“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. They planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.’” —Matthew 26:1–5
Here Jesus reminds His disciples about His impending suffering and death. He often spoke of these as being in the future, yet now He speaks of them as close at hand. Unfortunately, in these verses, we see the religious elite playing a notorious part in these unfolding events. I am reminded of Asaph’s description of the wicked in Psalm 73:
“Arrogance is their necklace, and violence covers them like clothing. Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful. They mock and say evil things; they proudly threaten violence.” —Psalm 73:6–9
After Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead the religious leaders were hot on our Lord’s trail to get Him out of their picture—permanently. They hated His popularity. They loathed His ability to do the miraculous which proved His claim of deity. They needed to be rid of their competition. Jesus was a bother. Their hypocritical hearts were hard. Jealous for the accolades and respect of others, they stooped to actions which were anything but praiseworthy. These religious elite loved the praise, adoration, and honor of men, leaving no room on the throne of their hearts for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. John’s account tells us:
“Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.’” — John 11:45–48
These Pharisees remained un-awed by the power and majesty of God. They only valued the fear and respect of the people. This appeared to be their greatest concern. How foolish and shortsighted! Somehow, their passion for God had become misguided and they were focused on their own pursuits rather than God’s desires.
“Fearing the LORD is the beginning of discernment, but fools have despised wisdom and moral instruction.” —Proverbs 1:7
Their safety, their honor, their respect, their standing among men, was their chief concern. Seeking God’s glory appeared to be the furthest thing from their minds. And so, they wickedly plotted to kill the Master; nothing less than His blood would bring them satisfaction.
But make no mistake; Jesus was fully aware of what was going to happen to Him. No one took His life; He willingly gave it on our behalf.
Become More
“God does not honor men and women and their deeds or their books or their organizations. The Father in heaven delights to honor His Son. It is only the Life of the Lord Jesus—His activity, clothed with you and displayed through you–that ultimately will find the approval of God.” —Major Ian Thomas
Further Reflections
“The carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become great, but the Lord’s way is quite the reverse.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
“If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the mastery over us; and so, mayhap, a painful desolation, and a lamentable disgrace may follow.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
“Pride alienates man from heaven; humility leads to heaven.” —Bridget of Sweden
“Men think that glory lies in being exalted over others–Christ … stooped when He conquered.” —Charles Spurgeon