Matthew 26:1-16 The Plot to Kill Jesus
“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.”
Things are coming to a head, and the disciples are terrified! For weeks, rumors have been flying around Jerusalem that the religious authorities are going to find a way to murder Jesus, and the disciples fear they too might be slaughtered. Now Jesus is confirming those rumors, warning the disciples plainly that he will not only be murdered, but that he will be crucified like an evil criminal.
“What about us?” the disciples think. “Will we also be crucified?” Crucifixion is one of the most horrible deaths there is, for those being crucified will be hung on crosses in the morning and left to die for the rest of the day. Anyone surviving until evening will have their legs broken so that they can no longer rise up to gasp for air and will quickly suffocate after hanging in unspeakable torment for nearly twelve hours. While the rest of the disciples are worrying, Judas remains quite calm. Judas’ fellow disciples assume that Judas has more faith than they do. Nobody anticipates that Judas Iscariot, that smooth talker holding the money for the group, will sell out to Jesus’ enemies.
Things don’t get much better for the disciples when they come to the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. Obviously, Simon must be one of those whom Jesus has healed in the course of his ministry and is so grateful that he has invited Jesus and the disciples for a meal. A woman comes in with the alabaster flask of fragrant oil she has been saving for her own burial. The woman kneels before Jesus and then snaps the neck on the flask, anointing his head with the fragrant oil. When the disciples protest that she should have sold this and donated the money, Jesus informs them that the lady is anointing him for his burial. BURIAL??? Now the disciples are really worried!
Meanwhile, Judas is already scheming with the religious authorities to betray Jesus. While some authorities think Judas is doing this because he is unhappy with Jesus for not establishing an earthly kingdom, it’s far more likely that Judas is simply trying to save his own skin. After all, Judas has been stealing from the common treasury for years, building up a nest egg for the time when things will fall apart. Now that Jesus himself is foretelling his death, Judas wants a means of escape.
Ever since Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension, disciples have suffered for the sake of the cause of Christ. Sometimes there have been sudden attacks, such as the ones in Northern Nigeria. At other times, disciples have survived scrutiny for years, only to fall prey to a traitor acting in the spirit of Judas Iscariot. In some places, groups whisper praises to God rather than sing them to escape detection.
Reading the description of events surrounding Jesus’ arrest, conviction, death, and resurrection, it’s easy to see why all the disciples apart from John might have run away to hide. But throughout all these ordeals, John is the one who will follow Jesus in his mock trials, the beatings and scourgings, and the death march to Calvary. John is the one to whom Jesus will entrust the care of his mother Mary while hanging on the cross. This Galilean fisherman remains a model of steadfast faith, surpassing even that of Simon Peter. When Jesus is being interrogated in the house of Caiaphas, John is the one inside the hall while Peter remains outside, denying any association with Jesus.
What has made John different from the rest of the disciples? John has remained closer to Jesus than have any of the other disciples. John has spent more time with Jesus, has listened the most to Jesus, and has absorbed even more of Jesus’s character than the other disciples have.
If we study the rest of John’s life, we realize that it will be anything but peaceful. After traveling extensively for years to encourage various churches, John will be exiled to the Island of Patmos, where he will be favored by God to see the visions that will become the Book of Revelations. Traditionally, John is believed to have died in Ephesus and two rival sites vie for attention as the site of his tomb.
If we want to stand firm under persecution for the cause of Christ, we must copy John. We must spend time in prayer, in Bible study, and in meditation on God’s Word. We need to ask Jesus to remake us into his likeness. A faith that is built on spectacular events will dissipate as soon as there is any pressure. Vague warm feelings about Jesus being a good man or a great teacher do not constitute faith. We must truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he has come in the flesh, and that he has died on a cross for our sins, has been resurrected, and has risen into heaven. We must believe so strongly that even if someone threatens to kill us unless we reject Jesus, we will refuse to back down. May God help us so that we will stand firm, no matter what!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to become so close to You that people see You in us. Help us to remain firm and courageous in the face of threats and murder. And help us always and everywhere to bring glory to Your holy Name. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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