John 11:55 (YLT)

Passage

And the passover of the Jews was nigh, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, that they might purify themselves;

Nearby Context

John 11:53 From that day, therefore, they took counsel together that they may kill him;

John 11:54 Jesus, therefore, was no more freely walking among the Jews, but went away thence to the region nigh the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there he tarried with his disciples.

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

John 11:56 they were seeking, therefore, Jesus, and said one with another, standing in the temple, `What doth appear to you--that he may not come to the feast?'

John 11:57 and both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if any one may know where he is, he may shew <FI>it<Fi> , so that they may seize him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "passover", "jews", "nigh", "went", "jerusalem", "country", and "before". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "passover" and "jews", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 54's "Jesus therefore was no more freely walking..." into verse 56's "they were seeking therefore Jesus and said...", so "passover" and "jews" 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 "passover" and "jews" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.