“everyone will believe in him” = apparently many are placing their faith in Jesus, even with the threat of excommunication. The raising of Lazarus has forced their hand; they cannot allow Jesus to keep on doing what He is doing or even larger numbers of people will start following Him. Their use of the word “everyone” is an exaggeration which depicts the strength of their fears.

“our place” = probably the Temple (as in Acts 6:13-14, 21:28) but could be their individual seats on the Council. Perhaps the most significant word here is “our”. The religious leaders considered the Temple of God and the Jewish nation to be their special property.

Acts 6:13-14  They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.  For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

Acts 21:28  shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.”

These Jewish leaders are concerned that the actions of Jesus may get many to follow Him and that He will act like they think the Messiah will act which will result in the Romans upsetting the way things are being done. Notice the order in which they place the two things they are in fear of losing. First is their “place” which is where they make their living and are able to exert their power, and the second is their nation. Their first priority is to preserve their job and their second is to save their nation, much as politicians today. It is a temptation today for paid pastors and staff, or any who are serving God in any capacity, to fall into the trap of considering our callings to be our jobs and to try to preserve them at all costs. Let God be God and let His will (not yours) be done.

It is a great irony indeed, that at the time of the writing of this gospel, Rome had come and taken their place and their nation in 70 A.D. What Caiaphas and the other religious leaders had been so fearful of and had tried their best to prevent had instead come to pass and was even caused by their actions to try to prevent it (Mark 12:1-12).

Mark 12:1-12  He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.  He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.  “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.  “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.  Haven’t you read this scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;  the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?”  Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.