priests and elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest and ‘plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him’ (26:4). Their intention to arrest him in some ‘sly way’ is evidence they knew they had no legitimate case against him, and therefore to put a sufficient case against him to warrant his death would necessarily involve resorting to deceit and trickery. In addition to the build-up of opposition against him, ever since he had been with his disciples in Caesarea Philippi,
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