Speaker 1: 0:17

All right, that's it for today, guys. See you, that was great, killed it. That's awesome. A couple quick things before we hop on in. Easter is in a couple weeks. We're going to have three Easter services seven in the morning, nine in the morning and 11. If you are able to make it seven, there's a sunrise. It's beautiful, it's what we call a sunrise service and it would be so helpful because it's kind of like a family reunion. Everybody shows up for Easter. We all get to see each other. It's great.

Speaker 1: 0:48

We want to make space for people who are bringing friends, because we're also doing baptisms. Right now. We have, I think, over 50 people sign up to get baptized. So if you want to get baptized, please let us know in the connection card. We'd love to get you hooked up, give you information, give you invites to invite friends, family, whoever, to come to one of those three services.

Speaker 1: 1:06

And it's one of the last weeks. It's the week before the last week of Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew. We have started this. Get this. I don't know if you guys know.

Speaker 1: 1:15

August of 2021 is when we started the gospel, according to Matthew, and you're almost there. So if you miss anything, you've got a little bit of time. No, you're like oh my gosh, it's so much. We've been going through this verse by verse. Later on I'll tell you what we're doing next, because some of you guys are like what's happening now and we'll get into that, but we've been going through this verse by verse. If you're new with us, we're in chapter 26. We're doing a big chunk today. We're getting down to the final two chapters. Next week we'll be in chapter 27 of 28. So, if you're new or here today, or if you're not a Christian or not a believer, maybe you used to be like a church person and now you're back in church and you're just kind of checking out. You're not really sure yet if you're a church person, like really a church person. I'll tell you this One of the things that has always baffled you, or baffled us Christians that we do, is this should, by the way, baffle you.

Speaker 1: 2:10

One of the things that you find very strange about Christians and you should, by the way, find this very strange about Christians, and you should, by the way, find this very strange is that Christians, we Christians we often resist the God we say we trust, like, in fact let's just be honest Like we're all in church. We're all sitting here in this space, like, let's be honest with ourself, how many of you who are Christians would say at some point in your life, or maybe even today, you're like in the midst of right now you've found yourself in this internal battle with God and you found yourself resisting the God you say you trust. I know, in fact, some of you in here in the middle of that right now, that battle. Right now you know you're saying like I know I should forgive, but like it's hard to forgive. You know you're saying like I know I should forgive, but like it's hard to forgive. I know I shouldn't do that thing that I'm doing, but you do do that thing. You know. I know I shouldn't spend my money that way, or I should be more generous, or I know, and you know what. You sit there and you're like your heart tells you what's right and your conscious tells you what's right. If you read the scriptures, the scriptures tells you what's right. If you read the scriptures, the scriptures tell you what's right and you're trying to follow Jesus and we find ourselves resisting the God that we say we trust. Now, if you're not a Christian or a church person, you actually have a word for this, it's called hypocrisy. Right that we don't actually walk our talk sometimes and we own that.

Speaker 1: 3:36

But come on, Can I just ask for, like, a little grace in the midst of this? Like, be merciful to us, cut us a little bit of slack, because here's the deal. It is very difficult to surrender your life to a God you've never seen, and it's very difficult to surrender your life to a God who speaks through your conscience or through ancient literature and speaks to your heart. It is very difficult to basically write a blank check of life, of your life, to a God you've never seen. And this is the ongoing battle. Like, this is the battle that we struggle with. This is the ongoing struggle that, even if you're not a Christian, even if you are not a religious person, you understand this battle. Like, if nothing else, ask yourself this question what is your conscience? Like, what's taking place there? And so today I just want us to look at there's a little bit of us and two characters specifically we see that we're reading about today. I'm going to hop in. I know this is a lot and you just heard it, but we're going to unpack it a little bit more, starting in verse 43,.

Speaker 1: 4:38

It says when he came back, this is Jesus. He's coming back Now. He was in the garden of Gethsemane and he's just having this sorrowful prayer that is filled with grief to the point of death. And it's literally about a cup and he's saying to God please take this cup from me of pain and suffering and sorrow. But he's saying, but not my will, if it be yours, then that's what's gonna be done. So now he's coming back to check on his disciples. And there's three disciples with him. It says. And Gideon found them, these three guys sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. It's the middle of the night. So he left them again and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. And three, the number three in the Bible, represents completion. So basically he was praying this all the way through, like I'm going to ask you this final time, kind of like three strikes, this is the whole thing. Will you take this from me? But if it's not your will, if it's not, don't let it be my will, but let it be yours.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Then it says he returned to the disciples and he said to them are you still sleeping? And resting? Like, look, guys, the hour has come. The Son of man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise and let us go.

Speaker 1: 5:43

Here comes my betrayer, and while he was still speaking, judas, one of the twelve, arrived and with him a large crowd armed with swords and clubs sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and going once to Jesus, judah says greetings, rabbi. And he kissed him. Now, this wasn't like some super special code, this was not an abnormal thing. That's how they actually greeted one another. They greeted one another with a kiss. But now it's dark and he's saying hey, there could be some other guys there and I'm going to let you know the one. The first one I go and I greet this way, is the one you're looking for, because you're in a garden, it's the middle of the night. A lot of them, they all look kind of the same, right, and so Jesus replied to them. After replied to him, do what you came for, friend, which is really interesting If you look at Passover, he kind of dismissed Judas in the same way, saying hey, you can go handle the business you came here and wish to do.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him and with that, one of Jesus's companions reached for his sword and drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Now we actually know who this is, because the other gospels tell us that this was Peter. Peter, james and John were the three disciples that were with Jesus, and Peter's the one who then took out a sword and struck that. And then Jesus kind of rebukes him and says put, what are you doing, peter? Put your sword back in its place. Jesus said to him for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Like what are you doing?

Speaker 1: 7:16

For three years I spent time trying to teach you that this isn't the way in which we react to evil or to injustice, like this is the upside down kingdom. And look at you, just kind of falling back into place. You're taking out a sword and you're trying to chop somebody's head off. He said you need to stop. Don't you think that I cannot call my father and he won't at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? But then how? When would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must actually happen this way?

Speaker 1: 7:45

And then, in the same hour, jesus said to the crowd that was there, you know he was going. What am I leading some kind of rebellion, that you have to actually come out here in the middle of the night with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day, this whole last week, passover week, this whole festival week, I've sat down in the temple courts every day teaching, and you didn't arrest me. Then you saw me. But this has all taken place, that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled. And then get this it says that all the disciples deserted him and fled Oof.

Speaker 1: 8:19

So the first character is Peter. You know, if I'm going to just say, like Peter, he's trying, he's with them and it's just so hard to get it. And Jesus has to be like, come on, dude, like what are you doing? So there's a little bit of Peter in all of us that are just struggling like how we react and how we respond to people in the midst of difficult situations. And then next it says in verse 57, those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.

Speaker 1: 8:54

So now the character in which we're going to talk about is this guy named Joseph Caiaphas. He was the high priest from 18 to 36 AD and you know him if you grew up in church just simply as Caiaphas. You've heard this short story about him. You know, you understand that Caiaphas maybe was the or maybe you don't understand that he was the high priest at the time of Jesus, which means that he was the most powerful, the most influential person in Jerusalem, judea and what we would consider ancient Israel Like. He was the guy. He was the connecting point between the nation of Israel and Rome, the person who communicated with Pilate or whoever was the leader of the Roman garrison, whoever that was, in whatever point that they were at in their own leadership.

Speaker 1: 9:40

But, even more significant than that, caiaphas was a part of this larger family and it's really hard to just capture and describe the significance of this. He was a part of a family that actually controlled the temple and the politics and the religion and the power that was in the temple for 40 years, because his father-in-law was a high priest and five of his brother-in-laws were high priests. So basically, this is like a dynasty. They had all the power, they had all the influence and they had extraordinary wealth, and that's because Jews all over the world paid what's called a temple tax, which would have been the equivalent of millions upon millions, upon millions of dollars that would flow into this 32-acre piece of real estate known as the temple in the middle of Jerusalem. And everyone paid the temple tax, not just the people who lived in the vicinity. So much money in fact actually poured into the temple through the temple tax that there were Roman providences all around the Roman Empire where governors actually tried to pass laws against the Jews paying into the temple tax and the surrounding provinces, into, then, judea, into the city of Jerusalem and then ultimately, specifically, into the temple. And so Caiaphas he not only had extraordinary power, he had extraordinary influence because he had extraordinary access to extraordinary wealth. Extraordinary Did you get that?

Speaker 1: 11:12

Said that a bunch, and things went fine for Caiaphas, who was the high priest, until a carpenter turned rabbi stepped onto the pages of history, and we know him as Jesus of Nazareth, and so verse 59, and rebuild it in three days. Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent. The high priest then said to him I charge you under the oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Messiah, the son of God. You have said so. Jesus replied, but I say to all of you, and now he quotes for the second time Psalm 110. From now on, you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said he has spoken blasphemy. Why do you need any more witnesses? Look now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you all think? And they responded he is worthy of death. Then they spit in his face, they struck him with their fists and others slapped him and said prophecy to us, messiah, who hits you?

Speaker 1: 12:55

So when Jesus showed up, the problem was and Caiaphas had all this power, he's got all of this wealth, he's got all this influence, he's in this family that controls everything. And when Jesus shows up, the problem with Jesus specifically is the crowds. It's the crowds. It wasn't his teaching. People taught all kinds of crazy things. It was the crowds of people that were gathering, and everywhere Jesus went, there were crowds. Everywhere he went, there was at least hundreds, and oftentimes thousands of people that would show up and this was a threat to Rome and this was a threat to the Jewish system. Because crowds, what they meant was potential insurrection. Crowds meant division. Crowds meant that things may not go well and they may not go well quickly if suddenly a crowd turned on the Jewish leaders and turned on the Roman garrison. So the Romans, they were concerned about the crowd and Caiaphas and his posse are concerned about the crowds. But everywhere Jesus went he drew these huge crowds and Caiaphas and his group. They never drew a crowd Like. Only during festivals is when people would come around to them.

Speaker 1: 14:04

The other thing that was a problem in terms of Jesus and his relationship with Caiaphas is that when Jesus spoke, when Jesus acted and behaved, he did so with extraordinary authority, authority. People were just amazed by his authority. In fact, remember the story of Jesus teaching he comes actually into the temple and starts throwing over tables and chasing off the animals and releasing doves and kind of wreaking havoc there and wreaking havoc on the money changers in the temple. Now, when the religious leaders sent by Caiaphas approached Jesus, they didn't say what do you think you're doing? They wanted to know about his authority. They asked this question that they knew they needed to ask, which is who do you think you are to do this? Who do you think you are? Because Jesus acted and behaved and spoke with such extraordinary authority.

Speaker 1: 14:58

Also and we have seen this as we've walked through these last couple chapters Jesus was extremely critical of the religious leaders. You want to see what a Jesus rant looks like? Go back to chapter 23, and it's just a huge, long rant towards these religious leaders. And so Caiaphas A huge, long rant towards these religious leaders. And so Caiaphas he had a little problem with Jesus's authority, with the crowds and his criticism of everyone that Caiaphas worked with, and for that Jesus actually threatened the peace, and Jesus then personally threatened the peacekeepers as they saw it.

Speaker 1: 15:34

And now what happens is just builds and builds and builds throughout the gospels, and the religious leaders, and Caiaphas in particular, then realized that their strategy to try to like tear this thing down was failing, and what it was is their strategy up to this point was actually to discredit Jesus publicly. That's why, when you read the gospels, they're constantly asking Jesus all these like trick questions and every time they think they've got him, jesus comes back with a snappy answer and they feel like they look stupid and people are like, yeah, that's right, get him right. And so the point of these questions were actually to divide Jesus from the crowd. They wanted Jesus to lose the crowd, because once Jesus loses the crowd, there's no longer a threat of peace. And that would have that would have affected and that he established they had established with Rome. And so the Pharisees and the leaders of the temple are just like throwing their hands up. They're like we keep trying to do this. They're just thinking like how is this ever going to end? Like what else do we got to do?

Speaker 1: 16:33

And the gospel according to John like takes a peek in the window of the Pharisees' interactions right here with one another. So the Pharisees said to one another see, this thing that we're trying to do, it's getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him. And this was their strategy, right, it was to try to discredit him with the people and asking him all these questions, tricky questions, and they're saying like this isn't working, like it's getting us nowhere. And then I love this. Look how the whole world has gone after him, like we're trying to discredit him and people are just falling more in love with this guy.

Speaker 1: 17:04

Now pause, it's because you need to know this. Like, how do we get this information? I'm gonna fast forward on you really quickly, like fast forward you into the book of Acts. So it goes Matthew, mark, luke, john, acts, the book of Acts. And the book of Acts is actually what tells us what happened in the church after Jesus was raised from the dead. Spoiler alert, sorry.

Speaker 1: 17:24

The book of Acts actually tells us who Luke investigated all of these things. Luke tells us actually that many, many priests and Pharisees later became followers and disciples of Jesus. That's how John then got this inside track to this information, because the gospel, according to John, was written much, much later. And so he's got this different perspective and these people telling us like, hey, this is what was going on. You're never going to believe this. And Luke is investigating some of the priests that eventually follows Jesus and some of the Pharisees. And John is, like you know, sitting there writing this stuff down and they're like you're not, you can't even believe the meetings we had about this Jesus guy. Like we were so frustrated, like no matter what we did, no matter what we said, no matter what we came with, like Jesus made us look like fools over and over and over again and then says that the chief priests and the Pharisees, what they do. Then they're like, trying to figure this out they call the meeting of the Sanhedrin. Now, for us, that means almost nothing to us. We just don't understand how significant this is. But let me try to put this into context.

Speaker 1: 18:25

For this group, this is like three different groups of people. There's a little bit of crossover in them and what they believe. There's different groups that didn't always get along. One of the things they didn't see is eye-to-eye theologically, like the Sadducees, they were part of this group. They didn't think there was such thing as a resurrection. Most of the Pharisees thought there was, and they were part of this group. They also didn't get along politically. They didn't have the same idea about how Israel should relate to Rome.

Speaker 1: 18:50

So here's your modern-day context. This is what this is like. This is why this is such a big deal. So this is like bringing the House, the Senate, the Republicans, the Democrats and the Supreme Court all together and agreeing on something right I'm not kidding Like contextually. This is what this is Like. We just don't understand this. This is like impossible becoming some sort of possibility.

Speaker 1: 19:15

And so they said, together in this meeting. They're getting together right Like, the harder we try, the bigger these crowds get. And so they ask what are we accomplishing? They ask here's this man who's performing many of these signs. And this is where it gets so relevant and like practical for us that there was something that was so important to this group of people that to follow Jesus and to embrace this carpenter-turned-rabbi who claimed to be the savior of the world, to embrace Jesus, who Jesus claimed to be, meant that they would have to let go of something that was extremely, extremely important to them. And what was that? It was their I mean our power, it was their, our popularity, and in our I mean their case, it was their wealth, or our wealth. They knew what they needed to do, but it was gonna cost them way too much. They knew how they needed to respond, but the price was just too high.

Speaker 1: 20:28

And so they say, man, if we let him go on like this, everybody's gonna believe him. And then what's going to happen is the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation, like, if we don't do anything, we're going to lose everything that's actually important to us. Because, friends, when you decide to follow Jesus, it's going to cost you something. In fact, as a Christian, when you finally decide, when things come up that are more important to you than your relationship with God, every single time you and I decide to put Jesus at the front and center of our life, every time we choose to do that, it's going to cost you something. Like it costs you something, guys, like one of the reasons many of you have resisted church for so long. I totally get this Like. I completely empathize this. I mean, I know I'm a pastor, but remember, I am a flawed human and I get this like deciding and choosing to follow Jesus is going to cost you something. And there they are. What do we do with Jesus? Everybody's following this guy, and then one of them named Caiaphas no-transcript. You know nothing at all. You do not realize that it is better for us I mean you that one man die for us I mean the people, of course the people, not for us. Then the whole nation perish. It's for the nation, not for us, but it's kind of for us because we have all of this Now, caiaphas. He's got this problem right.

Speaker 1: 22:11

Rome wouldn't execute anybody over a violation of Jewish law. And if you violate a Jewish law, even if it demanded death according to the Old Testament law. Rome ignored that part of Jewish law, and so he needed to come up with a charge. He needed to come up with something else that would give him an actual opportunity to take Jesus to Rome and say, hey, this isn't just someone who broke the Jewish law, he's broken a Roman law. In fact, what he needed to do is he needed a charge of sedition, which meant that he needed to be able to demonstrate to Pilate that Jesus was an actual threat, not simply to Jewish peace or to Rome peace, but the Roman empire. And Jesus had claimed to be and would claim to be and here's the thing a king, and so that's all Caiaphas needed. And so he's pegged Jesus with the charge of sedition because he claimed to be a king, and so he could now have Jesus crucified, and the threat then would finally be eliminated. Their position in the nation and the city would now be secure.

Speaker 1: 23:19

Now, what do you think that has to do with you and I? I think everything. Why? Because there's a little kaiaphas in all of us. There's a little kaiaphas in me that says preserve at all costs, preserve my reputation, preserve that relationship that you know you shouldn't be in, but it means so much to you right now and you would do anything to preserve it, or that position, or that status, or that lot, whatever it is. And you find yourself thinking, god, either help me or get out of my way. Either help me, get this right and keep this thing front and center that I want, because it's my kingdom and I care about it, or get out of the way and don't bother me.

Speaker 1: 24:13

Whatever that is at the center of your life, this is the thing that has replaced God in your life. What is it? Is it a position? Is it a person? Is it status? Is it GPA? Is it that college you're trying to get into? Even if you have to cheat, you won't allow that thing to suffer. There's something, there's something, friends, in all of us that says preserve, preserve, preserve. But here's. I want you to hear one thing, and if you haven't been paying attention so far, like, tune back in right here, just for this part, just hang with me. Whatever right here, just for this part, just hang with me.

Speaker 1: 24:53

Whatever you have replaced God with in your life, whatever you have placed at the center of your life other than God, or, if you're a Christian other than following Jesus as your Lord. Whatever you have placed and replaced God with in your life and replaced God with in your life, here it is is already diminishing in value and significance. It is, and I can prove it to you. You see, my greatest regret, your greatest regrets, are connected to your attempts to preserve something that probably isn't even a part of your life anymore. I mean, think about it Like that thing, whatever that thing was, or that relationship or that person was losing significance even as you clung tightly and this was the case with Caiaphas, like the fuse had been lit.

Speaker 1: 25:41

He was losing significance, he was losing his place every single day and he never even knew it until it was gone. And here's why it's because the little gods will always disappoint. The thing that you place in your life in place of God will always, always disappoint. And here's the problem it's the pressure to preserve that thing, that relationship or whatever it is. The pressure to preserve the little gods will eventually drive you to self-destructive behavior and other destructive extremes. The pressure that you're going to feel to prop up the little gods ultimately will drive you to self-destructive behaviors, and that's why your greatest regret is connected to your attempt at preserving something that you had no business preserving in the first place. That's not even a part of your life anymore, because God actually has a plan for your life and God has a will for your life. And to put anything else at the center of your life other than your creator, god, your heavenly father, sets you up for self-destructive behavior that ultimately hurts people around you, including you. I mean. Think about this. This is actually amazing.

Speaker 1: 26:59

Caiaphas, the high priest, had access to the oldest existing copy of the law of God that actually said thou shall not murder. Right, you maybe heard one of the Ten Commandments and as a priest, as the guardian, as the high priest, he was a steward of God's law. Where it was first. We see it first written on stone, given to Moses, eventually copied and copied. Caiaphas actually had access to the oldest existing version of thou shall not murder, and yet what happened? He murdered an innocent man.

Speaker 1: 27:31

You know why this is the scary part? Because our capacity for evil and our capacity for sin is extraordinary when we are trying to preserve something that's in the place of God. This is why our greatest regret, my greatest regret, is connected to a season of life. This is why our greatest regret, my greatest regret, is connected to a season of life, a weekend of your life, a relationship in your life where we have tried to prop something up that should have never been the center of our life to begin with. The little gods will always, always disappoint, and I understand why we say we resist the God that we say we trust. I understand surrender is terrifying, like it's terrifying, but the story of Caiaphas reminds us of something that we dare not ever forget, and it's this that while saying yes to God will cost you something, saying no will cost you even more. And here's the kicker Saying no will not only cost you more, but it will also cost you that thing, including what you have put in place of God to begin with.

Speaker 1: 28:54

So closing question is this what have you put in place of God in your life? This is a great opportunity for self-evaluation, self-reflection. This isn't shame. What is dead center other than your heavenly father? Like, what's the thing that you say? Like God, I need you to help me keep this. This is what I need. This is what I need you for. Like, maintain this, and if you don't and you even threaten that you're going to take it away. If you try to. I'm done with you. I'm not kidding. Like I'll be done, I'm going to walk.

Speaker 1: 29:28

That's a little God that will ultimately disappoint and you will spend time and effort and energy and money trying to prop it up and keep it alive and ultimately it disappoints and disappears. So what have you put in the place of God in your life? Or what are you seeking to preserve or prop up that actually needs to be surrendered? Or, let me put it this way, what's the little gods that's demanding more and more and providing less and less? Because saying I get it, saying yes to God, will cost you something, but saying no will cost you so much more, including what you've replaced God with to begin with.

Speaker 1: 30:15

That's the lesson from the life of Caiaphas, and I'll tell you this it is way easier for me to stand up here and say than to walk off this stage. And do I get it? But by God's grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, may we friends wrestle this stuff to the ground and may God give us his gentle spirit and compassion as we do just that. So I'm going to invite you into like 30 seconds of silence Again. There's no shame in this, but this is a great opportunity for confession and self-contemplation. Like what is that thing? And, holy Spirit, would you help me wrestle? Would you wrestle this away from me? This cup, your will, not mine. What is the thing you are willing and not willing to give up and let him meet you there? You got like 20 seconds. Just spend time with your father and then Aaron's going to invite you to respond and worship.