Annas: Letters From Golgotha, Pt 2

The following is a”letter” inspired by the experiences of an eyewitness to the crucifixion. It is excerpted from a sermon entitled “Letters From Golgotha,” which I presented in August 2010.

Annas, High Priest Emeritus

To Caiaphas, my son-in-law and High Priest.

Congratulations! Our plan worked spectacularly! That slimy pretender from Nazareth is out of our hair forever. Let’s see the people shout and carry on about all that “Hosanna!” business now!

I know, it’s irritating having to deal with the Romans, but you can’t argue with the fact that they are brutally efficient when it comes to killing. And that is exactly what had to happen. As I told you many times, if that sniveling snake had lived, he would have corrupted the people, stirring them to rebellion. And then the Romans would have been after us instead.

I understand the man who led us to that Christ came to you to return his reward. You did the right thing by not accepting it. And the fact that his guilty conscience led him to hang himself in that field is of no consequence to us. He was likely a disturbed soul long before we ever met him. In fact, I suspect that it was one of the demons that enabled that carpenter to do so-called miracles which tormented him until he could stand it no more. He should have been grateful for the part that we allowed him to play in history.

We must now return our attention – and that of the people – to the Passover. This will be complicated, unfortunately, by the other events of today. To be frank, the unusually long eclipse and earthquake will likely stir some people to think that there was some cosmic significance to the death of that blasphemer. We must not hesitate to remind them that he claimed to be the messiah and yet could not even save himself from that cross. And then, I think the most effective course will be to simply remind them of that fact over and over again. They must not be allowed to think that he was anything more than a lunatic.

Be sure to have someone at the temple to repair the curtain as soon as the Sabbath is over tomorrow. We don’t want word to get out that people can just waltz straight into the Holy of Holies. If someone were to think this was the result of that man’s death – that, because he died, they can now have direct access to God – imagine the ramifications. No, we must do everything in our power to ensure that does not happen.

Shalom.