57 “Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.” (Matthew 26:57 ESV)
53 “And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.” (Mark 14:53 ESV)
54 “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance.” (Luke 22:54 (ESV)
12 “So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. (John 18:12–13 ESV)
To understand the context of Matt. 26:57–68, along with the events of Matthew 27, it is necessary to know Jesus had to undergo two trials. The first was an ecclesiastical, or religious, trial, which would be in three stages. The second was a civil trial. This also would be in three stages.
To seize (κρατέω; krateo) means to make an official arrest. The enemies of Jesus then bound and led Him (John 18:12) to the chief priest, Caiaphas. The commanding officer in charge is a captain (χιλίαρχος; chiliarchos), general or military tribune (John 18:12).
“The first contained three stages, and so did the second. The three stages of the so-called ecclesiastical trial were: a. the preliminary hearing before Annas (John 18:12–14, 19–23); b. the trial before the Sanhedrin, that is, before Caiaphas and the scribes and the elders (Matt. 26:57); and c. the trial before the same body just after daybreak (Matt. 27:1). The hearing before Annas, described only by John, must not be confused with the trial before Caiaphas,” explains Dr. William Hendricksen.
John records that before they brought Jesus to Caiaphas, they initially brought him to Annas, Caiaphas’ father-in-law (Luke 3:2; John 18:13; Acts 4:6). This initiated the first stage of Jesus’ ecclesiastical trial. Who exactly was Annas?
“Annas (or Ananus, as Josephus calls him; the name is from the Hebrew Hananiah, meaning Jehovah is gracious) had been appointed high priest by Quirinius in the year 6 a.d., and was deposed by Valerius Gratus, about 15 a.d. Though deposed, he remained for a long time the ruling spirit of the Sanhedrin. He was the dominant member of the Jewish hierarchical machine,” states Dr. Hendriksen.
“He was very proud, exceedingly ambitious, and fabulously wealthy. His family was notorious for its greed. The main source of his wealth seems to have been a goodly share of the proceeds from the price of sacrificial animals, which were sold in the Court of the Gentiles. See on 2:14. By him the house of prayer had been turned into a den of robbers. Even the Talmud declares: “Woe to the family of Annas! Woe to the serpent-like hisses” (probably the whisperings of Annas and the members of his family, seeking to bribe and influence the judges).” concludes Dr. Hendriksen.
Caiaphas may have possessed the title, but Annas possessed the power. More to come.
Soli deo Gloria!
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