Caiphas, The Way of Religion

First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. (John 18:13-14; 19-24 ESV).

What could have prompted a religious man like Caiphas to betray Jesus, to have passed the sentence of death upon him? There is no question that he was a devoted religious man. Yet, instead of preventing his betrayal, I am convinced that it was his religion that led him to betray Jesus. His reasoning was very simple. Caiphas thought: “I am religious. In fact, I am the head of all religion in Israel. Therefore I must be right. If I am right, then Jesus is wrong. He must be guilty of blasphemy and must be put to death.” How tragic that he had built his whole life around the wrong principles. His fatal flaw was that his source was wrong. His beliefs were secondhand. He had been trained and taught by Annas, his father-in-law. He had had his faith passed down to him like some special heirloom or memento. When he needed the truth, he simply didn’t know where to find it.

Several years ago a wonderful parable crossed my desk illustrating the truth of this tragedy. It is the story of a community settled on a plateau. It was in the midst of very fertile fields and at the foot of a mountain stream of crystal clear water. One day a young boy wandered up a path by the mountain stream. For several days he was not seen in the village. Finally he returned, excited and breathless with the news of a richer plateau higher up the mountain. This presented a serious problem. A group called “The Old Men Who Knew” governed the community. Every community has such a group of leaders. These men knew there was no better plateau than where they were. They told the boy to be silent lest he upset the whole community. But the boy could not be silent for he had seen the plateau with his own eyes. They old men who knew were left with no choice. They took the boy to village and stoned him to death. The years passed and the fields became barren. The community was going to have to seek a new home. Someone remembered the tale of the young boy years before. A group of young men were sent out and they found the richer plateau. The community moved out of necessity to the higher ground. More years passed, and one day another boy wandered up the mountain path. He returned to tell of a still richer plateau higher up the mountain. But there was one problem. The young men who had earlier moved the community had now become “The Old Men Who Knew.” They took the boy to the center of the village and stoned him to death.

Sometimes the most dangerous and painful thing a person can do is to try to stand apart from his past. Anything that keeps us from recognizing Jesus in our world is a tool in the hands of our enemy to keep us from our victory. In your family, in your church, or in your business you can only have freedom and victory if you will continue to walk in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Have you watched the mayflies hatching? They come to the water and bathe their bodies in the water, ridding them of anything that would prevent them from flying. They are very careful not to let their wings get into the water however. To do so would keep them from being able to fly at all. What a wonderful picture of the Christian life! Bathe yourself in the world around you, but never let your wings get wet! Then religion will not keep you from being a disciple of Christ.