In the Bible, Matthew 26:57-67 and John 11:45-53 tell the story of when Jesus was being accused of blasphemy and was brought before the high priest Caiaphas for trial. He had the opportunity to help the crowd realize that Jesus was the true Messiah, but for selfish reasons Caiaphas declared Jesus guilty.
Take a look at Ellen G. White’s commentary in the next two paragraphs below:
“Caiaphas belonged to the Sadducees, some of whom were now the most desperate enemies of Jesus. He himself, though wanting in force of character, was fully as severe, heartless, and unscrupulous as was Annas. He would leave no means untried to destroy Jesus. … Caiaphas had regarded Jesus as his rival. The eagerness of the people to hear the Saviour, and their apparent readiness to accept His teachings, had aroused the bitter jealousy of the high priest. But as Caiaphas now looked upon the prisoner, he was struck with admiration for His noble and dignified bearing. A conviction came over him that this Man was akin to God. The next instant he scornfully banished the thought. Immediately his voice was heard in sneering, haughty tones demanding that Jesus work one of His mighty miracles before them. But his words fell upon the Saviour’s ears as though He heard them not.”—The Desire of Ages, pp. 703–705.
“Caiaphas had denied the doctrine of the resurrection, the judgment, and a future life. Now he was maddened by satanic fury. … Rending his robe, that the people might see his pretended horror, he demanded that without further preliminaries the prisoner be condemned for blasphemy. …Conviction mingled with passion led Caiaphas to do as he did. He was furious with himself for believing Christ’s words, and instead of rending his heart under a deep sense of truth, and confessing that Jesus was the Messiah, he rent his priestly robes in determined resistance. This act was deeply significant. Little did Caiaphas realize its meaning. In this act, done to influence the judges and secure Christ’s condemnation, the high priest had condemned himself. By the law of God he was disqualified for the priesthood. He had pronounced upon himself the death sentence.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 708.
After I read these paragraphs, I felt so heartbroken for Caiaphas. He prevented himself from believing in God. The outcome could have been very different. He was already convinced that Jesus was Lord but he shunned those thoughts away, leading to his eternal demise.
How many of us hear the voice of God yet continue to block him out? How many times has Jesus knocked on the door of our hearts yet we refuse to let Him in? How many more signs are we going to ignore before we recognize God’s presence?
I believe that the spread of the Corona Virus did one positive thing – it brought people’s attention back to God. We are nearing the time of Jesus’s return and this lockdown is the perfect opportunity to get back on your knees and renew your relationships with God. Don’t be like Caiaphas and miss out on eternal life. Don’t let pride harbor in your heart. Accept Jesus – He already loves you. Grab the opportunity to experience God’s love to the fullest.
I think... 