THE PLOT THICKENS

 APRIL 1, 2026

Matthew 26:1-5

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”


Matthew 26:14-25

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

It is to be noted that even as the cross was drawing closer, Jesus stayed  calm and in control. He talked about his arrest and crucifixion before the religious leaders had even met to plan it. He knew Judas, one of his own friends, was going to betray him. Imagine how unsettling that must have been for Judas, realizing Jesus could see right through him. People can scheme all they want, but God’s plan always wins out. Nothing can get in the way of what he intends to do. And at the center of that plan was Jesus, the Son of Man, being handed over to be crucified.

His last meal, the Passover, wasn’t just a tradition, it pointed to the whole reason he came. Passover celebrated Israel’s escape from slavery in Egypt. Jesus’ death became a new kind of Passover. Anyone who trusts him experiences a true Exodus, freedom from the hold of sin. With that freedom comes the joy of living in his love forever.

I believe the message for us today is that when life feels chaotic or when it feels like  everything is falling apart, it helps to remember what Jesus went through at the end of his life. People plotted against him and carried out their plans, but they still couldn’t stop God’s bigger purpose. It’s comforting to know that nothing can disrupt the plan of the One who’s truly in control, and that He’s working out every detail for good. When we look to Jesus, especially His sacrifice for us, we see that God ultimately desires for us to have life, freedom, and love.

LET'S PRAY

God, keep our focus on Jesus, the center of your plan. Since you’ve forgiven us, help us walk each day in that freedom, living fully devoted to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.