Judas Plot to Betray Jesus
August 16, 2019
Commentary
Once again, Jesus predicted his crucifixion, this time revealing that it would happen on Passover (vv. 1-2). The feast of the Passover was the first feast on the Jewish calendar and was kept in observance of the national deliverance from Egypt in the exodus under Moses. Passover gets its name from the Death Angel “passing over” those who applied the blood to the door posts. Each year thousands of Jews flocked to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jesus spoke these words on the Mount of Olives late Tuesday evening, which, by Jewish reckoning, would be the beginning of Wednesday. Passover began Thursday afternoon with the slaughter of the Lamb.
At that time a meeting of the Sanhedrin was taking place at the home of Caiaphas the High Priest (v. 3). They decided that the time had come to eliminate Jesus (v. 4). But they would have to act quickly, lest the people riot in protest (v. 5).
During His final week before the cross, the Lord spent the night in Bethany which was east of Jerusalem on the south side of the Mount of Olives. One evening in the home of Simon the Leper (v. 6), while the guests were reclining at dinner, Mary came in with a flask of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head and his feet and then wiped his feet with her hair (v. 7). It is said that this was worth about a year’s wages. Judas, who was treasurer of the group, immediately protested and said this was wasteful (v.8) (John 12:4). It seems that the other disciples followed his lead in scolding Mary. They said this perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor (v. 9). Jesus defended Mary by saying that the poor are always with us, but He would not always be present (vv. 10-11). The woman could not have known that what she did that day would be memorialized in God’s Word and distributed to the ends of the earth.
Application
I wonder what I would have said if I had been there when Mary poured this expensive perfume on Jesus? We need to remember that His ways are not always our ways.
Matthew 26:1–16 (NET)
1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 4 They planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”
6 Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfumed oil, and she poured it on his head as he was at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they became indignant and said, “Why this waste? 9 It could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor!” 10 When Jesus learned of this, he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a good service for me. 11 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me! 12 When she poured this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me to betray him into your hands?” So they set out thirty silver coins for him. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him.
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