Christ Before Caiaphas
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v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v- v-v Christ Before Caiaphas “Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together” (Matthew 26:57). After Annas had finished with his exami- Annas and Caiaphas must have been involved nation of Jesus, he sent Him to Caiaphas, the when the temple guard went out to arrest Him acting high priest (John 18:24). “The house of but came back empty-handed (John 7:32, 44). the high priest” (Luke 22:54) was likely located After the resurrection of Lazarus, Caiaphas had near the hall of Annas. Caiaphas had summoned pointedly urged the Sanhedrin to recognize that an assembly of the Sanhedrin. Some of the Jesus must die (John 11:47–53). The evidence in- scribes and the elders had already gathered at dicates that Caiaphas had been working toward his house and were ready to join with him in the elimination of Jesus for some time. interrogating Jesus (Matthew 26:57). Finally, Caiaphas had Jesus before him A preliminary judgment about Jesus would for judgment, and this was exactly where he be made at this early morning meeting, and the wanted Him. He was determined not to let Jesus Sanhedrin would issue an official verdict at a escape his grasp, even if he had to fabricate a full meeting later in the day. Following the an- case against Him. nouncement of the official verdict, Jesus would How Jesus reacted to Caiaphas’ interroga- be sent to Pilate, the Roman governor, with a tion gives us a picture of how He handled all request that he concur with the judgment and His sufferings. Peter said that we must look put Jesus to death. In capital punishment cases, closely at the actions and attitudes of Jesus so the Roman government required a civil trial to that we may know how to react to our own suf- render the same verdict as the Jewish trial before ferings. He said that Christ, in His trials and the death sentence could be carried out. crucifixion, left us “an example” and that we Annas and Caiaphas, no doubt, had for should “follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). His some time utilized all of their executive pow- words exhort us to respond to our trials in the ers to bring about the execution of Jesus. Dur- same way Jesus responded to His. Let us ask, ing His earthly ministry, hatred for Him had then, “What kind of spirit and composure did mounted among the Jews. Ever since Jesus had Jesus manifest toward this mockery of a trial rebuked their merchandising at the temple that took place under Caiaphas?” (John 2:13–22), Annas and Caiaphas had surely Amazingly, throughout this difficult ordeal, inflamed and encouraged this hatred. At the Jesus committed no sin. He did not react to those pool of Bethesda, two years before His trials who were sinning against Him by sinning in Jerusalem, the Jews had sought to kill Jesus against them. He put Himself in the hands of (John 5:18). A year before these trials, because God, who judges righteously. Jesus was well of the intense animosity toward Him, Jesus had aware that He had been pre-judged. He knew asked, “Why do you seek to kill Me?” (John that His enemies had condemned Him without 7:19b). On other occasions the Jews had sought evidence and a fair trial would be impossible. to slay Him or seize Him (John 8:59; 10:31, 39). However, He was committed to allowing God to determine the outcome. sented the facts by lifting His words out of their Jesus had neither witnesses to speak in His context and presenting them as a threat against behalf nor a defense lawyer to represent Him. their temple, when Jesus had actually intended However, as the Son of God, He could have to give a figurative picture of His resurrection. defeated their evil intentions with one word. Jesus did not try to correct these foolish In a moment of time, He could have dispersed witnesses. He calmly watched as they scrambled this ungodly gathering, but He chose to let them to put together a believable case. Their frantic do what they had chosen to do. At times, it is efforts resulted in confusion and a jumbled, appropriate to offer a personal defense, as was makeshift argument for the prosecution that in illustrated by Paul (Acts 22; 23; 26); but Jesus no way appeared to pursue justice. Laws were did not see this hearing as such a time. broken, the rights of the accused were ignored, In the midst of Caiaphas’ contrived inter- and the court sought to convict an innocent rogation, Jesus did not sin. He did not descend man with false evidence. Through it all, Jesus to the level of His interrogators or match their respectfully committed to God His mistreat- acid words. ment at the hands of lawless men. Furthermore, throughout it all, no deceit was Moreover, when He was reviled, He did not re- ever found in His mouth. He did not try to answer vile in return. When He was put under oath, He the flimsy charges of these unreasonable men answered with dignity and truth. The text says, by stretching the truth or by building a case And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You out of lies. He stood silently before them and by the living God, that You tell us whether You allowed His silence to rebuke their misconduct are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to and misplaced zeal. him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of The first challenge of Annas and Caiaphas Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and was to find evidence that would convict Him. coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew They had already determined that He should 26:63b, 64). be put to death, but they needed evidence to Jesus chose this moment as the moment to support their judgment. They would have to reveal to the world who He was. He had kept find some way to confirm their biased verdict. the truth of His deity out of public mention until They had their staff searching frantically for this key juncture in the trial before Caiaphas. anything that could be said against Jesus. Find- When Caiaphas asked Him under an oath before ing nothing that they could use against Him, God to state the truth about His identity, He they turned to manufactured evidence. They did. He not only affirmed His deity, but He also brought in false witnesses. After being sworn added a prophecy that would, in time, prove in, these minions of the devil began to accuse the truthfulness of what He had said. our Savior. Jesus did not argue with them. He He remained faithful to His intention to did not need to. The witnesses could not agree. commit His circumstances to God, even when They nullified their own testimony by their the high priest resorted to using agitated ges- inconsistencies and inaccuracies. tures and accusations. When the high priest Matthew reported, saw that he had no evidence, he desperately Now the chief priests and the whole Council made a different accusation. Engaging in the kept trying to obtain false testimony against worst kind of blasphemy himself, he charged Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. Jesus, the Son of God, of blaspheming against They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came His Father! The text says, forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it Then the high priest tore his robes and said, in three days.’” The high priest stood up and “He has blasphemed! What further need do said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now that these men are testifying against You?” heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” But Jesus kept silent (Matthew 26:59–63a). They answered, “He deserves death!” (Mat- thew 26:65, 66). The priests and Council members miscon- strued what Jesus had said. They misrepre- How did Jesus respond to all of this? Did He revile His accusers because they had reviled mitted Himself to the care of God. Matthew Him? Did He curse them because they had said, “They spat in His face and beat Him with condemned Him! No, He did none of these their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, things. He stood before them as the epitome of ‘Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who righteousness. When He was charged with the hit You?’” (Matthew 26:67). He did not recoil worst imaginable sin, He said nothing! They or retaliate. He did not answer fist for a fist or laughed at the truest words that have ever been insult for an insult. He chose God to be His Rock spoken, the divine truth that Jesus had been and Shelter in the midst of this storm. sent from heaven. Jesus humbly permitted them Eddie Cloer to have their way with His words and with Him. v- v- v- v- v While He was suffering, He uttered no threats.