The passage describes how after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many Jews put their faith in him. However, some reported Jesus' actions to the Pharisees and chief priests, who called an emergency meeting of the Jewish high council. They feared that if Jesus' works were not stopped, the Romans would consider him a threat and destroy Jerusalem and the temple. The high priest Caiaphas argued it was better for one man, Jesus, to die than the whole nation to perish. From that day on, they plotted to kill Jesus.