Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.
John 12:9-11
Familiarity with the gospel story makes threats against Jesus' life seem rather ordinary. But when we read that the leaders wanted to kill Lazarus, also, we get a sense of how wicked these men were. Isn't it sad how far some people will go to protect their belief / power? And isn't the situation ironic? What did the rulers think they would accomplish by killing Lazarus - couldn't Jesus bring him back to life again!
But we, too, can be guilty of protecting our own beliefs (or positions of power / social standing) through denying the truth and attempting to quiet the opposition. We must remember that we are serving God and His will, not our own.
