The Book of Signs and the Book of Salvation

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. ⁴⁷The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs. ⁴⁸If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, ⁵⁰nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” ⁵¹Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵²and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. ⁵³So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death. ⁵⁴Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples. ⁵⁵Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

¹Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. ²So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him. ³Therefore Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed Jesus’s feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. ⁴Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, ⁵“Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?” ⁶Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it. ⁷But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. ⁸For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.” ⁹A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.