John 11:56 (DBY)

Passage

They sought therefore Jesus, and said among themselves, standing in the temple, What do ye think? that he will not come to the feast?

Nearby Context

John 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no longer openly among the Jews, but went away thence into the country near the desert, to a city called Ephraim, and there he sojourned with the disciples.

John 11:55 But the passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, that they might purify themselves.

John 11:56 They sought therefore Jesus, and said among themselves, standing in the temple, What do ye think? that he will not come to the feast?

John 11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment that if any one knew where he was, he should make it known, that they might take him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sought", "therefore", "jesus", "said", "themselves", "standing", "temple", and "think". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sought" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 55's "But the passover of the Jews was..." into verse 57's "Now the chief priests and the Pharisees...", so "sought" and "therefore" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sought" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.