"Personality of the Passion -- Caiaphas, the High Priest"

BACKGROUND: The next “personality” key in Jesus’ passion is the High Priest, Caiaphas. While he is not named in Mark’s Gospel, his identity is clear. Matthew’s section of the story is very similar to Mark’s. Luke skims over this part of the passion, making “Why do we need any more testimony?” a communal determination by “the chief priests and teacher’s of the law.” John barely mentions Caiaphas, bringing to center stage Caiaphas’ father-in-law, Annas, who, though deposed by the Romans, still has a position of influence.

To get at the life of Caiaphas, we have a fictional section from “The Memoirs of Caiaphas, the High Priest”, Published by “Shalom” Publishing, Jerusalem, Israel, 37 a.d.
Chapter 3

Being a High Priest was always far from easy. But I usually got my way.

I grew up in Jerusalem. I came from a good family. I had an easy life. I got good grades in school, I was smart. Some said I was devious. I was captain of our chariot team. I took my religion seriously so no one was really surprised when I entered the profession of priest (more of a civil calling than a religious one in those days).

My career track really took off when it was arranged that I should be united in marriage to Ruth, the beautiful daughter of the High Priest, Annas. That put me directly in line for High Priest and sure enough when Annas retired (actually he was deposed by the Romans), it was me who got the job.

Being chief priest was not all that it might have been. There was this “small” matter of the Roman occupation. The Romans had controlled our country for years. We Jews take pride in being a free people. Moses had led us from Egypt to freedom, but now here we were captives in our own land. Becoming free from Rome was on everyone’s minds.

All of that went to the back burner, though, when I started to get wind of this guy named Jesus. It was of a concern because I had to be attentive to the religious and political forces that could come threaten the nation’s welfare.

That’s exactly what it sounded like was happening with Jesus. He was a Galilean, a self appointed prophet of some kind. He attracted big crowds with miracles and a radical style of preaching. What disturbed me most, however, was that he was making negative comments about religious leaders. Some had come to believe he was some kind of new king. The last thing I needed was someone undermining my authority and starting a rebellion.
I won’t go into all the details, but things got worse. There were massive miracles, growing crowds and public run-ins with religious leaders.

It all came to a head during the Passover, 33 a.d. A couple of million people came to Jerusalem for the Passover, our most important religious festival. The Roman occupation made it especially tense.

To add to the tension, early in the week, Jesus showed up in town. He was quite a sight, really, riding on a colt like some kind of king and people shouting praises as to a messiah, a savior. I always thought it was pretty pathetic really, as if this Jesus were going to lead a revolution. But this is where he crossed the line. And he didn’t stop there. When he drove the money changers out of the temple, he’d just gone too far. The time had come to do something, even something drastic.

Personally, I thought that it was better for him to die than for all Israel to be led astray. But, I consulted with my father-in-law, Annas, now a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the highest court in the land. He agreed that something had to be done. Informally there was unanimous agreement among the religious leaders, even though we disagreed about many things, that Jesus must be stopped at all cost. Some wanted to arrest him right away, others wanted to wait. When Judas came and volunteered his services, it was agreed to arrest him after sundown on Passover.

Chapter 4

It was highly unusual to hold a meeting of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council, at night. Actually, it was against our own rules, but the crisis of the moment made it necessary. We sent word to members of the Sanhedrin, all 70 of them, that we were to meet at 10:00 pm. Shortly thereafter Jesus was brought to the council chamber. We held the trial right then and there to avoid adverse publicity.

I’ve already said that I’m used to things going my way. But I wasn’t at all happy about the trial.

We had some paid witnesses to testify against Jesus. But they couldn’t seem to get it right. Those yokels contradicted each other and even forgot what we had paid them to say. And Jesus, he just stood there. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even acknowledge our presence.

Things were turning into a real fiasco, into a real bad deal.

And I was running out of patience. So much so, I asked Jesus myself, point blank, “Are you God’s chosen one, the messiah?” If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have asked that question because if Jesus denied it, I’m not sure what would have happened. But he broke his silence with this astounding reply. He said, “I am; and you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of the Almighty One, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Can you believe that? I tore my clothes upon hearing such an improper use of God’s name and such an affront to authority. In the heat of the moment, I said, “Why do we still need witnesses? We have heard his blasphemy for ourselves! What is your decision?” It was unanimous. Jesus deserved death just for the fact he claimed to be God.

By the time this was all over, it was well past midnight. I have to admit, I felt pretty good about the job I had done. Leadership is not easy and it’s not for the fainthearted. I had acted decisively for the good of the nation. I had recognized a serious situation and taken steps to deal with the problem. I had gathered evidence, had Jesus arrested, conducted the trial, and got the sentence of death that was called for. Jesus would soon be forgotten. I had averted a possible disaster for the nation.

But there were a few unsettling details. Malchus, my slave, had his ear cut off by Peter at the time of the arrest. Malchus, always trustworthy, swears Jesus healed that ear. I’m really not sure what to make of that!!

I haven’t said this out loud, but now these years later, there are still times when I cry out deep in my heart, “My God, what have I done?” Is it possible that this Jesus of Nazareth is really who he said he was? Could he possibly have been the Son of God? The way things are going with this resurrection from the dead and the spread of a group called “Christian” it sure looks like it.

I just keep telling myself that I was just did my job. I put the interests of the nation first. I had a difficult decision to make and I made it. After all, I’m used to getting things done. And, I’m used to getting my way.

One thing still really bothers me. I remember one day when Jesus was preaching out near the temple. Although I strongly opposed him I stopped just to hear what he had to say. I wish I hadn’t have stopped because his words, very searching words, still haunt me. He said, “What does it profit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose their own soul?”

I’m not sure what Jesus meant by that phrase. The meaning seems not to be completely clear. But I’m pretty sure that somehow those words apply to me.