Bound

During a recent meeting to discuss the Jesus situation, Caiaphas, the chief priests, and Pharisees had agreed something must be done about the man. They feared that if more and more people believed in Jesus as the Messiah, Rome would take away their nation. And take away their places as leaders.

Caiaphas had listened to all the leader’s comments with growing impatience. Finally, he cut through their chatter and declared,

“You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.”

They decided that Jesus must die. From that day on, they sought a way to kill Him. They hoped Jesus would attend Passover in Jerusalem and that they would get a chance to take Him when He wasn’t surrounded by crowds of people. After all they didn’t want a riot.

It couldn’t have worked out any better. Jesus had come for Passover. And this very night, Judas, one of the man’s own disciples, had betrayed his rabbi for only thirty pieces of silver. Judas had even given them the signal which man to arrest by pointing Him out with a kiss.  

Caiaphas gathered the scribes and Pharisees now that Jesus was in custody. They were in agreement that Jesus must die, but they couldn’t put him to death without the Romans ordering it. In order to bring charges against Jesus that would justify a Roman death sentence they needed some witnesses. False witnesses would do.

They found people who would testify against Jesus, but most of what they said didn’t help their cause. No, they needed two witnesses to tell the same story. Finally, two came up with the same testimony saying:

“This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’”

(John 2:19 tells us that Jesus actually said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus was not talking about the physical temple in Jerusalem. He was speaking about the temple of His body, which would rise from the grave in three days.)

Once Caiaphas heard the false testimony of two witnesses, he stood up and said to Jesus, “Do you make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”

Jesus was silent.

His silence made Caiaphas furious.

“I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

At this the Son of God answered “You have said it yourself, nevertheless I tell you hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

When Caiaphas heard the words of Jesus, he recognized the words from Messianic prophecies found in Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. The high priest tore his robes and screamed toward the priests and Pharisees, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?”

“He is deserving of death!” they called.

With hatred in their eyes and hearts they attacked Jesus. They spit on Jesus. Some beat him with their fists. Others slapped Him.

“Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

The men who were supposed to be God’s representatives for God’s people, were determined to kill Jesus. They refused to believe that the Son of God was bound and standing before them. In their midst stood the Messiah, the One for whom they had been watching and waiting all their lives.

Carla Killough McClafferty