and pagan religions
have no longer any reason to exist; but the world always needs a sacrifice, a va-
lid, unique and perennial one, for the redemption of human sin [...]; it is the sacri-
fice of Christ on the cross, which wipes out sin from the world; a sacrifice which
the Eucharist actualizes in time and makes it possible for the men of this earth
to take part in it” (Paul VI, “Homily on Corpus Christ”, 17 June 1976).
If the Jews prepared to celebrate the Passover with all these rites and ablutions,
it is obvious what steps we should take to celebrate or participate in the Mass
and to receive Christ—our Pasch—in the Eucharist. “On this earth, when we re-
ceive an important person, we bring out the best — lights, music, formal dress.
How should we prepare to receive Christ into our soul? Have we ever thought
about how we should behave if we could only receive Him once in a lifetime?”
(St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 91).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Liturgical Colour: Violet.
| First reading |
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| Ezekiel 37:21-28 © |
| I will bring them home and make them one nation |
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| Responsorial Psalm |
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| Jeremiah 31:10-13 © |
| Gospel Acclamation | Ezk18:31 |
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| Or: | Jn3:16 |
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| Gospel | John 11:45-56 © |
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| Jesus was to die to gather together the scattered children of God |
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