Restoration in John 11,47-52: Reading the Key Motifs in Their Jewish Context

Scholarly interest in Jn 11,47-52 has been focused primarily on the following areas: (1) the meaning of hyper in vv. 50-52; (2) Jewish parallels to Caiaphas’ speech in v. 50; (3) the tradition-historical background to the designation “gathering of the dispersed” in v. 52b; and (4) the identity of the “children of God” in v. 52b. What has not been fully appreciated is the combined affect of the motifs of this pericope. This article attempts to argue that John’s explanation of the final plot to kill Jesus is constructed in such a way that Jesus’ death is the event that provides an answer to the plight of Israel: the destruction of the Temple and the people and the ongoing dispersion of Israel. Read against the background of the OT and Judaism, the motifs that make up the argument of this pericope draw upon Israel’s historical plight in order to show that Jesus’ death will effect the restoration promises of Israel’s scriptures.