and they conferred together, so that by deceit they might seize Jesus and kill him.
This word reveals the deep darkness of the conspiracy being plotted against Christ. The religious leaders of Israel are not seeking the truth, but a convenient way to remove Jesus through deceit. Their aim was not a just judgment, but to extinguish the light of Jesus. “To seize by deceit” shows not only their outward cunning, but also the presence of inner darkness: they act in this way knowingly, in order to preserve their position and influence. This word shows the dangerous capacity of the human heart to cover up justice with a mask of holiness. Yet through that very conspiracy God’s saving plan was to be fulfilled. What was evil in human intention became an instrument of the divine will, through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.