Bad Guys of the Bible: Annas and Caiaphas, An Appearance of Godliness

by David Chadwick

Annas and Caiaphas.

They are today’s bad guys. Opponents in the storyline of the Bible.

Both Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests during Jesus’s time on earth, specifically when he cleansed the temple on two separate occasions. The first time, Annas was the High Priest and the second time, Caiaphas was the High Priest.

After Jesus was arrested, he was brought before Annas (John 18:13-14) and then before Caiaphas (John 18:24). Interestingly, Annas was Caiaphas’s father-in-law. Annas continued to have widespread authority even after he stepped down. Surely he and Caiaphas talked regularly about this supposed Messiah named Jesus.

I often wonder why they both wanted to see Jesus at such early morning hours after he was arrested. It was probably between 1 am and 3 am when he appeared before both of them at separate trials.

Annas had false witnesses. Those present spat upon Jesus and ridiculed him. Then, later before Caiaphas, he asked Jesus directly if he was the Messiah. Jesus unhesitatingly responded, “I am.” Caiaphas tore his clothes and turned him over to a mob that beat him and then sent him to Pilate.

Why did Annas and Caiaphas have such an extreme hatred for Jesus? It is because he cleansed the temple, not once but twice, during each of their reigns as High Priest. Jesus called out their system of unbelief and abuse of the Jewish ritual system. I believe he was coming up against a spirit of religion. A self-righteous mindset. A Pharisaical agenda.

Being religious doesn’t make you holy. Some of the meanest people I have ever met can come across as extremely religious. Some of the most deceptive people in the world may have a clergy title. They can have an appearance of godliness and be full of evil.

In the case of Annas and Caiaphas, they carried religious titles and positions of authority, but turned the temple into a money-grubbing system, using God’s people for their own personal gain.

When you love Jesus, you don’t become religious. You develop a living, dynamic, and personal relationship with the God of this universe through Jesus. I pray that is your reality today.

When it is, you are never the same.