John 11:48

The Romans shall come. Ironically, when this Gospel was written (see p. 179) the Romans had done precisely what is here feared (see pp. 73-77), but for a very different reason. If Jesus had been the political messiah of Jewish expectations, Roman reprisals would have speedily followed any attempt to set Him on the throne. But Jesus never claimed to be a national deliverer. When the multitudes sought to take Him by force and make Him king He summarily dismissed them and withdrew from the scene (ch. 6:15).

Our place. Probably the Temple (see Jer. 7:15; 2 Macc. 5:19), or in a larger sense Jerusalem.

Nation. Despite the appointment of a Roman procurator (see p. 66) and the presence on the Temple mountain itself of the Roman fortress of Antonia (see Betrayal, Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus), the Jews enjoyed a considerable degree of freedom as far as their local affairs were concerned. This liberty they stood in danger of forfeiting, and actually did forfeit some 40 years later.