55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
It was now March, AD 30. The Passover festival was near. Jews made a pilgrimage from many areas of the world to observe this festival in the city of Jerusalem. The population of Jerusalem would increase greatly during the Passover.
11:55
And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover,
This is the third occurrence of the Passover during Jesus’ public ministry (2:13ff, 6:4). Huge crowds came to the city.
The phrase “up to Jerusalem” is not a geographical phrase but a phrase indicating Jerusalem as the center of Israel.
to purify themselves.
Individuals went to ritual pools to cleanse themselves before entering the temple or partaking of the Passover meal.,
11:56
Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?”
Many people looked for Jesus during the Passover festival. There was a sense of excitement about Jesus’ presence at the Passover. They bandied about what would happen should Jesus come in light of the Sanhedrin’ decision.
This question in the Greek expects a “no” answer. They deemed it unlikely that Jesus would risk coming to Jerusalem in a hostile atmosphere.
11:57
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
The Sanhedrin put out a warrant for the arrest of Jesus. Their orders to disclose Jesus’ whereabouts circulated throughout Jerusalem.
PRINCIPLE:
Each person must make a decision for himself or herself regarding what to believe about Christ.
APPLICATION:
The Passover represented the sacrifice of lambs and the liberation of Israel from Egypt. Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). God’s Lamb was about to die.
The resurrection of Lazarus forced people to decide about their view of Christ and His work on the cross. Have you made a specific decision to trust Jesus’ payment for your sins? Do you trust that to give you eternal life? To receive more clarity on how to become a Christian, go to this page: http://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/how-to-become-a-christian-2/
