Matthew 26:1-5
Mat 26:1-5 The King Prophesying: his enemies Plotting
1-2. AND it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Our Lord, having finished all these sayings about the destruction of Jerusalem, his own Second Advent, and the great Day of Judgment, brought back the thoughts of his disciples to his own death. He had often foretold what the end of his life would be; he now states definitely when it would be: "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover.'' In a sense that they probably did not fully comprehend, the passover, the one great passover, was about to be observed. After two days, the Paschal Lamb of God, "Christ our passover", would be slain. His betrayal was so certain and so near, that it might be spoken of as already accomplished: "The Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." The time for Christ to be delivered up into the hands of sinners had almost arrived-; and when once his enemies had him in their power, they would never rest until he was crucified.
3-5. 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, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
While Jesus was prophesying, his enemies were plotting. Thus was fulfilled Psa 2:2, "The rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed." Their aim was that they might kill him; but they consulted how they might take Jesus by subtilty. They decided not to arrest him "during the feast" (R.V.); yet the evil deed was to be postponed, not from any religious regard for the passover, but "lest there be an uproar among the people." Their plan was contrary to Christ's prophecy; but the event proved that he was right and they were wrong, for he was crucified at the time he foretold.