1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
Here is, first, the notice Christ gave his disciples of the near approach of his sufferings (Matthew 26:1-2). While his enemies were preparing trouble for him, he was preparing himself and his followers for it. He had often spoken of his sufferings from a distance; now he speaks of them as close at hand: “After two days.” After many previous warnings of trouble, we still need fresh ones.
He gave this warning when he had finished all these sayings. He didn’t speak of it until he had completed all he had to say. Christ’s witnesses do not die until they have finished their testimony. When Jesus had completed his role as a prophet, he began to carry out his work as a priest. He had just told his disciples to expect difficult times, and then said, “The Son of Man is betrayed,” to show them they would not suffer worse than he would, and that his suffering would take the sting out of theirs. Thoughts of a suffering Christ are a great comfort to a suffering Christian, especially when suffering with him and for him.
The warning he gave was this: “The Son of Man is betrayed.” It was not only certain but so near that it was as good as done. It is wise to treat future suffering as though it were already present. Jesus was being betrayed, for Judas was already planning to hand him over.
Then comes the plot of the chief priests, scribes, and elders against Jesus’ life (Matthew 26:3–5). Many plans had already been made to kill him, but this one was deeper than the rest, because all the leading authorities were involved. The chief priests oversaw religious matters, the elders judged civil issues, and the scribes interpreted the law. Together they formed the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the nation, and they were united against Christ.
They met in the high priest’s palace, making him the center of their scheme. Their plan was to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. Nothing less than his death would satisfy them. So cruel have been the intentions of Christ’s and the church’s enemies. Their plan was to avoid doing it during the feast. Not out of respect for the holiness of the occasion or concern for the day’s religious observances, but because they feared an uproar among the people.
They knew Jesus was popular among the crowds, especially with so many gathered for the feast. If they tried to arrest him publicly, they risked a revolt. Their fear was not of God but of the people. Their only concern was for their own safety, not for God’s honor. Though it was a Jewish tradition to execute offenders during one of the three major feasts—especially rebels or deceivers—so that all Israel might see and fear, they still decided it would not happen on the feast day.