Why Did Caiaphas Tear His Robes?: Passover Series Part 7 (2023)

Exodus 28:31-32
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; IT SHALL HAVE A WOVEN BINDING ALL AROUND IT’S OPENING, like the opening in a coat of mail, SO THAT IT DOES NOT TEAR.”

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God told Moses the Ephod was to be made in such a way that it not tear. He was quite explicit and very adamant about it! It was specially constructed in such a way that it could not tear either by accident or on purpose. 🤔 Yet years in the future, Caiaphas dared to do it. 🤯 Why in the world would he do such a thing if God was dead set against it? That’s what we are going to study, though you may be surprised by the answer.

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Secrets In The Hebrew Language.

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No Ark Of The Covenant?

Also curiously, during this time, THERE WAS NO ARK OF THE COVENANT in the temple. 😲 It seems to have disappeared sometime prior to the Babylonian Captivity in the 6th century BC.The last historical mention of it in Scripture is in Second Chronicles chapter 35, where King Josiah (who reigned in Judah c. 640-609 BC) asked that the Levites return the Ark to the Temple where Solomon had originally housed it after completing and dedicating the building. This was accomplished sometime in the 10th century BC (Second Chronicles, chapter 5).

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The Jewish people may not have known why but, while Jesus walked this earth, they didn’t need the golden box. The Real Ark of the Covenant was outside walking around among the people, healing the sick, cleansing the leper, preaching good news to the poor, and doing good everywhere He went! That’s our JESUS!!!

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“Trial” At Caiaphas’ House.

After Jesus was arrested in the garden, he was brought to the house of that now infamous high priest to stand “trial,” if you can call it that. What a sham that was, more like being railroaded. 😡

During the course of His being examined by His accusers, the most shocking, unexpected, unprecedented, and unthinkable happened.Let’s follow the discourse between Jesus and Caiaphas and learn the REAL reason he tore his robes.

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Matthew 26:62-65
“62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 THEN THE HIGH PRIEST TORE HIS CLOTHES {uh oh 😲} saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?

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A New Priestly Order.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute…..Didn’t we just read that this action is EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN BY ALMIGHTY GOD?! YES. Yes, we did! Then why did he do it?

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Well for one thing, He was a corrupt high priest. No doubt he was WELL AWARE of this law. HOWEVER….What he didn’t know; what he couldn’t possibly have understood, was that the Man in Whose Presence he was standing was Very God in Human flesh. Jesus was to become High Priest FOREVER after the order of Melchizedek, replacing the old order of the Levitical priesthood. 🙌🏻

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Yom Kippur.

In ancient Israel, as you know, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year and offered a sacrifice for all the people. This day is known as “Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.” If he did everything right and his sacrifice was accepted by God, the whole nation was accepted. They’d have their sins covered for the next twelve months, have bumper crops, healthy babies, and enjoy all the blessings of God for the year ahead.

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But…..if his sacrifice was not accepted, the whole nation was rejected. Why?Because God works through headships and leaderships. As the high priest goes, so goes the nation. If he is accepted but the nation is bad, they are still accepted. The opposite was also true. If the high priest was bad, but the nation was good, God rejected the whole nation. Their right standing with God was completely reliant on their high priest.

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(For more on this topic, you may follow the link below:

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This went on for some 1500 years. The high priest could never sit down when he was on duty in the temple because his work was never done. You’ll notice there aren’t any chairs in the tabernacle.

But Jesus, as our Great High Priest, went into the REAL Holy of Holies in heaven. He was both OFFERER and the OFFERING! He offered ONE sacrifice FOREVER but HE SAT DOWN at His Father’s right hand because HIS WORK WAS FINISHED. We are FOREVER acceptable because our Great High Priest is ETERNALLY acceptable!

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You can see this concept so clearly in a seemingly unlikely place: The REAL story in the stars. You may not realize it but before God’s word was in written form, He blasted it all across the night sky. Men of ancient times knew how to read it and passed down the gospel story from generation to generation.

You can read all about this function of Jesus by following the link below:

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#1: It symbolically abolished the Levitical priesthood as he threw them at the feet of Jesus…..literally…..and…..

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#2: It signified that JESUS WAS THE NEW HIGH PRIEST….FOREVER!

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He never knew that THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST OF THE NEW COVENANT WAS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM

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No other priest was ever called “Great High Priest” except Jesus; and when He cried, “FINISHED!” His Father tore that temple veil, in two from top to bottom, a picture of Jesus flesh that was torn. It was the final act signifying that THE LAW IS USURPED BY GRACE !!!

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…..And that, Church, is why God allowed Caiaphas to tear his robes.

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You may follow the link below to continue this series: