Matt. 12:37.

[1174] Matt. 25:31-46.

[1175] Matt. 13:24-30; page 286 herein.

[1176] Page 286.

[1177] The revised version reads "another country" instead of "a far
country," in Matt. 25:14.

[1178] Matt. 26:2.

CHAPTER 33.

THE LAST SUPPER AND THE BETRAYAL.

PRIESTLY CONSPIRATORS AND THE TRAITOR.

As the time for the annual Feast of the Passover approached, and
particularly during the two days immediately preceding the beginning of
the festival, the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people, in
short the Sanhedrin and the entire priestly party, conspired
persistently together as to the best manner of taking Jesus into custody
and putting Him to death. At one of these gatherings of evil counsel,
which was held at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas,[1179] it was
decided that Jesus should be taken by subtlety if possible, as the
probable effect of an open arrest would be an uprising of the people.
The rulers feared especially an outbreak by the Galileans, who had a
provincial pride in the prominence of Jesus as one of their countrymen,
and many of whom were then in Jerusalem. It was further concluded and
for the same reasons, that the Jewish custom of making impressive
examples of notable offenders by executing public punishment upon them
at times of great general assemblages, be set aside in the case of
Jesus; therefore the conspirators said: "Not on the feast day, lest
there be an uproar among the people."[1180]

On earlier occasions they had made futile attempts to get Jesus into
their hands;[1181] and they were naturally dubious as to the outcome of
their later machinations. At this juncture they were encouraged and
gladdened in their wicked plots by the appearance of an unexpected ally.
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, sought an audience with these rulers
of the Jews, and infamously offered to betray his Lord into their
hands.[1182] Under the impulse of diabolic avarice, which, however, was
probably but a secondary element in the real cause of his perfidious
treachery, he bargained to sell his Master for money, and chaffered with
the priestly purchasers over the price of the Savior's blood. "What will
ye give me?" he asked; "and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces
of silver."[1183] This amount, approximately seventeen dollars in our
money, but of many times greater purchasing power with the Jews in that
day than now with us, was the price fixed by the law as that of a slave;