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meaning of Caiaphas-the meaning of Him who, as the evangelist tells us, dictated or directed the particular expressions which Caiaphas used in delivering his counsel-and the result and consequences, stated also in the text, of the whole proceeding.

1. It is said, Caiaphas spake not of himself; that is, he was led by one above him to use language and to give advice, which would bear a sense not at all in his mind:-in this manner he spake not of himself. But, as far as he understood his own expressions, no doubt he followed the dictates of his own evil mind, and had his own malicious purpose.

And the meaning of his words, in this view of them, is plain enough, and was understood at once by his auditors: he hated the Lord Jesus as thoroughly as any of them, and he was the boldest politician of them all; so he adopts the hint of the council, and improves upon it.

As though he had said to them, you are afraid of the Romans; need enough there is that you should be so: but if you let this perplex your deliberations, surely you are very weak-you know nothing at all-all difficulty is very easily removed. Is it not an allowed maxim, that private rights should be sacrificed to public convenience? If this man is like to trouble you, put him to death, right or wrong-why should you hesitate? What matters it, that such a one as he is should suffer, when by his single death all may escape the danger?

This was Caiaphas's meaning, and so he was understood; for from that day forth, it is said,

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they took counsel together for to put him to death."

They had long desired to destroy him, and now they had got a plausible pretence. Now, therefore, their malice had its way; and by this subterfuge they ridded themselves.of any remaining scruples or qualms of conscience.

2. But what Caiaphas designed in malice, that almighty God permitted in love and mercy; and the terms in which that hypocrite counselled his atrocious sin, were overruled by the Holy Ghost, to be the vehicle of a glorious prophecy, declaratory of God's intent in the permission.

Caiaphas had said, "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people; and that the whole nation perish not." And by the mouth of Caiaphas, though wholly beside his purpose, and without his consciousness, God, in a much higher sense, said so too.

Caiaphas being high priest that year, God, though he rejected his person, put honour upon his office, and made him a prophet, whilst he himself aimed at nothing but an act of desperate enmity and rebellion. And accordingly, without being at all led away from his own ill design, he was led to utter it in such terms as might, and did contain a prophecy, "that Jesus" (whose death he was contriving) "should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one, the children of God that were scattered abroad." This was God's meaning--the wicked Jews should be permitted to follow their own wicked devices; and so doing, they should fulfil the purpose of God for the salvation of man, by an act, which, as far as we can see, could not well have been wrought except by some such evil instruments. God was not about to force them to the act, or to lead them to it, or to leave any thing undone which might be necessary to make them see the guilt and baseness of it; but if, with their eyes open, they would be base enough to perpetrate it, he would not stand in their way-they might take their course and commit the sin; and then he would take his course to bring good out of it.

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3. And now see the result. They took counsel; bribed Judas to betray his master; apprehended Jesus; dragged him before the judgment-seat; falsely accused, condemned, and crucified him." So they had their own way thus far.

But "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" * Sin might be in their power, but events were not; and never are to man-God ordains the issue, and so He had his way too; and by their hands lifted up against him, executed his own work of grace, mercy, and peace. For God having permitted that his Son should die-and his Son having yielded himself to the malice of his foes-and they having followed the dictates of their own blind and wicked minds-here is a ransom; here is what all the creatures of the universe put together could not have furnished a sin offering, not only absolutely spotless, but allsufficiently meritorious. And "him hath God set forth to be a propitiation through faith, in his blood." + Now therefore, without any impeachment of God's truth, or holiness, or justice, it may be said, and is said---"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." ‡ Let the sinner ask power to return from sin; the grace of a new heart; the gift of the Holy Ghost to sanctify him, and asking he shall have. Let him come boldly to the throne of grace notwithstanding his unrighteousness: "For if any man sin, here is an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he" (through the use made by God of the Jews' wickedness) " is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world." *

* Rom. xi. 33.

† Isa. lv. 7.

+ Rom. iii. 25.

II. And now may it not well be said, "God is king of all the earth," and may ye not well rejoice that his kingdom "ruleth over all," and "sing praises with understanding?" See how he ordereth all things, and all for good. "Man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps," + and for the event and issue of every thing, his counsel alone can stand. For observe further

That kingdom which Caiaphas and the Jews so zealously laboured to destroy, that, inasmuch as it was the kingdom of God, their own act established. On the other hand, that kingdom which they desired to uphold, inasmuch as it was God's adversary, that this same act destroyed.

1. They numbered the Lord Jesus with the * John ii. 1, 2.

+ Prov. xvi. 9.

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