At this point in the text, it is the week of Passover – one of the most important Jewish holidays of the year where the people commemorated God's deliverance from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus was teaching openly in the Temple courts, and the religious leaders were furious. They wanted Him dead – but they feared the crowds. They might not have found a way, but then they found a co-conspirator from within the most unlikely group –Jesus' own disciples.
