The scribes and Pharisees, expecting to see Jesus at the Passover, had laid a trap for Him. But Jesus, knowing their purpose, had absented Himself from this gathering. "Then came together unto Him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes." As He did not go to them, they came to Him. For a time it had seemed that the people of Galilee would receive Jesus as the Messiah, and that the power of the hierarchy in that region would be broken. The mission of the twelve, indicating the extension of Christ's work, and bringing the disciples more directly into conflict with the rabbis, had excited anew the jealousy of the leaders at Jerusalem. The spies they sent to Capernaum in the early part of His ministry, who had tried to fix on Him the charge of Sabbathbreaking, had been put to confusion; but the rabbis were bent on carrying out their purpose. Now another deputation was sent to watch His movements, and find some accusation against Him.

Dette kapitel er bygget op over Matt 15,1-20; Mark 7,1-23
De skriftkloge og farisæerne, som ventede at se Jesus ved påskehøjtiden, havde stillet en fælde for ham. Men Jesus, som kendte deres planer, havde holdt sig borte fra denne sammenkomst. "Og farisæerne og nogle af de skriftkloge, som var kommet fra Jerusalem, samler sig omkring ham." Da han ikke ville komme til dem, kom de til ham. En tid havde det set ud til, at Galilæas befolkning ville anerkende Jesus som Messias, og at præsternes magt i denne landsdel skulle brydes. Udsendelsen af de tolv, der betegnede en udvidelse af Kristi gerning og bragte disciplene mere direkte i strid med de skriftkloge, havde på ny vakt skinsyge hos lederne i Jerusalem. De spioner, som de havde sendt til Kapernaum på et tidligere tidspunkt af Jesu virksomhed, og som havde forsøgt at anklage ham for at bryde sabbatten, var blevet bragt i forlegenhed; men rabbinerne var fast besluttede på at udføre deres forsæt. Nu blev der sendt en anden deputation ud for at overvåge hans handlinger og finde på en eller anden beskyldning imod ham.