Caiaphas

Christ before Caiaphas by Mattias Stom, 1630 (Wiki Commons)

Sunday morning's sermon was on Caiaphas' prophecy. It made me think about how God does not need any one of us to accomplish His will. Oh, He has tasks for us, but if we resist another will be sent to accomplish His purpose.

The first verse that comes to mind regarding this is in Esther. I've used it enough that you may know it by heart:

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 KJV)

Mordecai firmly believed that his God was capable of providing deliverance for His people independent of any individual. God does not need us, He wants us. However, we do have to listen to him. Caiaphas didn't listen, although that was His job. He listened to people and politics. He listened to what people wanted, and what they feared. (My, oh, my. Does that sound familiar?)

If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. (John 11:48 KJV)

So, it wasn't sufficient to ignore Jesus and just leave Him alone -- then or today. If His enemies do, all men will believe on him. Worse than that the Romans (substitute anything that stands between men and what they want) shall come and take away. Well, today they don't so much take away as just keep us from things we want.

Caiaphas had the answer to protect his world.

Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (John 11:50 KJV)

From our point of view, that is a tremendous prophecy. Caiaphas happened to be the high priest at that time. If there were to be a prophecy regarding the Messiah, it should have come from his lips -- and it did. One man to save all. Why not, sin entered through one man:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12 KJV)

And the opportunity to remove it came through one man:

For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15b KJV)

That's the point that Caiaphas missed. He heard it from spies in John 11:46, he heard it from Christ at His trial in John 18, he heard it from Peter in Acts 4. He denied them all in Acts 4:16 and demanded that they spread their message no further. Peter spoke for Christians then, and for us today:

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:19-20 KJV)

We continue to do so.