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They Plotted to Kill Jesus
April 13, 2024

We know the Biblical account of Jesus. His life was cut short so that He could be the Passover sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. When His death came on the cross, the veil of the temple was ripped open, and mankind would have access to God the Father through Jesus. Unlike Passover sacrifices for the Jews which happened every year, the death of Jesus would only need to happen once so that the sins of all mankind could be forgiven.

Even though death was the expected result, that death was to come in a manner and at a time so that when Jesus did die, He could say, “It is finished.” His death was also to come in a manner and at a time so that when death came, the Holy Spirit would be given, and the Church of God could be established. Even though death was the expected result, not just any death would do. Yet, between the time of His birth and eventual death, there were many who tried to kill Jesus.

After the wise men came to visit Jesus, Joseph was warned by the angel of God in a dream that Herod sought to kill his son. He was told to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt for the safety of their son, and the message of the angel was so alarming to Joseph that he did not delay. That dream woke up Joseph and before the sun rose, they were on their way to safety. They stayed in Egypt until Herod died, and even though Herod sought the death of Jesus, he would not understand his actions led to the fulfillment of prophecy, because it was once written that, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Not able to kill Jesus, Herod sought the death of all the young babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. As gruesome and barbarous as this act was, it also fulfilled prophecy.

Eventually, Herod died, and an angel of God once again appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to return to Israel. Once again, Joseph did what the angel told him to do, and upon returning to Israel found out that Archelaus, son of Herod was now reigning. This caused Joseph some concern because of the death wish that Herod had for his son, and God warned Joseph to go to Galilee. The family came to Nazareth where they settled, and even this was a fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus be referred to as a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:13-23
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

It would not take long for the driving force behind the hatred for Jesus to come face to face with Jesus. Jesus had been baptized by John and was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness where for forty days, He was tempted by Satan, all while fasting. After not eating for forty days, Jesus was very hungry, and Satan used that human weakness in an effort to kill off Jesus. He appealed to vanity telling Him that if indeed He was the Son of God that He could even make stones become bread. Jesus rebuked Satan using scripture. Satan then offered Jesus the entire planet explaining that it was given to his discretion to offer human power and human glory. He explained that all Jesus would need to do is worship him. Again, Jesus rebuked Satan using scripture. Satan then took Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem and told Him to jump off the roof, because if He was the Son of God, God would protect Him, and once again, Jesus rebuked Satan using scripture.

Luke 4:1-15
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

After the visit from Satan, Jesus returned to Nazareth, His hometown and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, getting up to read a passage of scripture. He opened a passage from what today is known as the first few verses of Isaiah chapter sixty-one. He shared with those gathered there that the Spirit of God was upon Him to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to those who were bruised, to preach the acceptable year of God. He explained to those that were there that they had seen the fulfillment of that prophecy.

The people there knew that the person who just spoke to them was the son of Joseph and were trying to reconcile what Jesus had said to that reality. In their mind, a carpenter’s son couldn’t be that important. There must have been some type of verbal exchange between Jesus and the group because Jesus eventually told them that prophets are not accepted in their own country. He also reminded them of the widow during the time of Elijah and how for three and a half years, there was a great famine, that there were many widows during that time and how Elijah only came to one widow. The message of Jesus made the people so mad that they wanted to forcibly remove Him from the city by taking Him to a high point within the city and tossing Him headfirst to the ground. In their minds they might not have been technically seeking His death, but the typical result of being tossed headfirst from a high place is death. Somehow in all the anger and commotion, Jesus walked through the crowd and went His way.

Luke 4:16-30
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Later, Jesus would find himself in Jerusalem for one of the Holy Days, as was His custom. During one of these visits, He came to the pool of Bethesda, where people came to be healed of disability and disease. They believed that anytime the water moved it meant an angel of God was stirring the waters and that the first person in the water would be healed. Behind the scene there was an angel of God stirring the waters and the first person in was healed. Imagine if you were a person without the physical ability to move and there was no caretaker with you to get you to the pool. All you could do is watch everyone else be healed, and you would never be healed.

As Jesus was walking by on the Sabbath, Jesus noticed such a person who was thirty-eight, an older person for the time. Jesus asked this man if he wanted to be healed. The man explained he would but had no way to get the water first after it stirred. Jesus then simply healed the man and told him to take up his bedding and walk, which the man did. A great miracle had happened, and there were those who found fault with Jesus, because according to Jewish law, it was not lawful to carry his bed on the Sabbath, and they confronted the healed man about it. Jesus later found that man in the temple and told him to sin no more, but the Jews were angry and confronted Jesus who replied telling them He was doing the work of God the Father. With that, the Jews sought to kill Jesus.

John 5:1-18
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

If healing wasn’t enough to cause some to want Jesus dead, satisfying hunger on the Sabbath would suffice for others. On one Sabbath, Jesus and the disciples walked through a crop field. When the disciples were hungry, they picked some of the crop to eat. By this time, Jesus had minders following him because the Pharisees were quick to point it out and accused the disciples of doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath. Jesus responded by reminding them that David ate bread from the altar which he was not allowed to do, and that priests profane the Sabbath, and yet are without blame.

After the encounter in the field, Jesus went to the synagogue where a man with a withered hand was present. Those there asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, because they wanted a reason to accuse Him. He then told them that all of them would help an animal in distress on the Sabbath, and that people were more important than any animal. With that said, Jesus then healed the man with the withered hand giving the Pharisees a reason to meet behind closed doors to find a way to destroy him.

Matthew 12:1-14
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

Jesus would make it very clear why people hated him and wanted him dead. He explained that if God was their Father, they would love Him, but because they were of their father the devil, they couldn’t comprehend what Jesus was saying, nor could they love him. The Jews even went as far as calling Jesus a possessed Samaritan. When Jesus started to talk about eternal life, the Jews really believed that Jesus was possessed. They compared the words of Jesus about eternal life to Abraham who had long been dead. They then badgered Him by telling Jesus He was younger and asking if He had seen Abraham. It was then that He responded by using one of the names of God for Himself, which caused the crowd to want to stone Him, and again Jesus was able to walk away from them.

John 8:42-59
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

During the winter feast of the dedication, Jesus was approached at the temple by some who wanted Him to publicly declare that He was the Messiah. He responded by telling them He had already shared that with them, and they didn’t believe him. He added that the reason they didn’t believe him was because they were not part of His flock, and because they were not part of His flock, they would not have access to eternal life. He added that God and He were one. With that, the Jews sought to stone Jesus to death, and Jesus asked for the justification. The Jews told Him it was because He made Himself to be God. Jesus responded by quoting part of Psalm eighty-two where it is said, “Ye are gods.” He told them that this scripture would be problematic with their focus on His words. He told them they didn’t believe He was doing what God wanted Him to do and that God and Him were one. That caused the crowd to want to seize Him, and yet again, Jesus got away.

John 10:22-39
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

If that wasn’t enough, resurrecting a person from the dead would cause some to want Jesus to be put to death. Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha from Bethany became sick, and the sisters urgently wanted Jesus to come to them. Jesus told them Lazarus’ sickness was not to death but for the glory of God. But, Lazarus did die. By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was dead and buried for four days. As Jesus was approaching town, Martha met Jesus and told Him if He had been there, Lazarus would still be alive. Jesus told her Lazarus would live again, and Martha told Jesus she believed in the resurrection at the end of time. Jesus reminded Martha that He was the resurrection and life.

Martha went to go get Mary, and those visiting the family came with. When He saw all the people visiting with the family and noticed how sad they all were, Jesus asked to see Lazarus’ grave and began to also cry. When they got to the grave, Jesus asked the stone be moved from the cave. He prayed and asked for God’s intervention, so that the people could believe. Jesus then entered the burial cave and told Lazarus to come out of the cave, and Lazarus did, even though he was bound with graveclothes. While many believed, the Pharisees understood this would be a miracle they could not explain and met in secret along with the high priest seeking how Jesus might be put to death.

John 11:1-53
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Later, when Jesus was at the temple, He noticed all the people buying and selling things related to the temple. Jesus threw both buyers and sellers from the temple telling them they had turned a house of prayer to a den of thieves. Jesus also taught daily in the temple, and this caused the chief priests, scribes, and prominent citizens to join in an effort to destroy Jesus.

Luke 19:45-48
And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

Explaining the reality of how God’s relationship with people would be changing, Jesus shared a parable of a man who planted a vineyard but had to leave before harvest. A servant was sent to harvest but was also beat up. Another servant was sent to harvest, but that servant was also beat up. A third servant was sent with the same result. The man then sent his own son, thinking a different result would be obtained. Those who had beat up the servants realized this person was the heir, and if he was killed, then they could lay hold to the vineyard. Jesus asked the crowd what the man would do to those who killed his son, and then Jesus told them that those people would be destroyed and what was the son’s would be given to other people. The chief priests and scribes perceived that Jesus was speaking about them, and instead of repenting, they sought to bring physical harm to Jesus.

Luke 20:9-19
Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

There were many times when the religious elite sought to bring harm and death to Jesus, but it was not until the final Passover of Jesus’ human life that it would be time for His death. The chief priests, scribes, and prominent citizens gathered with the high priest and determined that Jesus should be taken through trickery and deceit in a final attempt to kill him, but that this should not happen on a Holy Day, lest they incite a riot. It was at this time that Jesus was meeting with His disciples at Bethany that a woman came and applied an expensive ointment on Jesus which created an uproar among the disciples, who thought the ointment could have been sold and the funds used to help the poor. Judas Iscariot wasn’t convinced by what Jesus said, and afterwards went to the chief priests to negotiate a finder’s fee. Back at this time it could be possible to walk right past somebody and not realize who they were. Judas not only agreed to sell out Jesus but sought the opportunity to betray him.

Matthew 26:1-16
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

It’s hard to understand the why behind these people who wanted to bring harm and death to Jesus, and it looks like most wanted to preserve the status quo, what they had known for their entire life. Unlike those who are called, these people lacked faith and could not understand what Jesus was telling them. They could not understand that through Jesus we have the ability to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple, to breach the veil, which represented His flesh. Unlike those without faith, we have the faith to enter that Holiest of places through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we remain faithful.

Hebrews 10:19-23
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised;

Throughout His life, so many sought to not only bring harm to Jesus, but they also tried to kill Jesus, especially among the religious and societal elite. They didn’t understand what Jesus was saying and sought to preserve the status quo, which was already benefiting them. Unlike those people who served their self-interest, we are called to live a life of faith serving God the Father through Jesus Christ. Everything we do is in the face of those who sought the harm and death of Jesus, and through the faith we have, we hold fast to what we have without wavering knowing that Jesus who promisedeternal life in the Kingdom of God is faithful.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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