Tag: Friends and Foes of Jesus

Another biblical character who only appears in one scene in the Bible (albeit in three different books) is a man we know as Simon. He comes from Cyrene—as in Simon from Cyrene. Simon is a man who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

According to the practice of crucifixion, the soldiers make Jesus carry his own cross to the site of his execution. In his weakened state, from the beatings and abuse heaped upon him, he’s not able to do so.

The soldiers certainly don’t want to lug this heavy instrument of death through the city streets, so they grab someone and force him to do it. The man’s name is Simon.

Other than knowing where Simon comes from and him being a victim of bad timing, we know one more thing about him. He has two boys: Alexander and Rufus. Aside from these things, we know nothing else about him. We can only wonder.

Is he a friend of Jesus or a foe? Does he see his forced labor as a service to his Savior or helping to end the life of a man who the Jewish leaders deride as a heretic?

We also don’t know what happens to Simon afterwards. Is his life forever changed because of his brief meeting with Jesus? Does he feel guilt for his unwilling role in bringing about the death of an innocent man?

Perhaps Simon ends up following Jesus. We can hope so, that his encounter with Jesus changes his life forever.

When we encounter Jesus, what is our response?

[Discover more about Simon from Cyrene in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and Luke 23:26.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

While we look at Caiaphas as instrumental in bringing about the decision that Jesus must die, it’s Pilate—occasionally called Pontius Pilate—who has the authority to make it happen.

Though Caiaphas gets things rolling, Pilate—although he tries to stop Jesus’s execution—allows the proceedings to gather momentum.

After arresting Jesus and deciding he must die, the religious Council drags him to Pilate. They levy their ill-founded accusations against Jesus, but they can’t convince Pilate. 

“I find him innocent,” Pilate says.

The Jewish leaders persist.

Then Pilate, learning that Jesus is from Galilee, sees a way out. He sends Jesus to Herod (2) who has jurisdiction over Galilee. Herod happens to be in Jerusalem, likely for the Passover.

Wanting to meet Jesus, Herod asks him many questions—which he doesn’t answer—but then mocks him before sending him back to Pilate.

A second time Pilate tries to release Jesus.

A mob forms. They don’t want Jesus set free. They ask Pilate to release Barabbas instead. They shout for Jesus’s execution.

Unable to quiet the throng and unwilling to risk making them angrier by releasing Jesus, Pilate gives in to their demands. But first he washes his hands in front of them to symbolically claim he’s innocent of Jesus’s death.

Pilate has a sign placed on the cross, which says “The king of the Jews.” Though the Jewish leaders object to his wording, Pilate won’t budge.

Perhaps this is his small way to have the final word. But how much better would it have been for him to have done the right thing and protected Jesus from an unjust death?

When faced with a tough situation, do we do what’s right or give in to the pressure of others?

[Discover more about Pilate in Matthew 27, Mark 15, and John 18:28–19:38.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Two guys named Herod appear in Jesus’s story. The first Herod (1) attempts to kill Jesus shortly after he’s born. The second Herod (2) plays a part in Jesus’s death. 

But before we discuss that, let’s look at some other things Herod (2) does. Remember Herodias? She’s married to Herod, after he takes her from her first husband, his brother. Strike one for Herod taking his sibling’s spouse. 

John the Baptist criticizes their marriage, and Herod tosses him in prison. Strike two for Herod punishing an innocent man.

Then Herodias uses a situation with her daughter to manipulate Herod into killing John. Though Herod could and should have said “no,” he gives in and orders the beheading of John. Strike three for killing a guiltless man.

The next time we hear of Herod is when Jesus is being railroaded into his execution. Luke writes that Herod had wanted to see Jesus and is pleased Pilate sends Jesus to him.

Herod hopes to witness a miracle and asks Jesus many questions, but he doesn’t answer. Then Herod mocks Jesus before sending him back to Pilate. 

Herod didn’t need to do that. He could have kept Jesus under his jurisdiction and saved him from death. Instead Herod takes the easy way out and sends Jesus back to Pilate.

Have we ever avoided doing what was right and taken the easy way out?

[Discover more about Herod in Matthew 14:1–12 and Mark 6:14–28.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Annas is a priest, the father-in-law of another priest, Caiaphas. At various points they both serve as the high priest. As we read the narrative in the Bible, sometimes Annas is the high priest and other times Caiaphas is. 

Luke implies that the pair form an era of high-priesthood rule. Together they work as a leadership team that wields power when John the Baptist starts his ministry, exists when Jesus is executed, and is still around during the early church. 

In John’s biography of Jesus, he writes that after Jesus’s arrest, the mob drags him to stand before Annas, who is the high priest. After the officials abuse and mock Jesus, Annas sends Jesus to his son-in-law, Caiaphas.

John also identifies Caiaphas as the high priest at this point. This suggests they might have a co-reign in leading the Jewish religious institution and influencing the culture.

The final time we read of Annas is when Peter and John stand before the religious Council (the Sanhedrin). Again, Annas is the high priest. Caiaphas is there too, along with a couple other members of their family. Annas oversees the proceedings.

After Peter and John make their defense, which is really them sharing the good news about Jesus to the religious leaders, the Council doesn’t know what to do.

Under Annas’s leadership they command Peter and John to stop telling others about Jesus and issue threats if they do. However, the Council decides not to punish them because of the people’s astonishment over Peter’s healing of the disabled man.

Annas, along with his son-in-law, Caiaphas, wields control over the Jewish people and their faith. As leaders they could have embraced Jesus and his message. Instead they oppose it and try to squelch it. They abuse their power.

When we’re in charge of something, what do we do to make sure our decisions and actions align with God’s will?

[Discover more about Annas in Luke 3:1–2, John 18:12–14, John 18:24, and Acts 4:5–6.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

We recognize Caiaphas as a central player in the unethical, corrupt, and self-seeking plot that results in the crucifixion of Jesus. Caiaphas’s name shows up in the writings of Matthew, Luke, and John. Though we don’t know much about him, here’s what we are aware of.

First, he’s the high priest—the main man—when the religious leaders railroad Jesus into a wrongful execution. 

Next, he’s the son-in-law of another high priest, Annas. 

Third, he’s most likely rich. Matthew writes that the religious leaders meet at Caiaphas’s palace to develop a scheme to do away with Jesus. We can suspect that Caiaphas, like other highly-placed, influential religious leaders, is well-off.

However, knowing he lives in a palace suggests just how financially lucrative the high priesthood is. 

Caiaphas and the other religious leaders see Jesus as a threat to the prestige, power, and possessions they’ve amassed through their religious positions. They want to stop Jesus—not so much because of his theology—but because they fear losing their wealth, influence, and public respect.

Jesus must die.

Given all this, it’s easy to see Caiaphas as a villain. And though he is, another passage lets us see him as a prophet, one supernaturally influenced.

After Jesus raises Lazarus (1) from the dead, the religious leaders hold an emergency meeting of the governing board, the Sanhedrin. Frustrated with Jesus, they wonder what to do.

Then Caiaphas speaks up. “You don’t get it!” he says. “Let’s have one man die for all the people, instead of putting the whole country at risk.” 

Caiaphas doesn’t say this on his own, John notes, but he prophesies of Jesus’s sacrificial death to save his people.

Are we willing to see good things in otherwise bad people?

[Discover more about Caiaphas in Matthew 26:3–5, Matthew 26:57, Luke 3:1–2, John 11:49–52, John 18:12–14, John 18:24, and Acts 4:5–6.]

Read more about other biblical characters in The Friends and Foes of Jesus, now available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.