Luke 22:1-2 1Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, drew near. 2And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
This chapter marks a significant turning point in Luke’s account, like the other Gospels. From this point on, Jesus’ suffering is the focus. Many people were present in Jerusalem during the week of Passover. Passover took place in Nisan 15–21 in the Jewish calendar, which is around the middle of March. The first Passover was celebrated by Moses and the Israelites after the passing of the angel of death, who struck down all the firstborn males of the Egyptians. It was the key turning point that convinced Pharaoh to let the Hebrew slaves leave. The people were to eat unleavened bread for seven days before the Passover (Exodus 12). It was a busy time in Jerusalem.
Two forms of opposition to Jesus emerge in the story. The first form mentioned comes from the religious leaders. The chief priests and scribes had been planning on how to kill Jesus for several days (see 19:47-48) and were coming to the point of action. What kept them from acting was fear of the people. It is likely that many of the people who had come to Jerusalem had seen Jesus in his itinerant ministry throughout Galilee and Judah. Many of them had shouted praises to him as he rode into town on a donkey. To do something now could create a riot or diminish the authority of these leaders in the eyes of the people. They were stuck at what to do at the moment. They needed a plan, which the next passage reveals.
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