Sat - Ultimate Scarifice

48: If we let him go on in this way, everybody will have belief in him and the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.
50: You do not see that it is in your interest for one man to be put to death for the people, so that all the nation may not come to destruction.
51: He did not say this of himself, but being the high priest that year he said, as a prophet, that Jesus would be put to death for the nation; John 11

Politics again. Or maybe, the Evangelist is putting political motives on a jealousy situation between the High Priests & Jesus as an upcoming religious leader outside of the official hierarchy. In any case this is the second day recently when ancient politics has been the basis of the biblical story. It's both comforting and alarming that people have changed so little in a few thousand years.