The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."
This was a deliberate plot to kill Jesus. Without this plot, there likely would have been no groundswell of popular opinion against him. In fact, because of Jesus' popularity, the religious leaders were afraid to arrest him during the Passover. They did not want their actions to incite a riot by Jesus' followers. Later on, Pilate would be afraid of a riot by people who wanted to crucify Jesus (27:23-24).
Caiaphas was the ruling high priest during Jesus' ministry. He was the son-in-law of Annas, the previous high priest. The Roman government had taken over the process of appointing all political and religious leaders. Caiaphas served for 18 years, longer than most high priests, suggesting that he was skilled at cooperating with the Romans. He was the first to recommend Jesus' death in order to "save" the nation (John 11:49-50).
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
This woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who lived in Bethany (John 12:1-3). Alabaster jars were carved from a translucent gypsum stone. These jars were used to hold perfumed oil.
8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
All the disciples were indignant, but John's Gospel singles out Judas Iscariot as especially so (John 12:4-6).
9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor." 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
Here Jesus brought back to mind Deuteronomy 15:11: "There will always be some in the land who are poor." This statement does not justify ignoring the needs of poor people. Scripture continually exhorts us to care for those in need. The passage in Deuteronomy continues, "That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." By saying this, Jesus was highlighting the special sacrifice Mary had made for him.
12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."
Matthew and Mark put this event just before the Last Supper, while John has it just before the Triumphal Entry. Of the three, John places this event in the most likely chronological order. We must remember that the main purpose of the Gospel writers was to give an accurate record of Jesus' message, not to present a chronological account of his life. Matthew and Mark may have chosen to place this event here to contrast the complete devotion of Mary with the betrayal of Judas, the next event they record in their Gospels.
Mary's unselfish act would be remembered forever. While the disciples misunderstood Jesus' mission and constantly argued about positions of status in the Kingdom, and while the religious leaders stubbornly refused to believe in Jesus and plotted his death, this woman loved Jesus so much and was devoted to him so completely that she considered no sacrifice too great for her Lord. She is an example to us all of selfless devotion to our Savior.
Judas to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
Why would Judas want to betray Jesus? Judas, like the other disciples, expected Jesus to start a political rebellion and overthrow Rome. Jesus' ministry was not going the way Judas had hoped. As treasurer, Judas certainly assumed that he would be given an important position in Jesus' new government (as did the other disciples; see Mark 10:35-37). But when Jesus praised Mary for pouring out perfume worth a year's salary, Judas may have realized that Jesus' Kingdom was not going to be political but spiritual. This surely made him frustrated and angry. Judas's greedy desire for money and status could not be realized if he followed Jesus, so he betrayed Jesus in exchange for money and favor from the religious leaders.
Matthew alone records the exact amount of money Judas accepted to betray Jesus—30 silver coins, the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). The religious leaders had planned to wait until after the Passover to take Jesus, but with Judas's unexpected offer, they accelerated their plans.
16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
The Passover with the Disciples
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
The Passover took place on one night and at one meal, but the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which was celebrated with it, continued for a week. The people removed all yeast from their homes in commemoration of their ancestors' exodus from Egypt, when they had not had time to let the bread dough rise. Thousands of people poured into Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire for this festival.
18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" 23 He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
In Jesus' time, some food would be eaten from a common bowl into which everyone would dip their hands. When Jesus referred to what the Scriptures said long ago, he may have been referring to Isaiah 53:7-9.
25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."
Institution of the Lord's Supper
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
These words describing Jesus' action are the same ones used in the story of the feeding of the 5,000: Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. Several names are used to describe this sacrament. Each one brings out a different dimension of it. It is the Lord's Supperbecause it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with his disciples; it is the Eucharist(thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Jesus' work for us; it is Communion because through it we commune with God and with other believers. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus' death and promise to come again, grateful for God's wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers.
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
How does Jesus' blood relate to the new covenant? People under the old covenant (those who lived before Jesus) could approach God only through a priest and the blood of an animal sacrifice. Now all people can come directly to God through faith because Jesus' death has made us acceptable in God's eyes (Romans 3:21-24).
The old covenant was a shadow of the new (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8:1-13), pointing forward to the day when Jesus himself would be the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. Rather than an unblemished lamb slain on the altar, the perfect Lamb of God was slain on the cross, a sinless sacrifice, so that our sins could be forgiven once and for all. All those who believe in Jesus receive that forgiveness.
29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Again Jesus assured his disciples of victory over death and of their future with him. The next few hours would bring apparent defeat, but soon the disciples would experience the power of the Holy Spirit and witness the great spread of the Good News. And one day they would all be together again, feasting in God's new Kingdom.
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
The hymn the disciples sang may have been from Psalms 115 through 118, the traditional psalms sung as part of the Passover meal
31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 33 Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." 34 Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." 35 Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same.
All the disciples declared that they would die before denying Jesus. A few hours later, however, they all scattered. Talk is cheap. We can easily affirm our devotion to Jesus, but our claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the crucible of adversity. How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough to stand up under intense trial.