Caiaphas

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.   Matthew 26:3-4

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
 
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”
  
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
Matthew 26:57-66


Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas, and ruled as high priest longer than any other in New Testament times.  The Jews under Roman law had to tread very carefully, and vice versa, actually.  The Romans didn't want Jewish revolt, and the Jews didn't want Roman tyranny.  So they lived in an oxymoron - a tumultuous peace, tiptoeing around each other, trying to have their own ways and autonomy and authority without inciting each other.

Caiaphas was a key, cool manipulator.  The Romans would not perform execution over violations of Jewish law, and therefore the charge of blasphemy would not have mattered to them . Caiaphas' legal position, therefore, was to establish that Jesus was guilty not only of blasphemy, but also of proclaiming himself the messiah, which was understood as the return of the Davidic king. This would have been an act of sedition and prompted Roman execution.

In other words, Caiaphas didn't have the courage to kill Jesus himself.  So he painted Jesus as the leader of a revolt, a would-be king looking to establish himself over Roman rule.  Caiaphas made sure that the Romans had no choice but to execute this traitorous, treacherous man.

I find that as I look at Caiaphas - and his father-in-law, Annas - I have little sympathy and assume impure and sinful motives.  I assume that they had lost sight of God and his plan.  I assume that only hearts full of greed and corruption could have done what they did.

My assumptions could be wrong.  Why can I have sympathy for the disciples and not for these men?  Why do I allow my own heart to be influenced by their wealth, power, and standing?

My assumptions could also be correct.  As men of wealth, power, and standing - not to mention Jewish education - they could have known.  They could have stopped this.  They are the ones who plotted Jesus' arrest in the first place!

In John 18, Caiaphas advises the other leaders that it would be good for one man to die for the people.

He didn't have to do that.
Why did he do that?

Why couldn't he just see who Jesus was?

How I wish I could answer that.  How I wish I could answer that for all of us.

What can we learn from Caiaphas?  I think we can learn that we all have choices, every minute of every day.  Those daily choices make our lives.  Lives of good, or evil.  Lives with consequences, positive and negative.

It appears that Caiaphas never had negative consequences due to what he did to Jesus.  He ruled as priest for many years.  We see him again in Acts, putting John and Peter on trial.  He appears to live a long, wealthy life.

But he had to appear before God at some time.  What a conversation that must have been.  He had to come face to face with Jesus, too.  Now he sees and knows exactly who Jesus is.  No questions, not anymore.

Well, this is a long post, and I don't mean it to be.  Who knew you could have so much to say about someone with so little written about him?  ;0) 

Don't be like Caiaphas.  Don't stare the truth right in the face, and deny him.