Stroll through Scripture for March 8, 2026

Based on John 18:12-27

Jesus is brought before the Temple authorities.  We are told that Caiaphas came up with the idea that one person should die for the people. A little context is important here.  Caiaphas is the High Priest of the Temple. He was appointed by the Roman governor Valerius Gratus to that position and served as the High Priest for 18 years. 

The Romans adopted a different style of governing than previous empires. When the Romans took over a region, they kept the leadership of the region and the institutions that existed and the people who ran them as a part of their strategy.  They incorporated the conquered people’s religion into the Roman pantheon as much as possible. 

The Romans did this as a way to ensure there was order in the conquered region.  Disorder cost money and troops after all.  And what better way to ensure order than to have people loyal to the Empire who were already familiar with the local situation and people.  

The High Priest then acted as the chief liaison between the Jewish people and the Roman government, ensuring order in the occupied territory.  So, when Caiaphas came up with the idea that one person should die for the people, he was making a strategic calculation.  If Jesus caused an uprising, Caiaphas knew that there would be Roman troops sent in and the result would be the death of a multitude of Jews.  

Historically, John was written after the actual Jewish Revolt that started in 66 AD and continued until around 74 AD, which included the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD and ended with the slaughter at Masada.  

That context is important to understand not only Caiaphas’ actions, but also Peter’s.  Everyone knew that if there was an uprising, it would be met with the deadly Roman Army.  Peter might not have been thinking specifically of that in the moment that he denies Jesus three times.  But regardless, Peter is afraid.  The people might not like Rome, but they aren’t necessarily interested in dying either, which they knew was a possibility in an uprising.  

Ultimately Jesus will be executed under the charge of treason for claiming to be the King of the Jews.  That’s a political execution because he poses a threat to the authority and power of the Empire.  Caiaphas plays a central role in this, as we will continue to hear through the rest of Lent.  Caiaphas is an adept political maneuverer and wants to make sure that the Roman Army is not sent to Jerusalem, which would result in a slaughter.  And most likely it would also result in his own execution because he failed in preserving the order.  And so, he pushes for the death of the Jesus as someone who is trying to overthrow Rome. 

Jesus isn’t the first one to claim the label of Messiah in that time period either.  In fact, there were many failed false messiahs in the region around the time of Jesus.  They all had similarities – a political uprising that ended by Rome killing them, or their being assassinated or just disappearing.  Here’s a short list from around the time Jesus was born:

• Judas the Galilean (Around 6 AD): Led a revolt against the Roman census, arguing that paying tribute to Rome was a betrayal of God.
• Theudas (Before 6 AD): A magician-prophet who claimed he could divide the Jordan River, drawing a large following before being killed by Roman authorities.
• Simon of Peraea (Around 4 BC): A former slave of Herod the Great who crowned himself king and burned down the royal palace in Jericho before being executed.
• Athronges (Around 4 BC): A shepherd who, along with his four brothers, led a guerilla war against Roman and Herodian forces.
• Judas, son of Hezekiah (Around 4 BC): Led a band of rebels and seized the armory in Sepphoris. 

Ultimately, the story of Peter denying Jesus is more than just about Peter. 

Questions for further reflection:

• How does understanding the political context of the time, inform how you read the last days of Jesus’ earthly life?  Does it change anything?  In what way?