Caiaphas

March 24 Caiaphas John 11:45-57

“The resurrection of Lazarus ought certainly to have softened even hearts of stone. But ungodliness will infect and corrupt any work of God with its bitter poison. So before men can profit from miracles, their hearts must be purified; for those in whom dwells no fear or reverence for God, even though they saw heaven and earth mingled, will always reject sound doctrine through their obstinate ingratitude.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 5:17-18

Like a Hollywood thriller, the tension increased following the raising of Lazarus. Some of those who had witnessed the miracle believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but others did not. Some of those who disbelieved made their way back to Jerusalem, there, they reported what they had seen and heard to the Pharisees. Presumably, they wanted steps to be taken to silence this Jesus of Nazareth. The authorities did not disappoint them; they had already condemned Him. Now, all the needed was an opportunity to carry out the sentence.

Caiaphas, the high priest, had been in office since 18 A.D. he had been placed in power by the Romans, so he owed his position to them. Caiaphas followed his father-in-law Annas as high priest. The older man continued to exercise considerable influence behind the scenes. They were obviously concerned, primarily, with the preservation of their positions of privilege. Caiaphas comes across as a rude bully, castigating his fellow leaders in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council, simply because they did not all share his viewpoint, or his vitriol. At no point does he seem to have had the interests of the people at heart. Instead, he referred to “our place and our nation.” The Jewish leaders, whether Sadducees or Pharisees, were more concerned about self-preservation than about serving the people, or God.

Strangely, though, Caiaphas was used by God to speak a word of prophecy. He had no idea that he was serving God in this way. Self-interest drove him to choose the death of one man in order to save the nation. What Caiaphas did not realize was that God agreed with him. One man, Jesus, would die; His death would bring together the scattered children of God into one body. Caiaphas saw Jesus as a scapegoat whose execution would preserve the status quo. God saw Jesus as the sacrificial lamb who would lay down His life for the sins of the world. Ironically, it was Caiaphas’ scapegoat who changed everything. The followers of the risen Jesus survived; they outlived the Sanhedrin, which was abolished by the Romans following the Jewish revolt of 66-70 A.D. The faith those early Christians shared also outlived the all-powerful Roman Empire. Nations rise and fall; Christ endures.

Following His stay in Bethany, Jesus withdrew for a time to a village named Ephraim, probably in the sparsely populated region of Perea, beyond the Jordan. There, He prepared Himself for the final challenge. Meanwhile, Jews were gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover. In order to be cleansed before the festival, many of them would have arrived a week early to go through ritual purification. As they gathered, they talked. They wondered what had happened to the young rabbi from Galilee. In previous years, they had been able to listen to Him in the Temple precincts. This year, He was nowhere to be seen. Would He come? The authorities asked themselves the same question, and they sent out spies to watch for Him, so that they could arrest Him. Some looked to Him for hope and healing; others cared only for vengeance. Meanwhile, the time drew near.

For further reading: Psalm 119:25-40