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JESUS AND CAIAPHAS

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 6, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 10.

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JESUS AND CAIAPHAS.

The Sunday lesson in this week's paper for March 10 brings before us as pre-eminent two persons. All the events of the lesson revolve around them. The former appears as an accused culprit; the latter sits as judge: the former condemned at the highest court of the nation, His own nation; the latter, as the head of the highest court of that nation, pronounces the former guilty. If it were but the event of a day, if it were but an incident in the nation's life, it would not be worth our while to consider it seriously; but these events are of world-wide and ages-long import; for in the name, the character, the mission, the end of each there are vitally important lessons for the student.
The name of Jesus signifies Saviour. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus,” said the angel; “for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21. “Jesus” is the Greek of the Hebrew “Joshua,” meaning, “Jehovah his help.” For it was because He was helped in all His need with all the fulness of Jehovah that He is able to save and succor others.
The character of Jesus is implied in His name. He could not be the Saviour of His people if imperfect in character. He could not be a sinner and save from sin. Neither could He be a Saviour unless He had met sin where the sinner must meet it, in all the weakness of fallen humanity. He must feel the need of divine power as man feels it. He must sense the weakness of the flesh as man senses it. He must be so distinctly identified with man that He could know, “I can of Mine own self do nothing.” John 5:30. And so the Spirit declares: “Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that [wherein] He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 2:17, 18. As He is able to help in all things, to save even “to the uttermost” all that come to God thru Him, so He was tempted in all things. He saves from all things wherein He was tempted; He saves from all sin; He was therefore tempted in all things. And His character is the glorious eternal victory thru faith in God over all possible temptations, over sin in every conceivable form.
In all His temptations to sin, He “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” He won in the conflict the glorious eternal name, “JEHOVAH TSIDKENU,” “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Jer. 23:6.
His mission was wholly an unselfish one, undertaken solely for others' good. The only being in heaven entitled to share the glory of the Father or to inherit His throne, “He did not affect to appear in divine majesty,” “did not meditate a usurpation to be like God,” “did not think it a matter to be earnestly desired,” “did not earnestly affect,” “did not think of eagerly retaining,” “did not eagerly grasp,” “did not regard as an object of solicitous desire,” “thought it not a thing to be seized,” “counted it not a thing to be grasped to be like God,” but “divested Himself,” “emptied Himself,” “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8, various translations. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, tho He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye thru His poverty might be rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9. He came to seek and to save that which was lost; came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; came to save even the chief of sinners, because He loved them. For “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And this also was the love of Christ, for did He not say, “I and My Father are one”?
The above are but glimpses of the divine mission on which He came. How wholly unselfish it was! Not once did He attempt to save Himself, not once did He place as supreme His own desires. A lost world to save was ever before Him; the Father's will was ever His pleasure.
His name reveals Him as the mighty Saviour of men. His character is that of perfect righteousness, goodness, love. His mission was wholly unselfish, to save even His enemies, Judas and Caiaphas among them.

Caiaphas.

The name “Caiaphas” signifies, according to some authorities, “depression,” according to others, “oppressor.” It is fitting in either case. It marks the depression of despair in a nation that was once crowned with the glory of God, in the face of a privilege which might have lifted that people to a higher glory than was ever known. He was the oppressor of the innocent One. Never before any judge stood one so absolutely guiltless. He was guiltless of crime, of sin, of folly, of selfishness. He was the personification of righteousness, and wisdom, and love; yet Caiaphas, the oppressor, hunted Him to His death, even to the employment of false witnesses.
The character of Caiaphas was in harmony with his name of oppressor. In his church relations he was a haughty Sadducee, professing to believe only the books of Moses, and knowing and believing but little of that portion of Scripture. The office was not now filled by divine appointment, nor did the incumbent hold his position for life, as formerly; but the high-priesthood was a gift of the Roman governor, bestowed at his will. It was a political office, which Annas, by his wealth and shrewdness, had long held in his family, and the coarse, shrewd, bold, crafty Caiaphas, his son-in-law, held it, according to Schaff, eighteen years.
It was owing to the corrupt Sadducean régime that the temple worship had become so corrupted by unholy traffic, and it is said that the priests profited by its desecration. It had been designed as a house of prayer for all people; it had become a den of thieves and robbers among its professed friends. And there is no doubt that the words and work of Jesus in cleansing the temple and denouncing the unholy traffic had increased the growing hatred of the proud Sadducean priest.
The mission of Caiaphas was self-aggrandizement, self-honor, self-gain. It was wholly selfish. And his very hatred of Jesus was because he feared that he would lose his influence thru the growing popularity of the lowly, unambitious Nazarene. John 11:47, 48. Yet even this man God used to predict the death of our Lord; but he prophesied all unconscious to himself of what it meant. The character of the unholy instrument, used by the Spirit, is manifest in the, “It is expedient” that one man shall die; but it must be the other man, not self. Jesus saw the great need of the world, and gave Himself.
The name of Caiaphas was typical of the depression of the Jewish nation, or the disposition of the man. His character was ambitious, imperious, coarse, political, and ignoble. Policy instead of principle, expediency instead of righteousness, was dominant in his life. His mission was wholly selfish. And the result of all was the greatest crime in the history of the world.
Caiaphas was a type of other persecutors who would never have been mentioned if it had not been for the fame and character of those they persecuted.
Caiaphas thought to destroy the man Jesus; but he destroyed himself and his nation.
Jesus would not compromise His character or degrade His mission, and died; but thru His death came everlasting destruction of sin and Satan; but death could not hold Him, and thru His resurrection came everlasting power and life to all who will receive them.
Caiaphas was so anxious to hold his place that he would do it at whatever consequence even by the sacrifice of the innocent.
Jesus, in supreme confidence in God, knew that right would triumph, and committed Himself and His cause to God.
Which character, which mission, which end shall we choose?