Have you ever watched people maneuver behind the scenes to protect their position, and felt that familiar squeeze of shame and recognition in your own heart? The lead-up to the Passover exposes that very human longing for safety and control — and the cost that comes when those longings are answered with scheming instead of surrender. In these few verses we see two paths: religious power grasping for preservation, and Jesus quietly walking toward the only place real salvation can be won.

In Matthew 26:1–5, Mark 14:1–2, and Luke 22:1–2 the Gospels record the same basic scene: Jesus tells his disciples that after two days the Passover will come and that he will be handed over and put to death. At the same time the chief priests, scribes and elders begin plotting how to arrest and kill him secretly — “not during the feast,” they say, because they fear a public uproar (Luke notes explicitly that they feared the people). All three Synoptics include this conspiracy; John does not frame the narrative exactly this way at this moment (John records other plots against Jesus earlier), so the emphasis here belongs to the Synoptic telling of the final hours.

This moment reveals essentials about Jesus and the kingdom. Jesus knows the cost and names it calmly — he is not surprised by the plotting; he walks toward it. The religious leaders’ scheming exposes the human condition: when threatened, institutions and people too often choose preservation over justice, fear over faith. Don’t miss the weight here — this is the turning point where human control confronts divine purpose. Yet the Gospel’s grace is startling: Jesus’ willing path to the cross means that even betrayal and violence are woven into God’s redeeming story.

Today, practice one small act of resistance to that scheming impulse. Notice where you’re tempted to control outcomes by gossip, manipulation, or fear of people’s opinions. Instead of joining the “plot,” pause and ask God for courage to speak truthfully and lovingly, or to remain silent when silence protects another. If you like, pray this as you start your day: “Lord, give me courage to trust you rather than control, and grace to love where others fear.”