“Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”
My Notes
What Does John 11:53 Mean?
John marks the formal turning point: "from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death." The decision is made. The conspiracy begins. From this day—the day after Lazarus was raised—the religious leaders move from discussion to planning. The resurrection of Lazarus didn't produce faith. It produced a death sentence.
The irony is absolute: the event that most clearly demonstrated Jesus' divine authority—raising a dead man—is the event that finalized the decision to kill Him. The evidence that should have produced worship produced murder. The miracle that proved Jesus was from God became the trigger for the plan to destroy Him.
The phrase "from that day forth" creates a permanent shift in the narrative. Everything before this verse is prelude. Everything after is countdown. The clock starts ticking. The conspiracy that will end at the cross has officially begun, set in motion not by Jesus' failure but by His most spectacular success.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you seen evidence of God's work produce hostility rather than faith? Why does proof sometimes harden rather than soften?
- 2.If the most spectacular miracle produced a death sentence, what does that say about the power of evidence to change closed hearts?
- 3.From what 'day forth' did something shift in your spiritual life—for better or worse? What was the trigger?
- 4.If evidence alone can't produce faith, what does produce it? What additional ingredient is needed beyond proof?
Devotional
They watched Jesus raise a dead man. And from that day, they planned to kill Him. The most convincing miracle He ever performed became the final catalyst for His assassination. The evidence that should have ended the debate instead ended the patience of His enemies.
The perversity of this response is hard to overstate: a dead man walks out of a tomb, and the witnesses don't worship—they conspire. The power that should have prostrated them motivated them. Not toward faith. Toward murder. The raising of Lazarus proved Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. And the proof made them more determined to destroy Him.
This reveals something terrible about the human heart: evidence doesn't necessarily produce faith. Sometimes it produces hostility. The person who has already decided against Jesus will interpret even the most compelling evidence as a reason for further opposition. The miracle doesn't change the heart. The heart determines the interpretation of the miracle.
If you've been praying for a miracle that will convince the skeptics—if you think one more sign, one more demonstration of God's power, will turn the tide—Lazarus' resurrection is the counterevidence. The most powerful miracle in the Gospels produced not mass conversion but a murder conspiracy. The problem was never the evidence. It was always the heart.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then from that day forth,.... Caiaphas's reasoning appeared so good, and his advice so agreeable, that it was at once,…
They took counsel - The judgment of the high priest silenced opposition, and they began to devise measures to put him to…
They took counsel together - Συνεβουλευσαντο, they were of one accord in the business, and had fully made up their minds…
We have here an account of the consequences of this glorious miracle, which were as usual; to some it was a savour of…
Then from that day Therefore for -then" is the more important here to bring out the meaning that it was in consequence…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture