Killing a Messiah

by Adam Winn

  Finally, he spoke. “There is no need for games here. I am who you think I am, and you are right about who I represent. But granting your request is not as simple as you might think. There are powers greater than the one I represent, and they might not be so willing to grant immunity to your . . . innocent cousin.”

  “I understand,” said Caleb. “But it seems to me that the information you seek about Jesus is of the utmost importance to you, to the one you represent, and perhaps even to those more powerful than him. And now that my cousin is known to both you and Rome, he can be monitored and kept in check. I only ask that no one hunt him any longer, that he no longer face the threat of arrest or execution, and that he be allowed to return to his life and family—on my word that he is indeed innocent. If he is caught committing a crime in the future, then your promise of protection is void and you may do with him as you wish.”

  Aaron looked at him thoughtfully. Caleb even believed he may have caught a hint of admiration in his eye. “I cannot make this decision here and now. I do not have that power. I must bring this request to others. But time is of the essence, and though the hour is getting late, I hope to have an answer for you tonight. If we grant your request, we will need to act on this information as early as tomorrow.”

  “I understand,” said Caleb. “Your expediency is appreciated.”

  “Return to your shop,” Aaron said. “You will not see me again. Your usual contact will come to you with an answer. It could be quite late, but do not go home. You will have an answer tonight.”

  Caleb nodded. The priest got up and left the tavern, and Caleb left moments later.

  Just before midnight, his contact returned to the shop. “Your request has been granted,” he said. And then, with a smug look, he said, “Now please tell me the identity of the disciple who might betray this prophet.” Ignoring the petty jab, Caleb gave him the description of the disciple that Judah had told him about. The contact replied, “This information is greatly appreciated. But for your request to be granted, your assistance will be needed to recruit this man.” Without a thought Caleb said, “I will do whatever is needed.”

  “Excellent,” the man replied. “Let us form our strategy.” For the next hour, Caleb and his contact devised a plan to recruit the disciple who shared the name of his cousin: Judah.

  ELEAZAR

  Eleazar awoke to the light of the morning sun. Like the previous two days, today would no doubt be a busy one. In addition to the many traditional priestly duties that came with a Passover week, he was also responsible for observing the Galilean prophet while he was in the temple courtyard—and he seemed to be in the temple courtyard constantly. There was a continual need for vigilance as Jesus arrived in the mid-morning, held court with the people all day, and left just before sundown. Although Eleazar had delegated this task to lower-level priests and Levites, given his father’s request he felt obligated to keep an eye on this Jesus himself. With so much at risk, he trusted few eyes more than his own.

  Just then a slave girl entered with a breakfast of dry fish, warm bread, and fresh dates. The morning meeting with his father would be starting soon.

  The time spent observing the prophet had produced little of note. Eleazar had orchestrated efforts to draw out additional information from the man by sending priests and even a couple of Pharisees, but all such efforts had proven futile. There was no need to mention these failures to his father and uncles. The good news was that this Jesus had done nothing yet that demanded an immediate arrest or suggested he was an imminent threat. It seemed Pilate was right in this regard.

  Up to this point, Jesus’ teachings certainly implied Roman removal, but he had not directly called for such removal or encouraged people to join in it—at least not publicly. And there was the rub. It was easy to observe this man while he was in public, teaching large crowds in the temple courtyard. But locating him at any other time had proven difficult. He entered the city in a crowd and left in the same way. Several priests, Levites, and informants had attempted to follow him, but time and time again he disappeared in an outlying village. One Levite was certain he had tracked him to an inn in Bethphage, but when he entered the inn’s tavern, the prophet was nowhere to be found. Eleazar knew this was a problem they would have to resolve soon, as arresting Jesus publicly would be extremely dangerous. Each day that danger grew, along with Jesus’ popularity. This lack of progress would certainly displease his father.

  His wife, Joanna, entered the room as he ate. She was truly a beautiful woman, and her entrance into any room still took his breath away. Her smile was exhilarating, and her large brown eyes intoxicating. She greeted him warmly, embracing him and kissing him softly on the cheek.

  “I had an interesting dinner last night,” she said as she moved to recline on the cushion next to him.

  “Oh, you did, did you? Of interest to Jerusalem’s finest young maidens or to me?” he said with a smile.

  She feigned a pouting look. “Do you still think so little of my wiles?”

  He leaned over and gave her a light kiss on the lips. “Your wiles ought never be underestimated! I would be forever lost without them! What have you learned? Do tell!”

  She laughed playfully, nibbled a date, and looked at him suspiciously before she said, “There seems to be much concern about this prophet Jesus among Annas and his sons.”

  Eleazar’s demeanor suddenly changed to one of intense focus. “Really? What are they concerned about?”

  “It seems that Annas had a private meeting with the Roman governor yesterday.” Though this meeting was no surprise to Eleazar, he shook his head and cursed under his breath.

  “Do you want to hear what I have to say or not?” Joanna asked, mild frustration in her voice.

  “Yes, of course! Please go on.”

  “Pilate told him he is not concerned about this prophet and he does not intend to intervene. Apparently, this was shocking news to Annas. It has his entire house in an uproar! As I told you before, they all see this man as a grave threat.”

  Eleazar could not keep a grin from crossing his face. “Yes, go on.”

  She continued, “Now he and his sons are telling all who will listen of this failure of Roman leadership, and they are demanding that your father do what the Roman governor will not. He is telling the families of the leading priests that this is the time for Caiaphas to show his strength and remove this threat from the city.”

  Instead of currying favor with the governor, Annas had instead decided to pressure his father into action that would clearly be unpopular with the masses. His call for strength of leadership from Caiaphas was nothing more than the generous gift of just enough rope to hang oneself. As usual, his professed concern for the city’s safety and peace was merely a cover for the political gain of his own family. The irony that this response was exactly what his father both anticipated and desired gave Eleazar great satisfaction.

  “It sounds to me that he feels your father is up to the task,” his wife continued, “that Annas believes he will show strength and do the right thing! This certainly does not look like the action of the conniving usurper you make your grandfather out to be.”

  Her continued naiveté was both endearing and frustrating to Eleazar at the same time. He gave her a gentle, though perhaps slightly condescending look. “The trap always looks enticing right before you step into it, my dear. I assure you that things are not always as they appear. Let this fruit ripen before you determine its quality.”

  She looked at him inquisitively and shook her head. “Always so suspicious!” She kissed his cheek and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “I might not agree with your assessment of Annas’s response, but I am grateful you told me of it. It is valuable information, more valuable than you could know. My father will be quite pleased to receive it, and I will be sure to tell him that it came from you.” This brought a loving smile.

  There was a knock at the door. A slave entered and informed Eleazar that the rest of the gues
ts had arrived and were waiting on him. He had lost track of time. Though his father did not like tardiness, he would no doubt appreciate the present reason for it. Eleazar arose quickly, kissed his wife on the head, and made for the door.

  As he left, Joanna said playfully, “Good luck saving our city, my love!” He rolled his eyes before he left the room.

  When he arrived at his father’s private chambers, he found his two uncles and his father’s cousin enjoying a plate of figs and cheese. Apparently, they had not yet engaged in any significant discussion. He apologized for his late arrival and assured the group there was a good reason for it.

  Caiaphas began, “Since we last met, there was much to do, and much still remains. I won’t keep you long, but updating our plan’s progress is crucial. Eleazar, you have been responsible for observing the prophet. I assume he has not yet done anything to suggest an imminent threat or I would have already been told. Is there any information you would like to share?”

  “Yes, I have had eyes on Jesus every day in the temple courtyard from his arrival in the morning to his departure in the evening. You are correct that he has done nothing to suggest that a threat of violence is imminent. His teaching certainly contains an implicit anti-Roman message, but he says nothing that directly critiques Roman occupation. There has been no call for taking up arms or efforts to organize the people to such ends. He is, however, quite open in his criticism of the temple and our leadership, and has said much to defame us.”

  “We are the leading priests of Israel,” said Caiaphas, “and we should not let such insults distract us from our purpose. Let him rant all he wants. Peace is the priority here. For now, I am pleased to hear there is no evidence of him inciting the people to violence or organizing any sort of opposition.”

  “At least not publicly,” Eleazar said. “Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to find where he spends his nights. We have no idea what he might be plotting with his closest followers. It is the possibility of such plots that scares me.”

  Eleazar noticed his Uncle Aaron glance at his father.

  “On the matter of the prophet’s whereabouts at night, we have had a bit of a breakthrough,” Caiaphas said. “Last night we were given new information. Aaron, would you share your news?”

  “Certainly,” Aaron answered. “Apparently there is a close disciple of the prophet who for some reason is disenfranchised with his master. An informant has told us he might be willing to assist us in locating Jesus at night. We would like to recruit this disciple later this morning. If all goes well, a path to a private arrest will emerge.”

  This revelation brought relief and audible joy to the rest at the table.

  “Eleazar,” Caiaphas said, “I would like you to take the lead in recruiting this man. I cannot be a part of it, and I think it better that someone less visible than your uncles or cousin facilitate it. Would you be willing to speak with this man on our behalf?”

  Though inwardly elated by the request, this time Eleazar remained stoic and calm. “Yes, of course. It will be an honor to serve in this way. Share with me the details of the plan, and I will do whatever is required.”

  His father looked at him proudly and said, “Thank you, my son. I have complete confidence in you. Aaron will fill you in on the details of the plan after our meeting.” He turned to address the rest of the table: “What of other pressing matters?”

  “What have we learned about the support of the council, Brother?” asked Simeon. “Will we have enough votes to convict this prophet once he is arrested?”

  “That remains to be seen,” answered Caiaphas. “I have spoken to the priestly families that are aligned with us, and they have committed their support both to convict Jesus and to demand his death from Pilate should he resist us. They clearly see him as a threat to the peace of the city. I have also met with the Pharisee Jonathan, and here I am afraid the news is not good. While many of the prominent Pharisaic families do not support this prophet, they want no part in his death. Jonathan even believes that some secretly support Jesus and would likely push back against any effort to execute him.”

  “He likely refers to Joseph, son of Isaac, from Arimathea,” said Simeon. “I have heard he has let this prophet stay in his home on previous visits to Jerusalem. We have watched him and his house closely this week, but unfortunately there has been no sign of interaction with Jesus. No doubt he now knows the danger of such association.”

  Ezra interjected, “Joseph is well respected and has influence over certain Pharisaic families. Jonathan controls the majority, but an objection from Joseph could be a problem. And without the Pharisees, the vote will be quite close. I also worry that without more support we will not be able to get the conviction we desire or form a convincing enough crowd to demand that Pilate execute the man.”

  “I believe I have good news in this regard,” said Eleazar. “While dining with Bernice and Salome last night, my dear wife, Joanna, gathered some helpful news. Apparently, after Annas learned that Pilate did not intend to arrest Jesus, he began spreading the word among the prominent priestly families that Pilate was a weak governor and that you, Father, needed to compensate for this weakness by arresting Jesus. He is painting you as the city’s only hope. Father, it seems you were right in your anticipation of Annas’s plans.”

  “Indeed,” said Caiaphas solemnly. “It brings me no joy, but if this news is true I think we can count on the support of Annas along with those loyal to him. There is always a chance that this information is inaccurate, but confirming it should not prove difficult. Ezra, can you look into this?” His cousin nodded.

  With no further business to discuss, Caiaphas dismissed them. As they departed, he reminded them that time was running short and that they may need to reconvene later that evening.

  CALEB

  Though he had gone to bed late the night before and had only a handful of hours of restless sleep, Caleb was up early the next morning. He should have felt exhausted, but the events of the night before and the tasks of the day energized him. His plan had gone as well as he could have expected, but there was still more to accomplish. He wanted to arrive at the temple courtyard early, before the prophet and the masses arrived. As he had told his contact the night before, the disciple of interest seemed to hold a special position in the group. Jesus or one of the other prominent disciples often sent him on errands of some sort. For the last two days, he had been responsible for purchasing food for the group, but he also often disappeared from the group for short periods. Caleb was uncertain of all that he did, but he recognized that these errands would give him an opportunity to approach this man. He hoped that perhaps the man might arrive early to make arrangements before Jesus himself arrived.

  Caleb left a note asking Jacob to meet him in the temple courtyard if he desired, then set out. He arrived at the temple in time to beat the crowds, but the disciple he was looking for was not yet there. After waiting for a very long hour, it became clear his hope of the disciple’s early arrival would not be realized.

  Jesus entered the courtyard at about the same time he had the previous two days, again through the Beautiful Gate. His disciples surrounded him, as did a large crowd. He made his way to the same place he had taught before. Caleb, assuming he would do so, was already in place.

  Unlike the previous days, Caleb had little interest in the contents of Jesus’ message. As Jesus spoke, Caleb was watching the disciple his cousin had described: short, thick-nosed, and with a sparse beard. The mole was on his left cheek. While Jesus’ other followers seemed concerned with controlling the crowd, he looked rather aloof, as if he was daydreaming.

  About an hour after Jesus had begun teaching, this Judah tapped one of the other disciples on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The other disciple nodded, and Judah got up and made his way through the crowd. This could be the moment Caleb had been waiting for. He moved to follow, trying to keep a close distance between them. It seemed he was headed for a food vendor, and Caleb wanted t
o catch him before he reached his destination. He quickened his pace and closed the gap. As he got closer, he called out: “Judah!” The man turned, looking to see who had called his name. Caleb waved, and Judah looked curiously at him, as if he was trying to determine whether he knew Caleb. Caleb drew closer, and the puzzled look remained.

  “Do I know you?”

  “No, not really,” said Caleb. “But I have been listening to your master, Jesus, for the past couple of days and overheard your name.” The man’s puzzled look quickly became one of suspicion. Cautiously he asked, “And how can I help you?”

  “I am sorry to catch you off guard. I just wondered if I could ask you some questions about Jesus.”

  Judah’s suspicion turned to irritation. He shook his head. “I am sorry, but I don’t answer people’s questions about him. He is there, teaching. You can learn all you want by listening and asking him your own questions.”

  Undaunted, Caleb said, “But there are some very important people who would also like to ask you a few questions. Perhaps you would have time for them?”

  Judah’s suspicion returned. He shook his head and turned away, saying, “I don’t have time for any of this.”

  Before he could get far, Caleb said, “They will surely make it worth your while. They have made it worth mine, and I am becoming a very rich man.”

  Judah stopped, hesitated, and turned back to face Caleb, suspicion still on his face. “Who are these people?” he asked.

  “I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you that they pay good money for information. They believe you have information they want, and they will certainly pay you well for it.”

  The man looked up, then down, as if torn over a decision. He finally shook his head and walked away toward a food vendor. As Caleb watched him, he felt his heart sink to his stomach. This man was not going to take the bait. Caleb watched him for a moment longer, then headed back to the crowd around Jesus.