Annas 

Annas was a highly influential Jew – a Sadducee who was related to Salome, mother to James and John Zebedee. In 22 CE, when Jesus was 28 years old and working in Zebedee’s boat shop, Salome gave him a letter of introduction to Annas, letting Annas know that she loved Jesus as if he was her own son. Annas was impressed with Jesus and thought of him as a great man. He spent considerable time with Jesus in those early days and took him around to visit some of the religious academies, even though he knew Jesus would never attend them. Jesus was able to study their ways of teaching for himself during these visits. Later that year, Jesus joined the Zebedees for Passover at the home of Annas, where they all celebrated together as one big happy family.

Five years later, in April of 27 CE, while Jesus and the apostles were in Jerusalem engaged in their first public work, the Master visited Annas again at his home in Jerusalem, remembering his former kindness. By this time, Annas had been hearing about Jesus and his teachings about the coming kingdom. Being a dedicated and influential Jew, he now received Jesus with a great deal of reserve, greeting him with coldness. When Jesus felt this cold distance between himself and Annas, he left right away but told Annas as he left that his fear and pride were holding him back; Annas responded with stony silence.

The next time Jesus and Annas met, it was at Annas’ palace, where Jesus was taken after his arrest in April of 30 CE. By this time, Annas was the most powerful authority figure of all the Jews. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest, and had a great stake in the revenues that were brought into the temple by faithful Jews. And so, when Jesus cleansed the temple of the moneylenders and other traders, Annas’ hatred was aroused.

Even though he once had been fond of Jesus, Annas now saw him as a threat to his livelihood, and this was more disturbing to him than even Jesus’ teachings. He did not necessarily want to see Jesus executed and thought he might possibly trade on his earlier friendly relations with Jesus. He felt he might even talk Jesus into leaving Palestine. However, from what was said during his three-hour interview with Jesus, Annas finally understood that that was not an option.

In the subsequent trial before Caiaphas, Annas told the court that Jesus was dangerous and deserving of the charges that had been brought against him. The manner in which Jesus was treated by Caiaphas and other members of the court during this so-called trial was shocking to Annas, but he made no effort to save him.