Matthew Poole and continuators on John 11:48

48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him , and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation .

They are afraid, that if they should any longer suffer Christ to go on working miracles, he would have a great many followers, who upon the credit of his miracles, would own him as the Messiah, and the effect and consequence of this would be, they should by the Romans (to whom they were already in subjection) be utterly deprived of that little liberty they indulged them.

They say, the Romans would come, (that is with an Army) and destroy their Temple, which they call their Place, their most famous Place, where they met to worship God, and in which as a token of Gods presence amongst them, they so much gloried; yea, and their Nation; that is, miserably destroy their Nation, and bring it to utter Ruine, whether they really thought so or no, or onely spake this as an Argument to hasten the Death of Christ, is not much material for us to know. There was this colour for it, The Iews were a People very prone upon all occasions to Rebel, and Rise up in the defence of their liberties, when ever they could get any Head, to give them any countenance and Conduct. They also lived in a general expectation of the Messiah, when the Scepter should be departed from Iuda, (as it now was) and when Daniels seventy Weeks mentioned, Chap 9.24. should be determined, which were now fulfilled; so as there was about this time, a general expectation of the Messiah, of whom also it is apparent they had a false Notion, and generally expected under the Notion of the Messiah; not the Son of God taking Human Nature, and to die for their Redemption, and then rise again from the Dead, and Ascend into Heaven; but a Temporal Prince, who Conquering all their Enemies, should deliver them from all Captivities and Servitudes, and restore them to their ancient liberties. This their expectation was known well enough to the Roman Governors, (as appeareth by Herods question to the Wise men in Matth. 2.4.) and they were very jealous of the Iews on this account, which caused Herods Bloody Act in killing the Children in and about Bethlehem: So as the Rulers of the Iews, (according to the Notion they had of the Messiah) might reasonably think, that if Christ were taken to be, and he went on confirming the opinion of himself by these miracles, so as People generally ran after him: the Romans would reasonably suppose they had a design to Rebel, and therefore would come upon them, destroy their Temple, and utterly Ruine their Nation. But how will they avoid this? That which they agreed upon we shall meet with ver. 53▪ They took Counsel to put him to death. How they were led on to that fatal Counsel, we shall hear.