The Unintentional Prophet
The eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John recounts the Pharisees’ council that took place after the extraordinary episode of Lazarus’ resurrection. The tension in the meeting is palpable. The miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ were drawing more and more followers to Him. It seems natural, then, that those who could not accept His divine message and mission would be troubled by the consequences of events beyond their understanding.
Unfortunately, however, their hardened hearts and blind eyes failed to see the obvious: in their midst stood the very One about whom the ancient prophets had spoken in the sacred texts of the Old Testament. The greatest threat came from Jewish “nationalism”—that resistance movement fighting against Roman occupation:
“What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation” (John 11:47-48).
Reaching a climax, the discussions among the leaders are interrupted by the fiery intervention of the High Priest of that time, Caiaphas (c.14 BC–c.46 AD). Without hesitation, he is the one who, with the approval of the majority, will pronounce the death sentence on God made man, Jesus Christ:
“But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing. Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God, that were dispersed. From that day therefore they devised to put him to death” (John 11:49-53).
In the passage above, we identify that particular political sin—nationalism—which, as the degraded and ideological version of patriotism, has historically led to countless devastating conflicts. But what has always astonished many commentators of sacred texts is the categorical statement of the divine text: although through his words Caiaphas sought to eliminate the one he considered the enemy of the people, he was, in fact, unintentionally prophesying the providential significance of Jesus of Nazareth’s death. How is it possible for such a negative historical figure to be a prophet?
Caiaphas did not intend to convey the message revealed to us in the Gospel of John: namely, that Jesus of Nazareth, being God, was to die not only to atone for the sins of the Jewish people but for all nations. And yet, the intention behind his words matters little in comparison to the divine intention and plan.
The sacred text first justifies this by pointing out that he was the high priest that year. The famous historian Josephus Flavius (c.AD 37–c.100) confirms in Chapter IV of Book XVIII of his significant work Antiquitates Iudaicae (Antiquities of the Jews)[i] that Caiaphas was indeed the high priest during the time when the God-Man walked the earth. The renowned Abbot Alcuin of York (c.735–804), a brilliant teacher and scholar at the court of Emperor Charlemagne, follows a suggestion from Josephus Flavius, stating that Caiaphas “bought the priesthood for a year, for a certain sum.”[ii] In other words, just as a pope may be appointed through behind-the-scenes machinations, the one who condemned our Lord was guilty of the sin of simony. And yet, this did not nullify his status as High Priest. Perhaps hidden within this is a message from God, showing us that, despite his immorality—his role as accuser and executioner of Christ the Savior—Caiaphas still prophesied. What could be more astonishing?
One of the Byzantine commentators on the Gospels, Archbishop Theophylact (c.1055– c.1107), emphasizes that, despite his intentions, Caiaphas was used by the Holy Spirit to prophesy:
“He said this with a bad intention, yet the Holy Spirit used his mouth as the vehicle of a prophecy.”
In turn, one of the greatest Greek Fathers, Saint John Chrysostom, pointed out that the Holy Spirit acted upon Caiaphas from the outside, not from within his heart:
“See the great virtue of the Holy Spirit, in drawing forth a prophecy from a wicked man. And see too the virtue of the pontifical office, which made him, though an unworthy High Priest, unconsciously prophesy. Divine grace only used his mouth; it touched not his corrupt heart.”
Beyond such details, one thing—emphasized by Saint Augustine—is crystal clear:
“We learn hence that even bad men may foretell things to come by the spirit of prophecy, which power the Evangelist ascribes to a divine sacrament, he being Pontifex, i.e. High Priest.”
Thus, since the office of Pontifex is endowed with a certain power of divine origin, it manifests itself even through an unworthy servant. Clearly, Caiaphas did not intend to convey the message revealed to us in the Gospel of John: namely, that Jesus of Nazareth, being God, was to die not only to atone for the sins of the Jewish people but for all nations. And yet, the intention behind his words matters little in comparison to the divine intention and plan.
If we reflect on the consequences of such a teaching, we cannot help but tremble: for it becomes clear that no evil figure in history exists outside of a providential plan that escapes our full understanding. Although God can never will evil, He may allow it to fulfill His purposes in accordance with eternal Wisdom. Nothing confirms divine omnipotence more than this teaching. In fact, as we shall soon see, it is not just a single teaching but several.
The involuntary prophecy of Caiaphas certainly reminds us that, in an incomprehensible way, God is at work even when it seems to us that He is absent.
The Lessons of the Holy Spirit
Nothing recorded in the inspired texts of the Old and New Testaments is accidental. Their divine Author, God, has conveyed through them everything we need to know to progress on the path of salvation leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the most difficult lessons from the Divine Teacher concerns the mystery of evil. Who is not troubled by it? Who among us does not feel the attacks of spiritual adversaries that gnaw at our flesh, tarnishing or even extinguishing the light of our souls? Who among us is not shaken by the unprecedented crisis that both the Church and the world are experiencing in our times? To all these concerns, God has answers meant to make us wiser and, at the same time, strengthen us.
His first lesson is about the boundless power of divine Providence. Simply put, nothing escapes Him. Nothing happens without His knowledge, will, or permission. No form of evil, and no agent of it—including the High Priest who condemned to death the Son of God, Jesus Christ—acts without God’s permission, who unchangeably fulfills His perfect plan. This is the first lesson worth meditating on in prayer throughout our lives.
Moreover, God teaches us something else: the value of the sacred offices held by the Church’s hierarchy. If we already know that priests can validly celebrate the sacraments even when they are in a state of mortal sin, the passage from the Gospel of John discussed above tells us that the High Priest remains in office even when he sins against God. (A bad pope is still a Pope, isn’t he?) The respect we owe to the divine office of a hierarch—whether he is a Bishop, Archbishop, or Pope—must remain intact even in those situations where, like the apostles, we must say:
“We ought to obey God, rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Finally, the last lesson concerns the greatness of Divine Wisdom and the profound mystery that surrounds it. Too often, we risk being filled with pride—just like Caiaphas—ignoring or forgetting the lesson given to us by the Heavenly Father through the great prophet Isaiah:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Isaias 55:8-9).
The involuntary prophecy of Caiaphas certainly reminds us that, in an incomprehensible way, God is at work even when it seems to us that He is absent. What place could have been more foreign to God than that hall where Caiaphas and the other religious leaders decided His execution? And yet, if the great poet-king David tells God, “If I descend into hell, thou art present” (Psalm 138:8), we must be certain that nothing escapes the scrutinizing eye of Divine Providence. Even more encouraging for us is the assurance that no evil happens in this world without God working toward His final victory—over every sin, every injustice, and every unworthy tyrant, dictator, or ecclesiastical hierarch.
Latest from RTV — Mass Restoration | Michael Matt interviewed by African Traditionalist
[i] Available online: Complete works of Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews; The wars of the Jews against Apion, etc., A New and Revised Edition Based on Havercamp’s Translation, In Four Volumes, Volume Three, New York: Bigelow, Brown and Co., Inc. (without year): https://archive.org/details/completeworksofj03jose/page/n7/mode/2up [Accessed: 02 February 2025].
[ii] All quotations from the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church are taken from the Catena Aurea (The Golden Chain) of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The commentaries on chapter 11 of the Gospel of John can be read here: https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-99.shtml [Accessed: 02 February 2025].
