“…the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be
crucified.” Jesus in Matthew
26:2
Since they dare not challenge Jesus publically anymore (see 22:46), this group of religious demons sought a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him (v. 4). Jerusalem was full of pilgrims who had come to celebrate the Passover feast as instructed in Exodus 12:14 and Leviticus 23:4-5. Satan’s minions gathered in Caiaphas’ palace did not want to arrest Jesus during the Passover feast, lest there be an uproar among the people (v. 5).
Israel was occupied by the Romans much the way Eastern European countries were occupied by the Soviets a generation ago. Israel thought their Messiah would overthrow Rome and restore Israel as an empire. This belief was even held within His disciples at the moment of His ascension (see Acts 1:6). The people believed Jesus was their political Savior which made Him popular among the people; hence the desire to wait until after the feast to arrest and kill Jesus.
But Jesus had other plans. “The Lamb of God” (John 1:29) was to be crucified during the Passover, not after. That plan would not be thwarted by mere men. “The rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His anointed…He who sits in heaven laughs,” (Psalm 2:2, 4). Even in the darkest moment of history at precisely “the right time Christ died for the ungodly,” (Romans 5:6). The Lord was so in control that He even used the evil Caiaphas to unwittingly predict, “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish,” (John 11:50).
If your world is spinning out of control and it seems as if the Lord is not there, know that, “it is He who sits above the circle of the earth…[and who] makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness,” (Isaiah 40:22-23). Abide, wait and trust. Life is not absurd and God is not reckless, even when the powers of earth seem to be aligned to prove otherwise.
What the chief priests meant for evil, “God meant it for good,” (Genesis 50:20). God’s plan is to make for Himself “a royal priesthood (unlike those at Caiaphas’ palace), a holy nation…and a people for His own possession,” (1 Peter 2:9) so that we may proclaim His excellencies. But first there will be a knock at Caiaphas’ door; Judas is about to be unleashed.
“And since I
have been reading the Bible, I sense that there is something – I don’t know if
it is personal or if it is a great idea or powerful influence – but there is
something that can bring meaning to my life,” (Renown existentialist Albert
Camus in 1960, the year of his death; Albert
Camus and the Minister by Howard Mumma)
“According to Josephus, some 256,500
sacrificial lambs were slain during a typical Passover [in Jerusalem in Jesus’
day]. And because tradition required
that no fewer than ten people were to eat of one lamb, the number of celebrants
could have exceeded two million.” (John
MacArthur, Matthew 24-28 MacArthur New
Testament Commentary, p. 133)
There are two different settings for these verses. The first is the Mount of Olives. Here Jesus’ transitions out of chapters 24 and
25. Since Passover starts on Thursday
night, then we can believe based on these words, “after two days
the Passover is coming,” (v.2) that Jesus finishes the Olivet
Discourse on Tuesday of Holy Week. As
John Walvoord said in his book, Matthew,
Thy Kingdom Come, “Only hours separated Jesus from the cross on Cavalry,”
(p. 208).
Jesus says that “the Son of Man will be
delivered up to be crucified,” (v. 2). This prediction has been a steady theme since
Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah in Caesarea Philippi (see Matthew
16:21). From this point on, the Lord reveals
continually His plan that they are to go to Jerusalem where He will be
crucified. (See 17:12; 22-23; 20:18-19)
The other setting is the palace of the high priest,
whose name was Caiaphas (v. 3).
There the chief priests and elders of the people were
gathered (v. 3). They plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him
(v. 4). Surely this is the same group
who had been challenging Him repeatedly during the week in the temple (see
21:13, 22:34) and it was not the first time they had tried to hatch a plan by
which they could destroy Jesus (see Luke 19:47).Since they dare not challenge Jesus publically anymore (see 22:46), this group of religious demons sought a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him (v. 4). Jerusalem was full of pilgrims who had come to celebrate the Passover feast as instructed in Exodus 12:14 and Leviticus 23:4-5. Satan’s minions gathered in Caiaphas’ palace did not want to arrest Jesus during the Passover feast, lest there be an uproar among the people (v. 5).
Israel was occupied by the Romans much the way Eastern European countries were occupied by the Soviets a generation ago. Israel thought their Messiah would overthrow Rome and restore Israel as an empire. This belief was even held within His disciples at the moment of His ascension (see Acts 1:6). The people believed Jesus was their political Savior which made Him popular among the people; hence the desire to wait until after the feast to arrest and kill Jesus.
But Jesus had other plans. “The Lamb of God” (John 1:29) was to be crucified during the Passover, not after. That plan would not be thwarted by mere men. “The rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and His anointed…He who sits in heaven laughs,” (Psalm 2:2, 4). Even in the darkest moment of history at precisely “the right time Christ died for the ungodly,” (Romans 5:6). The Lord was so in control that He even used the evil Caiaphas to unwittingly predict, “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish,” (John 11:50).
If your world is spinning out of control and it seems as if the Lord is not there, know that, “it is He who sits above the circle of the earth…[and who] makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness,” (Isaiah 40:22-23). Abide, wait and trust. Life is not absurd and God is not reckless, even when the powers of earth seem to be aligned to prove otherwise.
What the chief priests meant for evil, “God meant it for good,” (Genesis 50:20). God’s plan is to make for Himself “a royal priesthood (unlike those at Caiaphas’ palace), a holy nation…and a people for His own possession,” (1 Peter 2:9) so that we may proclaim His excellencies. But first there will be a knock at Caiaphas’ door; Judas is about to be unleashed.
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