Expediency

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." (John 11:49-50)

The more that I meditate on these verses the clearer becomes the contrast between the methods and attitudes of the world's way of relating to each other and heaven's methods as demonstrated by Jesus. The world depends on what we can term a hierarchical structure, the arrangement where people are elevated or demeaned depending on their perceived value, status and achievements. I have observed that the basic principles of God's kingdom operate quite differently than the hierarchical system, but sadly most of religion has accepted the world's methods in how churches are operated and governed.

In these verses are displayed evidences, results of running things using the world's methods even in highly religious institutions. The Jewish nation was ordained by God to be His representatives on earth and they were keenly aware of that fact. But instead of learning God's methods and relating to others using His principles they followed the world's methods and the end result was they killed the very Son of God who had initiated their nation originally.

In these words by the high priest, the highest spiritual leader of the true church of that time, one can see the attitude of a person deeply entrenched in the hierarchical way of thinking. The corruption of integrity that ensues from relying on dominance and control rather than respect for freedom and love produced the fruit seen in the character of this evil man. There are two initial statements that Caiaphas made that are revealing about his spirit and character.

I sense that Caiaphas had been waiting for the time when the attitudes and desperation of the other leaders would ripen to the point where he could offer them a plan he had been developing for some time. Caiaphas was thinking larger and longer term than the average leaders and had been waiting for circumstances to come around to favor his ideas, plans that were inspired by the spirit of Satan. The prince of this world had shaped the spirit of these men who had so long resisted the kindness and compassion of Jesus and taken over their hearts progressively. Satan in turn, was working through them to bring about his own diabolical plans to get revenge against the Son of God for what had happened to him in heaven before the creation of this world.

Satan harbored deep resentment against Christ for what had happened to him in heaven that ended in his being cast down to this earth. Now with Jesus living as a human being vulnerable to Satan's power, he saw a chance to vent his rage and revenge against Jesus to inflict on Him all the pain and suffering he could devise. Satan is the author of the spirit of wanting to 'get even' and he could hardly temper his overpowering urge to attack Jesus as a human.

Caiaphas was reflective of the spirit of Satan in the way he related to the people and even to the other leaders. It appears to me from this passage that the lesser leaders, though full of animosity toward Jesus and bitter about His witness about the Father, had still been functioning to some extent in respect for their law. They had been restrained from engaging fully in banding together to overtly organize specific plans to commit blatant injustice against an innocent person. While they often were driven to want to kill him in their rage over being exposed by His statements and actions, they had not yet come to the point of fully degrading themselves to the same level of evil where Caiaphas had already arrived. Caiaphas was biding his time just waiting for circumstances to come around to favor his plans and this final miracle of Jesus had driven the leaders to extreme desperation for a solution that they now presented just the opportunity he needed to introduce his scheme.

But notice how this religious leader treated the other elders of the people. The first words out of his mouth were words of scorn intended to demean and shame the others. Today we might hear him say, “You stupid idiots, you ignoramuses, you are so dumb I can't believe it.” This man obviously had no respect for his peers except for how he could exploit them to help carry out his selfish desire for more power and authority. As he saw their own thinking coming into line with his he knew he could now gain their cooperation for facilitating his plans, the very plans of Satan, to destroy Jesus.

The second thing Caiaphas said here was similar and enforced the first comment. “You do not take something into account here.” Now he is not only insulting them as stupid and ignorant but he points out that they are not thinking big enough to perceive the 'opportunity' they have in front of them. He implies that these leaders have been too restrained by their morality to see the way in which they could satisfy their hateful feelings against Jesus. They had been too intimidated by the restraints of God's law to lower themselves to fully embrace intentional sin and plan an innocent man's murder. But because of these recent circumstances this wicked man saw that they were now finally ready to listen to him and to lower themselves to his level and cooperate with him to unit together in planning the death of Jesus.

What did Caiaphas want them to take into account? It was not morality he wanted them to think about but expediency. Today we sometimes call this pragmatism. The pragmatic thing to do in a given situation becomes the most important method to achieve the outcome we desire no matter how it aligns with truth or morality or justice. This has become the hallmark of politics all throughout history. For Caiaphas this was not a new idea but was one that was in harmony with his own debased character. He had been waiting for the time when a majority of the leaders would be willing to join him to carry out wicked and selfish desires. He pointed out to them that the reasonable thing to do under these extreme circumstances was to simply eliminate one innocent man in order to recapture their own influence and return their country back to the status quo that had been so disrupted by this insurrectionist. For the 'peace' of the nation – which really meant for the benefit of the elite, the powerful and the rich oppressors in control – it was only reasonable – expedient – that the source of all their problems simply be liquidated so that their version of 'law and order' could be restored.

This form of reasoning is very familiar to us, yet it is chilling once a person begins to see its implications clearly. I hear this same refrain frequently in the reasons government uses to make decisions and how churches try to maintain control over members. Corporations, clubs, denominations, nations, all engage in this twisted logic to achieve their desired self-serving ends. People become expendable while the goals of the organization become of ultimate importance. Individual value is ignored while the prestige and power of the 'greater good' becomes the driving force to violating the rights and ignoring the basic freedoms of the individual.

This is the inevitable result of living by the principles of the world while ignoring the true principles of heaven. Sooner or later, following the methods of expediency will result in subverting justice and crushing the innocent. Those in control will eventually stop at nothing in debasing themselves to achieve their desired selfish desires. No one is safe from the dangers inherent in the kingdom of darkness when God's principles are ignored for the sake of expediency.

Without realizing what he was doing though, Caiaphas was actually carrying out the very plans of God who was exposing the fundamental roots of Satan's kingdom through his words and actions. Jesus had come to this world to expose and highlight the true nature of Satan's kingdom in contrast to His own methods and character to make sin explicitly plain and to show how horrific people will become if sin is not removed from their hearts. By stooping to indulge in hatred, pride and expediency, these leaders brought themselves so low in character that they were quickly passing the point of no return. They were hardening their hearts and destroying their consciences so thoroughly that they were moving beyond the reach of the conviction of the Spirit of God to save them from evil. They were slipping into the same condition as the master they had chosen to follow who was motivating them to act out his own hateful passions against God. By rejecting the picture of God that Jesus had come to reveal they came to reflect more accurately the character and spirit of the great accuser, the father of lies who had started the whole experiment of sin long before.

Caiaphas had no respect for his fellow leaders and only offered them scorn to push them into coming into agreement with him. He pressed on them the principle of expediency as the reason upon which to base their decisions. By appealing to their selfishness and pride to motivate them to come into alignment with each other, Satan was able to accomplish his goals through these wicked men. Satan's kingdom scorns respect and relies on shame and intimidation as the reliable means of motivating others to come into agreement. The unity achieved in Satan's kingdom relies on different 'glue' than what God uses to bring about unity in love. This story presents a clear contrast between these two kingdoms.