Matthew 26:1-5 - The Chief Priests And Elders Plot To Kill Jesus
1 And it happened when Jesus had finished all this teaching, He said to His disciples, 2 "You know that the Passover Festival will be celebrated in two more days [Note: This was the annual Jewish festival commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage under Moses' leadership], and the Son of man will be turned over to be crucified."
3 Then the leading priests and elders of the [Jewish] people were gathered in the courtroom of the head priest, named Caiaphas. 4 They were taking counsel together as to how they might take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they reasoned, "We will not do it during the Festival because it might start a riot among the people."