Losing Control

Comparing the beginning and end of Matthew’s passion narrative (Matthew 26:1-16; 28:1-20), Daniel Patte notes that both involve a confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders.  But the balance of that confrontation shifts; Jesus begins in apparent passivity (“delivered up”), but in the resurrection story He is the one making plans and issuing orders.  The narrative begins with the Jewish plot and Jesus’ counter-plot.  It ends with Jesus’ subversive announcement of the resurrection and the official lie that the Jewish leaders tell about the empty tomb.  Over the course of the chapters, the Jewish leaders, who at first seem so cohesive and in control (several verbs with ” sun ” prefixes reinforce their unity), lose control.

The Jewish people, however, buy the official lie (28:15).  As Patte says, “Paradoxically, the Jewish crowds pass from the side of Jesus to that of the Jewish leaders precisely when their leaders lose control and a valid claim of authority, and when Jesus receives absolute authority.”