"JESUS knew that his hour was come."--_John 13:1._
THE chief priests grew more fierce and bitter when they saw how all
men listened to the Lord Jesus. They could do nothing to Him by day,
because the people would have risen up to defend Him; so they tried how
to find Him alone and at night, to take Him secretly.
Now, one of the twelve apostles, named Judas Iscariot, was too fond
of money, and used to take for himself what was trusted to him to
take care of. So he went on from bad to worse, till at last he did
the dreadful thing of promising the chief priests that he would show
them to some lonely place, where they could take his Lord and Master
prisoner; and then they were to pay him for this wickedness with thirty
pieces of silver.
Judas settled all this, and then he went back to our Lord and the other
eleven apostles just as usual, thinking they did not know; but our Lord
did know very well. But He bade the apostles get ready the supper that
was eaten the night before the Passover, in a large upper room that was
lent to them for it, and there He sat down to eat with them.