Matthew 26: It's All in the Timing

Sometimes it is the little details of Scripture that are interesting. Take for example Matthew 26:5. In that verse, having decided to arrest and execute Jesus, the religious leaders state that they will make no move against Jesus during the Feast. By Feast, they mean the Passover Feast. Jerusalem was swelled with pilgrims during the Passover. Many of those pilgrims liked Jesus. They were considered loyal to Him. The arrest of Jesus would have to occur when there were less people around to observe and to be troubled by it.

The religious leaders were clear. No arrest of Jesus during the Feast. Yet, by the end of the chapter, Jesus is well on his way to being crucified. How can this be? Why the change in plans? The pragmatic answer is that the religious leaders stumbled across an opportunity too good to refuse. Judas, who was accustomed to stealing from the poor fund that he managed, gets upset when he sees expensive perfume being poured at Jesus' feet. Wouldn't this money have been better used for the poor, where he could steal it? This is the last straw. Jesus has made it clear he is not going to be the Messiah the disciples expected. He will give His life rather than defeat the Romans. There will be no political glory or power for Judas. Now even the pecuniary benefits of controlling the bag are being taken. So Judas decides he won't walk away with nothing. He decides to make the religious leaders an offer they can't refuse. The plans may have been to make an arrest after the Festival. But with help of an insider, the timetable can be moved up. The arrest can be done at night, outside the city, away from the eyes of the crowds.

That is the pragmatic explanation for the religious leaders' change of timing. But there is a theological explanation too. God is in charge. The timing of Jesus' crucifixion is set by His Father. Jesus is not a victim of the religious leaders. He goes to the cross willingly. The Passover provides important context for Jesus' work. Just as Israel killed the Passover lambs to cover sin, so also is Jesus the spotless Lamb of God, shedding His blood to cover the sins of the world. The cross is not done to Jesus but by Jesus.

There is a verse in Proverbs that paraphrased reads: "Man proposes, but God disposes.". The plans of men cannot thwart God 's purposes. Matthew 26 shows us that God works in His perfect timing to bring about His will.