The briefing could not have been clearer.  Very soon, Jesus would be dead.  During the previous year (Matthew 16:21), He had repeatedly told them that He would die a violent death.  Life for the disciples would never be the same again, but in amazing ways they could never have imagined.  Jesus’ death would not be the end – only the beginning of the church!  After His resurrection they would be commissioned (Matthew 28:18-20) to tell the world about Him, their God and Saviour (John 20:28): millions would trust in Him and be saved. 

The Lord Jesus Christ had agreed Father God's plan and knew the timetable.  He was in control.  By contrast, the spiritual leaders of Israel were not.  Their hatred of Jesus fuelled their obsession to destroy Him, and His obvious authority, but they did not know how He would die or when.  Death by crucifixion was not in their jurisdiction.  Only the Roman authorities could do that.  On the other hand, the soldiers turned a blind eye when people were stoned to death.  Or perhaps they could arrest Him and kill him secretly.  But their ‘secret’ was already part of God’s plan (Acts 2:23). 
 
God would not let Christ die secretly: no shady assassination with more questions than answers.  God planned that Jesus would die publicly, in full view of plenty of witnesses, leaving His sacrificial death in no doubt (Acts 26:26).  Also, He must die on the feast of Passover because He was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  And the Passover was only two days away.  Jesus told them plainly so that they would be certain it was no accident but God's plan.  However, the chief priests and elders decided that He must not be killed or even arrested during the festival, lest there was a public riot and the Romans stopped trusting them as community leaders (John 11:48).  They thought they were in control, but they were not - because they were not God.
 
How many times have we assumed that people control the world, and that God has no power?  How very wrong.  The death of Jesus Christ was the reason for His birth.  God arranged that it would be a highly public event and planned exactly when it would happen.  In the same way He arranges for each circumstance of every child of God (Romans 8:28).  Only God knows the future (Satan does not, even though he tell us lies to make us afraid), and only the Lord has the authority to provide everything that we need (Romans 8:32).  He also equips us, better than we know, to serve Him in circumstances we could not imagine (2 Corinthians 9:8).  Believe it; live it; and encourage other believers to do the same.  It is the beginning of confidently living in Christ and serving Him to His glory.