and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The chief priests didn't just want to arrest Jesus; they wanted to do it by stealth. This reveals their fear of the crowds, who saw Jesus as a hero, and their desperate, underhanded methods. Even in their plotting, God's sovereign hand was at work, ensuring Jesus's sacrifice would not be a secret operation but a public, salvific event.
and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
With the Passover feast just two days away, the religious leaders, led by Caiaphas, meet in secret to devise a plan to arrest Jesus. They fear the crowds who revere Jesus, so they decide against openly arresting him during the festival to avoid causing a riot. Their goal is to capture him stealthily and put him to death, a plot that will soon be accelerated by Judas's betrayal.
Why would religious leaders plot to arrest and kill Jesus in secret?
The chief priests and religious authorities felt threatened by Jesus' growing popularity.
The Fear of the Crowd
They recognized Jesus as a powerful figure, potentially even the Messiah, and feared his influence over the masses. Openly arresting him, especially during the Passover feast when Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims, would have been dangerous. They worried about a public outcry or even a riot if they seized Jesus.
The Need for Stealth
Therefore, their consultation was focused on how to capture him 'by stealth'—using deception or a surprise attack. This reveals their underlying fear not just of Jesus, but of the people, and their willingness to resort to underhanded tactics to achieve their goals.
How did God's plan unfold even as humans plotted against Jesus?
While the religious leaders meticulously planned Jesus' secret capture, their efforts were ultimately framed by God's sovereign purpose.
The Timing of the Passover
Their deliberate attempt to avoid arresting Jesus during the Passover feast, fearing public outcry, paradoxically set the stage for his public sacrifice as the true Paschal Lamb. God's timing ensured that Jesus, the 'Lamb of God,' would be sacrificed precisely when the ancient Passover lambs were being slaughtered.
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The Unintended Openness
Although they sought secrecy, the events leading to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion were anything but hidden. They happened publicly, witnessed by thousands in Jerusalem. God used their schemes, and even the eventual betrayal by Judas, to bring about his redemptive plan in a way that could not be denied or easily dismissed.
Understand the original words
krateō · Greek Verb
To seize or apprehend someone; in a judicial context, it implies an official action to restrict liberty and bring the accused to trial.
dolos · Greek Noun
Doing something in a hidden, crafty, or deceptive manner to avoid detection or interference from the general public.
The religious leaders' decision to arrest Jesus by stealth reveals their fear of the populace during the crowded Passover festival. Their plot, however, was ultimately overruled by God's providence, leading to Jesus' public crucifixion during that very festival, fulfilling symbolic prophecy.
c. AD 30
Growing Tensions and Popularity
Jesus' ministry gained significant popularity, attracting large crowds and challenging the religious and political authorities. This growing influence caused alarm among the chief priests and elders.
c. AD 30, days before Passover— this verse
Conspiracy Among Leaders
The chief priests and scribes, fearing Jesus' influence and the potential for a popular uprising, met in secret to plot his arrest and execution.
c. AD 30, during Passover week
Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem
Jesus made a triumphant entry into Jerusalem, further inflaming the situation and demonstrating his public appeal, which intensified the leaders' urgency to act.
c. AD 30, shortly before Passover
The Anointing at Bethany
A woman anoints Jesus with expensive oil, an act interpreted by Jesus as preparation for his burial. This event occurred shortly before his arrest and highlighted the impending nature of his death.
c. AD 30, Passover eve
The Last Supper
Jesus shared his final meal with his disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper and predicting his betrayal and death, which was imminent.
c. AD 30, Passover night
Arrest in Gethsemane
Following Judas's betrayal, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, marking the beginning of the events leading to his crucifixion.
This passage shows Saul's secret plotting to kill David, demonstrating a historical parallel of leaders seeking to eliminate a perceived threat through deceit.
Psalm 2:1-2These verses describe the rulers of the earth conspiring against the Lord and his Anointed, echoing the conspiratorial mindset of the chief priests and elders against Jesus.
Acts 4:27This New Testament passage directly references the rulers gathering against Jesus, linking the Old Testament prophetic sentiment to the specific historical plot described in Matthew.
John 11:53This verse explains the chief priests' motivation for plotting Jesus' death – fear of the people's reaction – directly supporting the context of their clandestine planning in Matthew 26:4.
calvinMatthew 26:1-13: "And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,"
- And it happened when Jesus had finished all these discourses, he said to his disciples, 2. You know that after two days is the passover; and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3. Then were assembled the chief priests, and scribes, and elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4. And entered into consultation how they would take Jesus b…
barnesMatthew 26:4: "And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him."
By subtlety - By guile, deceit, or in some secret manner, so that the people would not know it. Jesus was regarded by the people as a distinguished prophet, and by most of them, probably, as the Messiah; and the Sanhedrin did not dare to take him away openly, lest the people should rise and rescue him. They were probably aware that he had gone out to Bethany, or to some place adjacent to the city; and as he pass…
The chief priests didn't just want to arrest Jesus; they wanted to do it by stealth. This reveals their fear of the crowds, who saw Jesus as a hero, and their desperate, underhanded methods. Even in their plotting, God's sovereign hand was at work, ensuring Jesus's sacrifice would not be a secret operation but a public, salvific event.
With the Passover feast just two days away, the religious leaders, led by Caiaphas, meet in secret to devise a plan to arrest Jesus. They fear the crowds who revere Jesus, so they decide against openly arresting him during the festival to avoid causing a riot. Their goal is to capture him stealthily and put him to death, a plot that will soon be accelerated by Judas's betrayal.
With the Passover feast just two days away, the religious leaders, led by Caiaphas, meet in secret to devise a plan to arrest Jesus. They fear the crowds who revere Jesus, so they decide against openly arresting him during the festival to avoid causing a riot. Their goal is to capture him stealthily and put him to death, a plot that will soon be accelerated by Judas's betrayal.
"and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him." — The chief priests didn't just want to arrest Jesus; they wanted to do it by stealth. This reveals their fear of the crowds, who saw Jesus as a hero, and their desperate, underhanded methods. Even i…
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Last reviewed October 2026