John 11:54

John 11:54 says, Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.  Jesus at that time was not walking openly among the Jews. He had been walking freely, teaching the people He encountered, and performing miracles.  At this time, He withdrew. I do not believe that He withdrew because He was afraid of the Jews.  He had accomplished His purpose, the resurrection of Lazarus, and the result was a death sentence from the religious leaders.  Jesus withdrew into a country near the wilderness with His disciples. They went to a city called Ephraim. Sometimes, when faced with great opposition, we may need to gather with fellow believers to renew our strength.  We need to remember that Jesus was a man, subject to getting tired just as we are. Verse fifty-five adds, And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. We are told that the Passover was near, and many Jews went to Jerusalem to purify themselves. They were going through the rituals, but they had rejected the Messiah.  We need to pray that we will never be observing the rituals of worship but missing the relationship with Christ.  Verse fifty-six continues, Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? They sought Jesus at the Passover and questioned if He would come. When we gather in His name, we need never question whether He will be there.  They were questioning Jesus's character again.  If He did not come to observe the Passover, He could be said to once again be ignoring religious teachings or He was afraid for His life. We can rest assured that Christ never ignored the will of God nor acted in fear, and neither should we. Verse fifty-seven concludes, Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it that they might take him.  The chief priests and Pharisees had given a commandment that any who saw Jesus should tell them so that they could take Him.  They were determined to kill Jesus, and they didn't care how many people they involved in their sin.  We should know that those who oppose God today do not care how many people they take down with them.