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Several things are here observable; as, 1. The persons conspiring against our blessed Redeemer's life, namely, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders, that is, the whole sanhedrin, or general council of the Jewish church: these lay their malicious heads together, to contrieve the destruction of the innocent Jesus. Here was a general council of them, consisting of priests, doctors, and elders, with the high priest their president, yet erring in a point of doctrine concerning the Messiah, not believing Jesus to be the Son of God, notwithstanding all the convincing miracles which he had wrought before them.
Observe, 2. The manner of this conspiracy against our Saviour's life; it was clandestine, secret, and subtile: They consulted how they might take him by subtilty and kill him.
Learn hence, That Satan makes use of the subtilty of crafy men, and abuseth their parts as well as their power, for his own purposes. Satan never sends a fool on his errand.
Observe, 3. The time when this conspiracy was managed; at the time of the passover. Indeed at first the chief priests did not incline to that time, fearing a tumult and uproar among the people; but Judas presenting them with a fair opportunity to apprehend him, they changed their purpose, and accordingly at the feast of the passover our Saviour suffered. This was not without a mystery, that Christ the true Lamb of God, whom the paschal lamb typified and represented, should be offered up at the feast of the passover: signifying thereby, that he was the true paschal Lamb, and that the legal shadow ought to cease in the exhibition of him.
Learn hence, That not only the death of Christ in general, but all circumstances relating to it, were fore-ordained by God himself; as the place where, at Jerusalem; the time when, at the feast of the passover; that time did God devise best for this Lamb to be a sacrifice.