John 12:11

because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus.

In the course of the same evening, while Jesus was still in Bethany, many Jews came out from Jerusalem. The news of His coming had traveled ahead of Him, after the usual manner of such reports. But it was not only the interest in Jesus that brought them out, the compelling motive rather being a morbid curiosity to see that man Lazarus, of whom it was definitely reported that Christ had raised him from the dead, many Jews having been present. Although some time had passed by since that event, the miracle was still the great sensation. Here was a matter which again caused great uneasiness to the rulers of the Jews, whose spies were everywhere. This living witness was a powerful testimony for the almighty power of Jesus, and might thus become the reason why many people might come to faith in Christ. This must be prevented at all costs. And so the chief priests consulted about the matter and made the monstrous proposal, the cold-blooded resolution, to commit murder; for to put the innocent Lazarus to death was nothing short of that. Here the devilish character of self-hardening unbelief is evident. Rather than have more Jews desert their false cause and believe in Jesus, their Savior, these leaders of the Jewish nation devise one murderous scheme after the other. Whenever the enemies of Christ seek to harm Him and the preaching of His Gospel, even in our days, they always manage to concoct plausible reason to salve their own consciences, But their acts are murder and arson just the same, no matter what high-sounding names they invent to cover their crimes.