Blessings of Grace and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ, He is our risen Savior, and it’s Him we magnify and glorify with our lives. We are glad to be with you again this week; thank you for joining us. We are Heralds of Hope, and every week our Bible teaching is broadcast around the world via radio. This is one way we are achieving our vision of using media to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and we believe Christians working together can accomplish the Great Commission in our lifetime.
Another way Heralds of Hope is accomplishing our vision of making disciples is through Bible and literature distribution. Working with partners throughout the world, we distribute the Bibles in areas where the Bible is not easily accessible.
Our lesson today is from John 18, and the title is “The High Priest.” This is the story of Jesus before Annas; then Annas sends Jesus to Caiaphas. We have the High Priest of the new covenant standing before the High Priest of the Old Covenant. The Priests and many of the OT Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They were waiting and looking for the Messiah, yet when he was right in front of them, they missed him. How did this happen? How could they have been so blind?
There are two verses in Thessalonians which help us understand this kind of blindness. The verses are II Thessalonians 2:10-11, and I would summarize them by saying, they perished because they refused to love the truth and be saved. To guard against this kind of blindness and to protect ourselves from deception, we must love the truth. The priests who missed Jesus loved power and influence more than they loved the truth. When the truth was right in front of them, they missed it. This is very sad, but we must recognize that we have similar tendencies. We won’t be deceived if we continue to love the truth and walk with Him.
Again, we are so glad you joined us, and we pray you will be encouraged in your walk with the truth today!
In examining the circumstances of Jesus’ death, I take the records in the Bible as reliable. I believe those records are a true report of what happened. He was arrested by the security guard and first brought before the religious court headed by the high priest.
Some of Jesus’ teachings clashed with the interpretation of the religious leadership. He had encountered them on different occasions. It is not surprising, then, that after His arrest, He would be brought first before the religious court. The recorder was careful to give the essential details in each of the events which led up to Jesus’ death. The death of Jesus is the most important event of history.
In John 18, the role of THE HIGH PRIEST in the trial of Jesus comes plainly into view.
12. Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
13. And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
14. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15. The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
16. Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
17. Why do you ask...
