But they were saying, “Not during the feast, so that there may not be an uproar among the people.”
This statement shows the conspirators’ false caution. The chief priests and the leaders wanted to kill Jesus, but they feared the people’s reaction, because many believed in Him. They were thinking not about justice or the will of God, but about preserving their own influence and authority. The phrase “Not during the feast” reveals their hypocrisy: they avoided public disgrace, yet they did not shrink from the gravest sin—the killing of the innocent. This statement shows the deep contradiction of the human heart: it can fear people’s opinion, but not God’s judgment. Yet their plan was to be overturned, because by God’s will it was precisely during the days of Passover that Christ was to be crucified, becoming the true Passover Lamb. Thus, their crafty plan carried out exactly what had been appointed by God.