First it treats of those things which pertain to the Passion as preliminaries, in a threefold manner.
The preliminaries to the Passion are three, namely the plotting of the Jews, the prediction of Christ's Passion, and the consolation of the disciples. Therefore the first part has three parts. For first it treats of the conspiracy of the Jews; second, of the prediction of the Passion, there: Now there were certain Gentiles etc., below in the twelfth chapter; third, of the strengthening of the disciples, below in the thirteenth chapter: Before the feast day.
First, concerning the plotting of the Jews, four things are set forth.
The first part, in which it treats of the plotting of the Jews, who were devising the death of Christ, has four parts. In the first is described the conspiracy of the Jews; in the second, the strengthening of the conspiracy, there: Jesus therefore six days before; third, the amplification of the conspiracy, there: A great multitude therefore knew; fourth, the obstinacy in the conspiracy, there: And on the next day a great multitude.
The conspiracy of the Jews is therefore described in this order: first is set forth the investigation of human counsel; second, the determination of the counsel; third, from this the concealment of Christ; fourth, the search for the concealed Christ.
65. (Verse 47). There is set forth therefore first the conspiracy of the Jews, which arose on the occasion of the manifestation of Christ; on account of which it says: The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council against Jesus . The ambition of the rulers was united together with the malice of the Pharisees, so that by force they might form an iniquitous counsel: Sirach twenty-one: "The congregation of sinners is like gathered tow." And they said: What do we do, because this man performs many signs? Chrysostom:
"They still call Him a man, who had given so great a demonstration of His Divinity."
66. (Vers. 48.). If we let him go on like this, all will believe in him, and from this follows an absurdity, and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation. They said this because the Romans then ruled over them, and if they found for themselves a new emperor or king, they feared incurring their indignation; therefore they preferred to act against God rather than against man. Wherefore Proverbs twenty-nine: "He who fears man will quickly fall." The reason for this was that they loved temporal things more than eternal; whence Augustine says: "They were unwilling to lose temporal things and did not think of eternal life, and so they lost both." And what they feared befell them; whence Chrysostom says that in them was fulfilled that word of the Psalm: "The nations have sunk in the destruction which they made"; Proverbs ten: "What the wicked fears will come upon him; the desire of the just shall be granted."
67. (Vers. 49.). But one of them etc. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the determination of the counsel, which was made by human authority, by divine dispensation, and by common agreement. By human authority: on account of which he says: One of them, named Caiaphas, since he was the high priest of that year, and thus had authority, and through this gave an authoritative counsel, said: You know nothing at all.
68. (Vers. 50.). Nor do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish. One: Romans five: "For if by the offense of one man many died, much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man has abounded unto many." He did not give counsel that he should be killed on account of his own fault, because it would have had no force; but on account of the salvation of others, so that no one could now resist this on account of Christ's innocence. Jeremiah eighteen: "Come, and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; come, and let us strike him with the tongue and let us not attend to any of his words." That counsel of Christ's death proceeded from the priests, according to that word of Daniel thirteen: "Iniquity came forth from the elder judges who seemed to govern the people." The determination of the counsel was made not only by human authority, but also by divine dispensation; wherefore the Evangelist adds:
69. (Vers. 51.). But he did not say this of himself, that is, by his own invention, but by divine inspiration; wherefore he says: But since he was the high priest of that year, he prophesied. He attributes the prophetic Spirit to the sacerdotal honor. In this it is evident that the Holy Spirit works many noble works even through wicked priests; whence they are to be held in reverence. Wherefore, when Paul cursed the high priest, having learned that he was the high priest, he said: "I did not know that he was the high priest," Acts twenty-three; and Saul, when he was anointed, prophesied, 1 Kings ten. And he explains his prophecy by adding: He prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation.
70. (Vers. 52.). And not for the nation only, namely of the Jews, but that he might gather together into one the children of God, who were scattered abroad, that is, that he might collect the predestined into the unity of the Church. This gathering was foretold in Isaiah 11: "He shall gather together the fugitives of Israel and shall collect the dispersed of Judah from the four quarters of the earth"; and in Isaiah 60: "Your sons shall come from afar"; above in chapter 10: "Other sheep I have that are not of this fold, and them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." When with human authority and divine dispensation there concurs the concord of subjects, therefore he adds:
71. (Vers. 53.). From that day therefore they devised to put him to death, no one any longer contradicting:
because, even though they had sought before, as is said above in chapters 7 and 8: "Why do you seek to kill me?" yet not with so definite a plan. On this, Proverbs 18.
72. (Vers. 54.). Jesus therefore no longer walked openly. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the concealment of Christ. He conceals himself, that is, he withdraws, not from fear, but for our instruction: not to flee death, but that the fitting time might come; whence he says: Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went into a region near the desert, seeking more secluded places according to a human manner, into a city called Ephrem, and there he stayed with his disciples. On this, Augustine says: "It is apparent that it is not a sin if the faithful, who are members of Christ, withdraw themselves from the eyes of their persecutors and avoid the fury of the wicked by hiding rather than inflame them further by presenting themselves." He fled the Jews and remained with his disciples; above in chapter 10: "The sheep follow him and hear his voice."
73. (Vers. 55.). Now the Passover was near. Here the fourth point is touched upon, namely the seeking of the hidden Christ, which was done by those who had gone up for the feast day, because Christ was accustomed to go up on feast days. Therefore he says: Now the Passover was near, the feast day of the Jews. By antonomasia, the Passover is called the feast day, which was celebrated in the first month, namely April; Exodus 12: "This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first in the months of the year. On the tenth day of this month let every man take a lamb according to their families and houses," etc. And many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover, that is, before the feast day. And the reason is added: that they might sanctify themselves, because no one who was unclean dared to eat the Passover; Numbers 9: "A man who is unclean by reason of a dead person, or on a journey, let him keep the Passover in the second month"; below in chapter 18: "That they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover." These came to cleanse themselves outwardly, but to defile themselves inwardly through willful murder; whence he says:
74. (Vers. 56.). Therefore they sought Jesus, namely to destroy him: Psalm: "Let them be confounded and put to shame who seek my soul, to take it away." And they spoke among themselves, standing in the temple. And the manner of seeking is added: What do you think, that he has not come to the feast day? This question was raised in the temple. Whence was fulfilled that word of Jeremiah 7: "This house, in which my name has been invoked, has been made a den of thieves"; whence Matthew 21: "You have made it a den of thieves." But why they sought him thus, the Evangelist indicates: Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given a command that, if anyone should know where he was, he should report it, so that they might seize him. Saul gave a similar perverse command concerning David in 1 Kings 23: "Consider and see all his hiding places, in which he conceals himself. And if he has hidden himself in the earth, I will search him out through all the thousands of Judah."
Questions.
75. Quest. 1. It is asked whether the Jews sinned in giving this counsel.
That they did, it seems, because the chief priests and Pharisees are rebuked for having killed the Lord or caused him to be killed, and the Lord himself rebuked them above in chapter seven.
That they did not, it seems: 1. Because it was the will of God that Christ be killed: therefore in willing to kill him they were conforming their will to the divine will: and if this is so: therefore they were not sinning.
2. Likewise, the Lord himself willed his Son to suffer; but he could not suffer unless he were killed: and the Jews killed him: therefore he willed that the Jews should kill him.
3. Likewise, he came for this purpose, that he might suffer: therefore if the Jews had not killed him, his coming would have been frustrated: therefore since his coming had its efficacy from the counsel of the Jews, it seems that the Jews did not sin.
I respond: It must be said that the Jews sinned both by reason of the act and by reason of the intention. By reason of the act, because they willed to kill him whom they knew to be innocent, which can in no way be done rightly. By reason of the intention, because they did not intend to fulfill the divine will, but to satiate their own envy.
I. 2. To what is therefore objected, that the death of Christ pleased God: it must be said that the active killing was permitted, but the passive suffering was pleasing, as it is in the sufferings of the Saints; because those men killed with an evil will, and Christ suffered with a good one.