This morning we are going to conclude our study entitled The Code of the Priest. This series was designed to strengthen your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word and how He interacts with His children. It is my hope that by studying the ancient customs and cultures of the Bible God’s Word will come alive for you, and you will be that much more confident in the truth found in its pages.
Let’s begin today by reading Hebrews 5:1-10, “Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. [2] He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. [3] This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. [4] No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. [5] So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” [6] And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” [7] During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [8] Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him [10] and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
This passage of Scripture is the essence of what we have been studying these past weeks. The Aaronic priesthood originally instituted by God in the wilderness had reached the end of its usefulness by the time that Christ was born into this world. The priesthood was corrupt and defiled and so God transferred the honor and glory of the priesthood onto Christ, His Son. He started a new priesthood – the priesthood of Melchizedek. A priesthood that would last forever, whose high priest could offer salvation to all people. A perfect priesthood based upon grace and not reliant upon the law.
Last week we saw where this transfer from the old priesthood to the new took place, and who was involved. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, was a true Levitical priest and 30 years old when he was ministering and preaching in the wilderness, and therefore fulfilled the requirements of being able to transfer the priesthood onto someone else. At the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, (at a very special place called Bethabara), we saw that John transferred the priesthood to Jesus Christ. And from that moment on, God removed His blessing and glory from the old Aaronic priesthood and placed them on His Son and the new Melchizedek priesthood. The old priesthood was finished.
We looked at some unusual signs in Jewish history that confirmed that God had removed His blessing from them and was now working through His Son. Signs like the temple gates opening and closing on their own, signifying that Jesus was now the way to God. And the red thread that signified forgiveness of sin never turning white again, because it was Jesus who would now cover sins with His blood and not the blood of animals.
We saw how Jesus began to act in the manner of a priest in His ministry, healing the sick, raising the dead, and forgiving sins. And this morning we are going to continue looking at the evidence in the Scripture that proves to us that God was now working through the priesthood that He started with His Son – the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Specifically we are going to be looking at the trial of Jesus Christ as He stood before the Aaronic high priest Caiaphas.
I. The Trial of Jesus Christ
Jesus had become a grave threat to the priesthood and religious powers of the day. Here was a man who was forgiving people of sins, healing people, bringing people back to life. He challenged the strict manmade dictates of their religion that put meaningless tradition above the needs of the people. He taught the multitudes and cared for them.
Basically, Jesus did everything that the priesthood was supposed to be doing, but wasn’t. He had truly taken on the role of a priest. He was threatening the power that the religious authorities had over the people, and they didn’t like it.
But He was a threat to the political authorities of that day as well, because Jesus had been born of the house and lineage of David, the rightful King of the Jews. So, Jesus was a man with the power and authority of a priest and a king, and the people loved Him. On Palm Sunday the Jews of the city hailed Him as their king and Messiah.
Jesus was a political threat to the Roman government who didn’t want an uprising of the Jews to have to deal with, and He was a religious threat to the Aaronic priesthood who could see their authority being undermined by their peoples’ worship and following of Him as their Messiah.
A. Jesus’ Arrest
So the priests with the help of the Roman government arrested Jesus and brought Him to trial, and this is what our main teaching is going to concern today.
Let’s look at Matthew 26:57-59, “Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. [58] But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. [59] The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. [60] But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.”
These men were so afraid of the power that Jesus held and the things that He was teaching that they wanted to kill him. They wanted to get rid of Him so badly that they were looking for false evidence against Him. They didn’t want the truth, they were looking for lies. They wanted to get rid of Him even if the witnesses and evidence brought against Him were false. That’s how threatened they felt.
But notice that even though they found many people who came forward and lied about Jesus, they still didn’t find any evidence against Him powerful enough to sentence Him to death.
B. No Defense
Let continue reading with Matthew 26:61-63, “Finally two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’’ [62] Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” [63] But Jesus remained silent…”
Jesus didn’t say a word in His defense against the false witnesses or all the false testimony being brought against Him. Truthfully, it probably wouldn’t have done much good anyway. His accusers were going to believe what they wanted. They were searching for any reason they could find to kill Him.
But it is important that Jesus remained silent, because in doing so He fulfilled the prophecy about Him found in Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
So Jesus didn’t speak in His own defense, but then something changed in the next few verses of this story.
C. Oath of Swearing
Matthew 26:63-64, “…The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” [64] “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied, “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Have you ever wondered why Jesus answered Caiaphas’ demand here? I mean as we’ve just pointed out, up until this moment Jesus didn’t even open His mouth in His own defense, but now all of the sudden He answers the high priest. Why? Why didn’t He remain silent like He had before?
Well, the answer stems from how Caiaphas phrased his demand. He said, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
You see, in the Old Testament book of Leviticus you will find what is called the Oath of Swearing. Basically, what this oath says is that if you know the truth about someone or an event that has taken place and are called to bear witness about this person or event and you don’t say anything – it is the same as if you had lied. Today we may call it lying by omission.
This command can be found in Leviticus 5:1, “If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.”
It was considered a sin to remain silent about something you knew to be true when you were called to testify about it. Caiaphas knew this, and so did Jesus. The high priest called upon this Oath of Swearing to demand that Jesus testify to the truth if He had any knowledge about it.
Now, Jesus could have remained silent, but if He had, He would have committed a sin. And Jesus never once sinned. If He had, then His sacrificial death on Calvary for our sins would have meant absolutely nothing. Only a sinless sacrifice satisfied the requirements for ransom of sin.
So, Jesus had to answer Caiaphas. And look at what He said. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied, “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
D. Jesus Speaks the Truth
Jesus answers him truthfully, but He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to quote a passage found in Psalm 110:1, 4, “The Lord says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. [4] The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’”
This is a powerful and explosive psalm for Jesus to quote to the high priest. This is a psalm about the Messiah. By quoting this psalm, which all those present at His trial would have been very familiar with, Jesus was not only claiming to be the Son of God, He was claiming to be the Messiah. And He even went a little farther than that.
By quoting the opening verse to this psalm it was known by scholars that He was also referring to all the verses that follow it. So not only was Jesus telling them that He was the long awaited Messiah, the Son of God, the rightful king to the throne of David, but He was also telling them that He was the man who was taking the priesthood from them. Verse 4 tells us that He is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Now, you can just imagine how that went over. They wanted evidence enough to kill Jesus Christ, and now they had it. But they got more than they bargained for. Not only did Jesus tell them that He was God’s Son, He told them He was their Messiah, their King, and their rightful priest.
E. Caiaphas’ Reaction
Now Caiaphas’ reaction to Jesus’ pronouncement is interesting. It is basically how you would expect a man to react who has just had his authority and beliefs challenged publicly, but he also does and says some unexpected things.
Let’s look at Matthew 26:65, “Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.’”
Caiaphas is basically saying here that Jesus has condemned Himself. By claiming to be God’s Son, Jesus was claiming to be equal with God and this was blasphemy against God and thus punishable by death. He had forced Jesus to testify against Himself and basically condemn Himself under the Law. The only exception to this law was if what Jesus claimed was actually true. And of course we know that it was true, and we know that no one there believed Him.
But notice also what Caiaphas did. The passage we just read said that Caiaphas tore his clothes. This is very important to note, and most modern Christians do not realize the significance of this act.
You see the garments of the high priest were very special garments, made to exact specifications as found in the book of Exodus and the 38th and 39th chapters. There is great symbolism to be found in their garments as well, but the thing that we’re most concerned with here is the fact that they were instructed never to rip or tear their garments.
Leviticus 10:6 (KJV), “And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people…” and again in Leviticus 21:10, “And he that is high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes.”
In the Old Testament the rending or tearing of a garment was the sign of great grief or mourning, but the priests were specifically warned not to tear their priestly garments. The neckbands of their tunics were even double stitched to ensure that it could not be ripped by accident. The reason for this was that if a priest tore his garments it was a symbol that he had lost his authority, and God’s wrath would come upon the people. If a priest tore their garment, they lost their position as priest and very well could face death.
So, you see it is very interesting to note that when Caiaphas heard Jesus’ claim to be not only God’s Son and the Messiah, but to also claim the priesthood, that he tore his own priestly garments. By doing so, it symbolized that the priesthood had departed from him. It makes you wonder why he would do such a thing.
Well, I believe that after hearing Jesus’ claims Caiaphas knew more than we may give him credit for. You see it was Caiaphas in John 11:49-51, who prophesied that a man would die for the sins of the nation. “Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! [50] You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” [51] He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.”
He probably didn’t know that he was prophesying about Jesus at the time, but when Jesus stood before him and made his claims, I believe in that moment, that Caiaphas realized that this was the man who would die to save his people.
I think this may also be why he demanded Jesus to speak. And when Jesus did so, Caiaphas tore his garment and not only did his spiritual authority come to an end, but so did the authority of the entire Aaronic priesthood.
II. God Rends His Garment
Now, there is one final event that we are going to look at that shows symbolically that God was now finished with the old Aaronic priesthood. It occurred at the moment that Jesus died on the cross.
Matthew 27:50, 51, 54, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. [51] At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. [54] When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!””
In the Temple in Jerusalem there hung a great curtain or veil that divided the holy part of the temple from the most holy part, called the Holy of Holies. This curtain or veil was 30 feet wide, 60 ft. tall, 3 inches thick, and it took 300 priests to lift it. It was a beautiful veil of scarlet, blue, and purple that protected the sanctuary of God. Behind it the Ark of the Covenant was placed and only the High Priest on the Day of Atonement was allowed to pass beyond the curtain and into the presence of God.
When the Son of God died on Golgotha, the Scriptures tell us that this veil or curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. In Jewish tradition, this veil was called the hem of God’s garment. So, when Jesus died, God ripped His garment in the Temple as well. This event signified three things.
1). It signified that man now had direct access to God. They did not have to go through an earthly priest to come into His presence. They could come to Him themselves because the new High Priest, Jesus Christ, was living inside them and interceding before the Father for them.
2.) It signified that God would no longer be confined to one place and time in interacting with His children and forgiving them of their sins.
3.) It signified that God gave up the priesthood of Aaron, which was centered around the temple, and gave the priesthood to His Son.
Hebrews 8:1; 9:15, “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. [9:15] …Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
It is finished. The priesthood was transferred. The eternal sacrifice was made, and redemption is now ours for the asking.
I hope you have enjoyed our Bible Study on the priesthood. Maybe you are hearing some of these things for the first time. Maybe you have heard it all before. But either way, isn’t it marvelous to see how awesome our God is, how much He loves us? It’s great to receive a deeper understanding of how God works, and what He did for us. It makes His Word come alive and deepens our faith. I hope this is as true for you as it is for me.
(Information for this study was taken from a similar study by Dr. Perry Stone.)
