Topical Bible: Revenge by the Chief Priests

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The theme of revenge by the chief priests is a significant aspect of the New Testament narrative, particularly in the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The chief priests, who were part of the Jewish religious leadership, played a pivotal role in the opposition to Jesus, driven by a combination of fear, jealousy, and a desire to maintain their religious authority.

Context and Background

The chief priests were influential leaders within the Jewish Sanhedrin, the ruling council responsible for religious and some civil matters in Judea. They were primarily Sadducees, a sect known for their aristocratic status and collaboration with Roman authorities. The high priest, a position of great power, was often appointed by Roman rulers, which further complicated the religious and political dynamics of the time.

Motivations for Revenge

The chief priests' animosity towards Jesus stemmed from several factors:

1. Threat to Authority: Jesus' growing popularity and His authoritative teaching challenged the religious status quo. His actions, such as cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12-13), directly confronted the corruption and commercialism that the chief priests benefited from.

2. Blasphemy Accusations: Jesus' claims of divinity and His interpretation of the Law were perceived as blasphemous. In John 10:33 , the Jews state, "We are not stoning You for any good work, but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, declare Yourself to be God."

3. Fear of Roman Intervention: The chief priests feared that Jesus' messianic claims could incite unrest, prompting Roman intervention and threatening their own positions of power. In John 11:48 , they express concern: "If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

Actions Taken

The chief priests' desire for revenge culminated in a series of calculated actions:

1. Plotting Jesus' Death: The chief priests conspired to kill Jesus, as seen in Matthew 26:3-4 : "At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him."

2. Manipulating Public Opinion: They sought to sway public opinion against Jesus, using false witnesses and stirring up the crowd to demand His crucifixion (Mark 15:11).

3. Trial and Condemnation: The chief priests played a central role in Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, where they sought false testimony to justify His execution (Matthew 26:59-60).

4. Influence on Pilate: They pressured the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to authorize Jesus' crucifixion, leveraging political threats and public unrest (John 19:12-16).

Aftermath and Legacy

The actions of the chief priests in seeking revenge against Jesus are pivotal in the narrative of the Passion. Their role in His crucifixion is a testament to the fulfillment of prophetic Scripture and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. Despite their efforts to silence Jesus, His resurrection and the subsequent spread of Christianity underscore the futility of their revenge and the triumph of divine purpose.

Nave's Topical Index

Acts 7:54-59
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Nave's Topical Index

Acts 23:12
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Christ Crucified and Buried.
... galled; and he took his revenge by flashing the idea before the public mind, that
it was a crime, in the estimation of at least the chief priests and scribes ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/christ crucified and buried.htm

G. Jesus Before Pilate. Ch. 23:1-25
... 13 And Pilate called together the chief priests and the ... When, therefore, their chief
council had decided that ... To wreak upon Jesus a petty revenge, Herod mocked ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/g jesus before pilate ch.htm

Jesus Before Pilate.
... The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar ... He is a Galilean of no
consequence, connected with no good family who might revenge His death." This was ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xix jesus before pilate.htm

Christ Crucified
... to Israel and her monarch, that he saw the way to a petty revenge. ... The populace mocked
Him openly: the chief priests, too cultivated to insult avowedly a dying ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 15 21-32 christ crucified.htm

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers.
... The priests and Pharisees listened eagerly ... As they caught the word "revenge" they
turned to each ... Meanwhile Dathan, a merchant, the chief of the traders who had ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter i jesus drives out.htm

Jesus Before Herod.
... pretty early in the morning.' The Chief Priests produced their ... When the High Priests
and the other enemies of ... festival day, and take the most inhuman revenge. ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xx jesus before herod.htm

In Joseph's Tomb
... The revenge which the priests had thought would be so sweet was already bitterness
to them ... and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 80 in josephs tomb.htm

Jesus, Pilate and Herod.
... Then came Caiaphas, Annas and the chief priests, and the ... Then went the priests out,
sorely dissatisfied with the ... To revenge oneself on such a man would be the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter vii jesus pilate and.htm

Messiah Derided Upon the Cross
... self-interest does not interfere, and the bitter passions of envy, hatred, malice,
and revenge, are not ... (1.). The Chief Priests, Elders, and Rulers of the people ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xxi messiah derided upon.htm

Whom to Obey, --Annas or Angel?
... for greetings in the marketplace, and the chief seats in ... to glimmer over Olivet,
and the priests were preparing ... nation, so that no incitement to revenge lay in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/whom to obeyannas or angel.htm