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Chief Priests
The chief priests in Jerusalem, appointed by Rome, wielded political power, overseeing temple finances and rituals. Their adversarial relationship with Jesus intensified throughout his ministry, culminating in their role in securing his death sentence.
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Summary
The priesthood in Jerusalem was more of a political influence than a religious one. Chief priests were appointed by Rome and were responsible for keeping the Jewish population in line. In those days, there was no separation of church and state. The chief priests had many responsibilities, including controlling the temple treasury, managing the temple police, and performing religious rituals. High priests were enriched by the temple treasury, and most of them were very wealthy.
Jesus’ experiences with the chief priests were adversarial from the beginning when he first witnessed the bloody temple rituals over which these priests presided. Later in his ministry, it was the chief priests who were most strongly opposed to Jesus and his teachings. At the end of his life, it was the chief priests who were instrumental in bringing the death sentence to Jesus.
Early in his life, Jesus became acquainted with Annas, a retired chief priest, who later became Jesus’ enemy, in league with those who condemned Jesus to death. Caiaphas, Annas’ son-in-law – himself a chief priest – procured the Master’s death sentence at his trial.
The Chief Priests
The priesthood, along with the scribes and the Pharisees, held the Jewish people in a bondage of tradition, ritualism, and legalism, a bondage far more real than that of Roman political rule. These traditions involved and invaded every area of the Jews’ personal and social life. Jesus' greatest opponents were not sinners or the Roman Empire but the Jewish religious establishment. They were so enslaved by their traditions that they were blinded to the new truth that Jesus dared to reveal. Many of the Sadducees were members of the priesthood.
As Jesus’ prominence grew, the chief priests came to fear Jesus and the influence that he wielded with the common people. This was one of the main reasons why they wanted him destroyed. Another reason was that if Jesus became a new king, he might threaten their existence.
Jesus and the Chief Priests
Upon his first visit to Jerusalem when he was thirteen years old, Jesus was appalled by the ritualistic slaughter of the sacrificial animals and the bloody hands of the priests in charge. And as Jesus got older, these priests seemed far removed from the reverence that should accompany such a title. While Jesus respected those Pharisees and scribes who were honest of heart, he resented the presence of politically appointed chief priests, who he viewed as insincere.
Along with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, the chief priests were the strongest opponents of Jesus and his message of the kingdom of heaven. They charged that Jesus was in league with devils, among other accusations. It was these same chief priests who conspired with Judas Iscariot to apprehend Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane.
The chief priests brought the final charges against Jesus that were heard by Pontius Pilate. They clamored to save the life of Barabbas and agitated the crowd to call for Jesus to be crucified. This preference for the life of a murderer over the life of Jesus, an innocent man, was upsetting even to Pilate, who had found no fault in Jesus.
Annas, a Chief Priest
Annas was a high priest who was related to Salome, the wife of Zebedee, the boat builder. When he first met Jesus, Annas was retired, but he was still one of the most influential priests in all Jewry. While their first meetings were cordial, Annas later became cold towards Jesus and was instrumental in bringing about Jesus’ downfall. His primary reason for turning on Jesus was that Jesus threatened his finances from the temple treasury. During his examination of Jesus after his arrest, Annas tried and failed to influence Jesus to abandon his cause and leave Palestine. Annas attended the trial before Caiaphas and did nothing to stop the physical abuse heaped on the Master.
Caiaphas, Chief Priest at Jesus’ Trial
Caiaphas arranged with Judas Iscariot to deliver Jesus into the hands of the authorities by paying him thirty pieces of silver. Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, was the chief priest in charge of the Sanhedrist court before Jesus was tried for his life. His role was more of a prosecutor than an unbiased judge. Jesus’ calm demeanor enraged Caiaphas so much so that he tore at his own clothes and then struck Jesus in anger.
Ultimately, Annas and Caiaphas were emblematic of the broader array of chief priests, focused on prioritizing political power and financial interests over justice.
