Luke 22:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The actions of the Jews were a shadow of our own. Accordingly if you ask of a Jew concerning the Passover, and the feast of unleavened bread, he will tell you nothing momentous, mentioning the deliverance from Egypt; whereas should a man inquire of me he would not hear of Egypt or Pharaoh, but of freedom from sin and the darkness of Satan, not by Moses, but by the Son of God;

The scribes plotted to take the life of Jesus. With the Passover approaching, they recognized the potential threat posed by the crowds gathering for the celebration, prompting them to devise a strategy to eliminate Him without risking their own safety.

Let us examine how the adversary acted and the outcome of his devious schemes against Christ. He sparked a sense of jealousy in the Jewish synagogue leaders toward Jesus, which escalated to the point of murder. This malady, it seems, inevitably leads to violent outcomes. Such is the inherent trajectory of this sinful disposition, as evidenced by the actions of Cain toward Abel and the treatment of Joseph by his brothers. The apostle Paul also draws connections between these transgressions, articulating that some are "full of envy and murder." Under the influence of Satan, they sought to eliminate Jesus, with the adversary fueling their malevolence and guiding them in their wicked acts. He is, after all, the originator of murder, the source of sin, and the fountain of all iniquity.

They aimed to eliminate Him, evidently in a covert manner or by seizing an opportune moment, “because they feared the people,” to eliminate Him publicly or without the need for pretext.

Not indeed that they apprehended sedition, but were afraid lest by the interference of the people He should be taken out of their hands. And these things Matthew reports to have taken place two days before the Passover, when they were assembled in the judgment hall of Caiaphas.

According to the account in St. John's Gospel, following the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus, the Sanhedrin resolved to eliminate Him. At the same time, they instructed their agents to locate and seize the Teacher from Nazareth. However, the Lord concealed Himself, avoiding danger until the appointed time, just one week prior to the Passover. The Sanhedrin convened to strategize how to carry out their intention to kill Jesus. They first opted for secrecy in their actions and second, decided that His execution should not occur during the Passover celebration.

In the account provided by Hebrews Matthew, Jesus Christ concluded His prophetic teachings regarding the final days of Jerusalem and the world with a foretelling of His own suffering during the approaching Passover, which was just two days away. As Christ delivered these prophetic messages on the evening of Tuesday (cf. Luke 21:37-38), He shared this prediction about His suffering with His disciples that same evening. The Sanhedrin’s assembly could not have occurred until the following morning, which was Wednesday. However, since the Jewish understanding of time considered Tuesday evening to already signify the beginning of Wednesday, the text notes that then the chief priests were gathered, and so forth.

During this time, the chief priests, Pharisees, scribes, and elders of the people convened in Jerusalem at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest. Their main agenda was to determine the method and timing of Jesus’ execution. They had previously reached the decision to put Him to death and had instructed that anyone who discovered His location should report it to the Sanhedrin. Consequently, the sole matter under consideration was the specifics of this judgment's execution. Events that had transpired earlier in the temple, particularly Jesus’ public censure of them, led to this urgent session of the Sanhedrin, where they deliberated on the sensitive elements associated with the issue with careful consideration.

As the righteous rested, the wicked schemed maliciously. On Wednesday evening, the Sanhedrin convened at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, engaged in heated discussions regarding their course of action concerning the Galilean, whom they deemed a threat. Efforts to apprehend Him within the temple or to incite the populace against Him, as well as to evoke suspicion from Roman authorities, all proved futile due to the loyalty of His devoted followers and His own sagacity, which thwarted their most devious plans. It is likely that some voices advocated for allowing Him to act freely until His true mission and teachings were revealed. However, the opposing faction gained the upper hand; the council resolved to eliminate Him—if not openly, then through cunning and deceit. Yet, how could they carry this out? While they grappled with these questions, news reached them that one of Jesus of Nazareth’s closest disciples wished to convey a significant message.

"To find," etc.: refer to Eu. Matthew, verses Matthew 3-5. - "Eliminate": through deceit, away from the public eye, and not during a festival, when they might have been concerned about inciting public unrest, "for they were afraid of the crowds."

The occurrences of the final days resurfaced the animosity of the Lord's adversaries toward the despised Prophet from Galilee. Not long before, they resolved to eliminate Him and instructed that anyone with knowledge of His location should inform them for subsequent action (John 11:53, 57). When the moment arrived for the realization of the divine purpose concerning humanity's redemption, and the hour designated from above approached (7:6, 30), the Lamb of God, who had removed the sins of the world (1:29, 36), willingly surrendered Himself into the hands of sinful men (Matt. 26:45).