John"s "Therefore" or "Then" ties this paragraph directly to what precedes in a cause and effect relationship. The chief priests, who were mostly Sadducees, and the Pharisees, who were mostly scribes, assembled for an official meeting. The chief priests dominated the Sanhedrin, but the Pharisees were a powerful minority. The third and smallest group in the Sanhedrin was the elders, who were landed aristocrats who had mixed theological views. [source][source][source]
The Sanhedrin members felt that they had to take some decisive action against Jesus because the more miracles He performed the greater His popular following grew. Ever more of the Jews were concluding that Jesus was the Messiah. Their present tactics against Jesus needed adjusting or He might destroy them. [source][source][source]
It is interesting that they admitted privately that Jesus had performed many signs, though publicly they had earlier asked Him to produce some to prove His claims ( John 2:18; John 6:30). Someone in the Sanhedrin, perhaps Nicodemus, must have reported this confession of their selfish reasons for killing Jesus to the disciples later. [source][source][source]
"It has always been the case that those whose minds are made up to oppose what Christ stands for will not be convinced by any amount of evidence." [1][source]
The reference to "our place" was probably to the position of authority they occupied. A popular uprising resulting from the Jews" belief that Israel"s political deliverer had appeared might bring the Romans down hard on Israel"s leaders and strip them of their power. These rulers viewed Israel as their nation rather than God"s nation, and they did not want to lose control of it or their prestige as its leaders (cf. King Saul). No one mentioned the welfare of the people in such an event (cf. John 10:8). [source][source][source]
"The rich man in hades had argued, "If one went unto them from the dead, they will repent" ( Luke 16:30. Lazarus came back from the dead, and the officials wanted to kill him!" [2][source]