Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus found His disciples, “Peter, James and John” asleep while He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, and after allowing them to continue sleeping, telling them to get going, being seized by the religious leaders as well as the elders and a multitude said, “I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and you laid no hold on me.” Matthew continued, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse fifty-seven of his book, Matthew wrote how those who captured Jesus, “led him away to Caiaphas the high priest” where we read:
And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
The verse reads, “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, ...” Matthew began words, “and they that had laid hold on” which means “and the people who seized, captured and held fast” “Jesus” which refers to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation” “led him away” which means “took and carried Jesus off” “to Caiaphas” or “to Caiaphas whose name means as comely and was a high priest of the Jews appointed to that office by Valerius Gratus, governor of Judaea, after removal of Simon, son of Camith, A.D. 18, and was removed A.D. 36 by Vitellius, governor of Syria, who appointed Jonathan, son of Ananus (Annus, father-in-law of Caiaphas), his successor” “the high priest” which means “the chief priest over the people”. Matthew shared how those who “captured” Jesus took Him away from the Garden of Gethsemane and carried Him to the house of the “chief priest” whose name was “Caiaphas”.
The verse goes on to say, “... where the scribes and the elders were assembled.” Matthew continued with the words, “where the scribes” or “in what place the ones learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings who were interpreters and teachers who examined the more difficult and subtle questions of the law” “and the elders” which means “the older members of the great council or Sanhedrin” “were assembled” or “were collected together and joined together”. Matthew shared how the “ones learned in the Mosaic law” and the “Sanhedrin” were gathered together in “Caiaphas' house”.
When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see another part of the story of Jesus' capture and leading. “Caiaphas' house”, which was the home of the high priest, was where the multitude led Jesus, and the “religious leaders” were all gathered there. Their mission was bring false witness against Jesus, condemn Him and create a cause that would lead Jesus to death. Jesus knew all these things would “come to pass”, and He endured them for the sake of “sinners” throughout the world. God's desire is that people will have “faith and trust” in His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, and He allowed Jesus to be brought to these “religious leaders” to “save” people from their sin so they might have “everlasting life” with Him.
Next time Matthew shares how, “Peter followed him afar off”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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