Paranoia

It is believed that if you strike the head, the followers will scatter.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, 'What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.' But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.' He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples. - John 11:47-54

It was common practice among Rome to squash rebellions quickly by striking at the leader, and if that didn't work, they would attack the entire nation.

So, it makes sense that the priests and Pharisees would be nervous and fearful.

Not only were they concerned about Rome, but they were fearful of their own people.  If they chose to follow Jesus and abandon them, what would become of the nation?

The leaders were paranoid, so they took matters into their own hands, trying to avoid the peril they saw coming.

I wonder what the outcome would have been if Jesus had not been crucified.  Would his followers have amounted to much?  Would he have led them away from Jerusalem and the Pharisees would have never heard of him again?

Of course, just because we are paranoid, that doesn't mean they are not out to get us, right?

So, Jesus could have remained a thorn in their side, looking for change at the heart, rather than in the outer reaches.

So, it may have been inevitable, that eventually, they would have to stop him.

And so it goes.  Even today, we fear what we don't understand or agree with, and we assume the worst.

Unfortunately, once people are convinced you are evil, there are few places to hide.

More to come...