26:1-2 These verses record the fourth major prediction of Jesus' death that He gave His disciples (cf. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19). Matthew just finished recording Jesus' claim to judge humankind (25:31-46). Now he wrote that the Judge would suffer condemnation from the condemned. Jesus had warned His enemies about the consequences of hypocrisy (23:12-31). Now we learn that they were paying no heed to His warning but were proceeding to crucify Him hypocritically. This irony points out Jesus' sovereign control over the affairs that led to His death, and it is an example of masterful narrative composition.
Jesus evidently said these words sometime on Wednesday, the same day as His controversy with the religious leaders (21:23-23:39) and the Olivet Discourse (chs. 24-25). Jesus predicted that His enemies would deliver Him up to die by crucifixion in two days. The connection between Jesus' death and the Passover would emerge more clearly when Jesus celebrated that feast with His disciples the next day.
26:3-5 Opposition to Jesus had been rising for some time (cf. 12:14; 21:45-46). Matthew's mention of this plot's advance toward its climax following Jesus' prediction (v. 2) has the effect of showing that His enemies' conspiracy was ultimately a result of Jesus' sovereign authority. He was not a powerless pawn under their control. He was really orchestrating His own passion.
The chief priests and elders represent the clerical and lay members of the Sanhedrin respectively (cf. 21:23). At this time Rome appointed Israel's high priest. Annas had been the high priest until 15 A.D. when the Romans deposed him and set up his son Eleazar in his place. Eleazar served for about two years (16-17 A.D.) until the Romans replaced him with Caiaphas in 18 A.D. Caiaphas held the office until his death in 36 A.D.969
The Old Testament regarded the high priest as high priest until his death. Consequently the Jews still viewed Annas as the high priest. This probably explains why Matthew and John spoke of Caiaphas as the high priest (John 11:49), but Luke said Annas was the high priest (Luke 3:2; Acts 4:6). Annas was Caiaphas' father-in-law and continued to exercise much power even after the Romans forced him out of office.
The Jewish leaders plotted to execute an innocent man in the very place where justice should have been strongest. The spiritual leader of Israel, the high priest, took a leading role in this travesty. Matthew's original Jewish readers could not help marveling at this injustice. However the chief priests and elders were representatives of the people, so the people shared part of the blame. The leaders resorted to deceit because they could not trap Jesus with questions and turn the crowds against Him or take Him by force.
"In portraying the leaders throughout the passion, Matthew orchestrates numerous variations both on this theme of deception' and on the related theme of self-deception.'"970
Jerusalem's population swelled with pilgrims during Passover season. Since Jesus had a large following, the leaders realized that they had to plan to do away with Him secretly and carefully lest popular sentiment turn against them. They did not know how to solve their problem until Judas volunteered to hand Jesus over to them privately.
