Priestly Plottings
459
Some of its number questioned the wisdom of putting Christ to death.
They feared that this would excite an insurrection among the people,
causing the Romans to withhold further favors from the priesthood,
and to take from them the power they still held. The Sadducees were
united in their hatred of Christ, yet they were inclined to be cautious
in their movements, fearing that the Romans would deprive them of
their high standing.
In this council, assembled to plan the death of Christ, the Witness
was present who heard the boastful words of Nebuchadnezzar, who
witnessed the idolatrous feast of Belshazzar, who was present when
Christ in Nazareth announced Himself the Anointed One. This Witness
was now impressing the rulers with the work they were doing. Events
in the life of Christ rose up before them with a distinctness that alarmed
them. They remembered the scene in the temple, when Jesus, then a
child of twelve, stood before the learned doctors of the law, asking
them questions at which they wondered. The miracle just performed
bore witness that Jesus was none other than the Son of God. In their
true significance, the Old Testament Scriptures regarding Christ flashed
before their minds. Perplexed and troubled, the rulers asked, “What
do we?” There was a division in the council. Under the impression of
the Holy Spirit, the priests and rulers could not banish the conviction
that they were fighting against God.
While the council was at the height of its perplexity, Caiaphas the
high priest arose. Caiaphas was a proud and cruel man, overbearing
and intolerant. Among his family connections were Sadducees, proud,
bold, reckless, full of ambition and cruelty, which they hid under a
cloak of pretended righteousness. Caiaphas had studied the prophe-
cies, and although ignorant of their true meaning, he spoke with great
authority and assurance: “Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it
is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the
whole nation perish not.” Even if Jesus were innocent, urged the high
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priest, He must be put out of the way. He was troublesome, drawing
the people to Himself, and lessening the authority of the rulers. He
was only one; it was better that He should die than that the authority of
the rulers should be weakened. If the people were to lose confidence
in their rulers, the national power would be destroyed. Caiaphas urged
that after this miracle the followers of Jesus would likely rise in revolt.
The Romans will then come, he said, and will close our temple, and