Basic HTML Version
Priests and Rulers Continue Plotting
321
Several times they had attempted to stone Him, but He had quietly
withdrawn.
To excite the Romans against Him, the Pharisees had represented
Him as trying to subvert their authority. They had tried every pretext
to cut Him off from influencing the people. But their attempts had
been foiled. The multitudes who witnessed His works and heard His
pure teachings knew that these were not the deeds and words of a
Sabbathbreaker or blasphemer. In desperation the Jews had finally
passed an edict that anyone who professed faith in Jesus should be
cast out of the synagogue.
So, Pharisees and Sadducees were more nearly united than ever
before. They became one in their opposition to Christ.
The Sanhedrin was not at this time a legal assembly. It existed
only by tolerance. Some of its members questioned the wisdom
of putting Christ to death. They feared that this would excite an
insurrection. The Sadducees, united with the priests in hatred of
Christ, were inclined to be cautious, fearing that the Romans would
deprive them of their high standing.
How the Holy Spirit Tried to Help Them
In this council, assembled to plan the death of Christ, the Witness
who heard the boastful words of Nebuchadnezzar and witnessed the
idolatrous feast of Belshazzar, 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 when
Jesus, a child of twelve, stood before the learned doctors of the
law, asking questions at which they wondered. The miracle just
performed bore witness that Jesus was none other than the Son of
[361]
God. Perplexed and troubled, the rulers asked, “What do we?” There
was a division in the council.
While the council was at the height of its perplexity, Caiaphas
the high priest arose. Proud and cruel, overbearing and intolerant,
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, He must be put out of the way. He was lessening
the authority of the rulers, and if the people were to lose confidence