And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Caiaphas, the high priest that year, scornfully rebuked the perplexed and divided council as knowing nothing at all, and his voice decided the matter toward killing Jesus. He spoke after Jesus raised Lazarus at Bethany, a crowning public proof of divine power that led many to believe yet hardened the rulers in unbelief and murderous resolve. He argued it was expedient for one innocent and troublesome man to die to preserve their power and keep the Romans from taking their place and nation. Though moved by corrupt motives and not understanding his own words, he thereby prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only but to gather God's scattered children into one as Redeemer. God overruled their crime for good, so that the death they meant to prevent His kingship made Him ruler and Saviour of the world and brought the sacrifices and Aaronic priesthood to their fulfillment and end.
Setting After Lazarus
Caiaphas's rebuke belongs to the rulers' meeting called after Jesus raised Lazarus at Bethany. That raising was Christ's crowning miracle, giving public and clear proof of divine power that He is the Son of God and supporting His claim to be the Messiah. Many witnesses believed in Him because of it and glorified God, and its testimony continued afterward to lead people to believe in Him. The Pharisees saw that it supported His Messiahship, yet their longstanding hatred and jealousy, increased by every act of mercy, led them to seek His death despite His works of mercy and teachings, and they had already threatened to expel anyone who professed faith in Him.
By God's plan and divine wisdom Jesus abode two days where He was instead of answering at once, so that Lazarus died and was laid in the tomb before Jesus arrived. Lazarus, with Mary and Martha, loved Jesus with sincere fervent love and sympathized wholly with Him against the enmity, jealousy and unjust charges of the Pharisees. People who witnessed this powerful evidence of His divine work reported it to the priests and rulers. Those who had again and again rejected light would not yield even to this overwhelming evidence, but went away immediately to tell what Jesus had done and aroused anew the hatred of His bitterest enemies the Pharisees.
The miracle did not soften the Pharisees and rulers but hardened them in unbelief. Though already murderers in heart, they rejected the overwhelming evidence and grew more hostile, with greater light bringing greater hatred. Their hatred had become murderous and more resolute, threatening their influence, so they sought opportunity and determined to silence, seize, condemn and destroy Him and to extinguish the light by putting Him to death.
The council was divided and perplexed, with some fearing that killing Him would provoke insurrection and lead the Romans to strip the priesthood of its remaining power and standing. The prevailing fear was that letting Jesus alone would make all believe, that He would gain greater authority and become king and draw the people away from them, provoking the Romans to take their place and nation and take position, influence and power from the rulers. So they plotted to stop Him only by death, to seize and condemn Him secretly and when alone to avoid the crowd. They also decided Lazarus must die, because his being raised testified to Jesus' power and his living testimony would turn public opinion toward Jesus and undermine their national power and influence, and they sought to redirect the people toward human traditions and teachings.
Caiaphas Rebukes Council
The man who spoke was Caiaphas, high priest that year. He was proud and cruel, overbearing and intolerant, yet he spoke with great authority and apparent knowledge. He had studied prophecy but was dark as to its true meaning, understanding it only in a limited way.
The council was perplexed and divided over what to do. Nicodemus and Joseph were excluded from the consultation, because they had before prevented condemnation, while others feared to kill Jesus or wished to restrain hatred. In that deadlock Caiaphas loftily and scornfully rebuked the rest as knowing nothing at all. His voice decided the matter.
He argued that it was expedient for one man to die rather than for the nation to perish. By this he urged the death of Jesus to protect their own power and a corrupt priesthood and to preserve the nation from Roman retaliation. Even if Jesus was innocent and guiltless He must die, because He was troublesome, drew the people to Himself, and lessened the authority and power of the rulers. The leaders concluded He could be stopped only by putting Him to death. This counsel that Jesus should die for the people is connected with His arrest and being brought before the authorities. In the same dispute he acknowledged Jesus as a prophet but considered His death necessary to fulfill prophecy.
Unwitting Prophecy Fulfilled
Though spoken from corrupt motives to defend the killing of an innocent man so that the nation might remain in sin rather than be saved from it, the saying began and carried a prophecy whose full significance was not understood by the speaker. It was meant to protect a corrupt priesthood, yet it testified that Jesus would die for the people and for the nation, pointing to His mission as Redeemer. The words were uttered with proud authority by one who had studied prophecy yet knew it only in a limited way and was dark as to its true meaning, and so he blindly acknowledged what he did not comprehend. That acknowledgment had broad and deep significance, not for that nation only, but to gather together in one the scattered children of God.
The One thus designated to die had been prefigured by the sacrifices. His death fulfilled the purpose of the Jewish sacrificial system, bringing its types and shadows to their reality. In this it closed the Aaronic priesthood and ended the need for its offerings.
The rulers plotted arrest and death because they were jealous and feared He would gain greater authority, draw the people away, and become king, yet their act brought about the very result they sought to prevent. God overruled their crime for good, so that Christ became the Redeemer of mankind, ruler over the whole world and Saviour of the fallen race. This providential outcome does not lessen their guilt, and their crime remains heinous.
The evidence of Messiahship in His signs and miracles, including raising the dead, did not soften their hearts, but greater light brought greater hatred and a determination to extinguish the light by putting Him to death. Their rejection of Christ is compared with rejecting God's law, and their resort to false witness and deception belonged to that rejection. Their resistance to truth is repeated when religious ministers work against the light God sends to His people.
Caiaphas, the high priest that year, scornfully rebuked the perplexed and divided council as knowing nothing at all, and his voice decided the matter toward killing Jesus. He spoke after Jesus raised Lazarus at Bethany, a crowning public proof of divine power that led many to believe yet hardened the rulers in unbelief and murderous resolve. He argued it was expedient for one innocent and troublesome man to die to preserve their power and keep the Romans from taking their place and nation. Though moved by corrupt motives and not understanding his own words, he thereby prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only but to gather God's scattered children into one as Redeemer. God overruled their crime for good, so that the death they meant to prevent His kingship made Him ruler and Saviour of the world and brought the sacrifices and Aaronic priesthood to their fulfillment and end.
Setting After Lazarus
Caiaphas's rebuke belongs to the rulers' meeting called after Jesus raised Lazarus at Bethany. That raising was Christ's crowning miracle, giving public and clear proof of divine power that He is the Son of God and supporting His claim to be the Messiah. Many witnesses believed in Him because of it and glorified God, and its testimony continued afterward to lead people to believe in Him. The Pharisees saw that it supported His Messiahship, yet their longstanding hatred and jealousy, increased by every act of mercy, led them to seek His death despite His works of mercy and teachings, and they had already threatened to expel anyone who professed faith in Him.
By God's plan and divine wisdom Jesus abode two days where He was instead of answering at once, so that Lazarus died and was laid in the tomb before Jesus arrived. Lazarus, with Mary and Martha, loved Jesus with sincere fervent love and sympathized wholly with Him against the enmity, jealousy and unjust charges of the Pharisees. People who witnessed this powerful evidence of His divine work reported it to the priests and rulers. Those who had again and again rejected light would not yield even to this overwhelming evidence, but went away immediately to tell what Jesus had done and aroused anew the hatred of His bitterest enemies the Pharisees.
The miracle did not soften the Pharisees and rulers but hardened them in unbelief. Though already murderers in heart, they rejected the overwhelming evidence and grew more hostile, with greater light bringing greater hatred. Their hatred had become murderous and more resolute, threatening their influence, so they sought opportunity and determined to silence, seize, condemn and destroy Him and to extinguish the light by putting Him to death.
The council was divided and perplexed, with some fearing that killing Him would provoke insurrection and lead the Romans to strip the priesthood of its remaining power and standing. The prevailing fear was that letting Jesus alone would make all believe, that He would gain greater authority and become king and draw the people away from them, provoking the Romans to take their place and nation and take position, influence and power from the rulers. So they plotted to stop Him only by death, to seize and condemn Him secretly and when alone to avoid the crowd. They also decided Lazarus must die, because his being raised testified to Jesus' power and his living testimony would turn public opinion toward Jesus and undermine their national power and influence, and they sought to redirect the people toward human traditions and teachings.
Caiaphas Rebukes Council
The man who spoke was Caiaphas, high priest that year. He was proud and cruel, overbearing and intolerant, yet he spoke with great authority and apparent knowledge. He had studied prophecy but was dark as to its true meaning, understanding it only in a limited way.
The council was perplexed and divided over what to do. Nicodemus and Joseph were excluded from the consultation, because they had before prevented condemnation, while others feared to kill Jesus or wished to restrain hatred. In that deadlock Caiaphas loftily and scornfully rebuked the rest as knowing nothing at all. His voice decided the matter.
He argued that it was expedient for one man to die rather than for the nation to perish. By this he urged the death of Jesus to protect their own power and a corrupt priesthood and to preserve the nation from Roman retaliation. Even if Jesus was innocent and guiltless He must die, because He was troublesome, drew the people to Himself, and lessened the authority and power of the rulers. The leaders concluded He could be stopped only by putting Him to death. This counsel that Jesus should die for the people is connected with His arrest and being brought before the authorities. In the same dispute he acknowledged Jesus as a prophet but considered His death necessary to fulfill prophecy.
Unwitting Prophecy Fulfilled
Though spoken from corrupt motives to defend the killing of an innocent man so that the nation might remain in sin rather than be saved from it, the saying began and carried a prophecy whose full significance was not understood by the speaker. It was meant to protect a corrupt priesthood, yet it testified that Jesus would die for the people and for the nation, pointing to His mission as Redeemer. The words were uttered with proud authority by one who had studied prophecy yet knew it only in a limited way and was dark as to its true meaning, and so he blindly acknowledged what he did not comprehend. That acknowledgment had broad and deep significance, not for that nation only, but to gather together in one the scattered children of God.
The One thus designated to die had been prefigured by the sacrifices. His death fulfilled the purpose of the Jewish sacrificial system, bringing its types and shadows to their reality. In this it closed the Aaronic priesthood and ended the need for its offerings.
The rulers plotted arrest and death because they were jealous and feared He would gain greater authority, draw the people away, and become king, yet their act brought about the very result they sought to prevent. God overruled their crime for good, so that Christ became the Redeemer of mankind, ruler over the whole world and Saviour of the fallen race. This providential outcome does not lessen their guilt, and their crime remains heinous.
The evidence of Messiahship in His signs and miracles, including raising the dead, did not soften their hearts, but greater light brought greater hatred and a determination to extinguish the light by putting Him to death. Their rejection of Christ is compared with rejecting God's law, and their resort to false witness and deception belonged to that rejection. Their resistance to truth is repeated when religious ministers work against the light God sends to His people.