Let the Drama Begin - Part Two
The leading figure in the plot to arrest and kill Jesus was Caiaphas, the high priest. Caiaphas had been appointed high priest by Valerius Gratus, Pilate’s predecessor, in A.D. 18, about twelve years before this. He was the son-in-law of Annas, the hereditary high priest who had served from 6-15 A.D., until the Romans deposed him. Caiaphas survived until A.D. 36, which means that he held his office for eighteen years. This tells us something important about him. Between 37. B.C. and 67 A.D., when the last of the high priests was appointed just before the destruction of the temple, the Romans appointed and deposed no fewer than twenty-eight high priests. So if Caiaphas survived for eighteen years, it could only have been because he was a shrewd politician who wanted to hang on to power at all costs.

 
Let the Drama Begin - Part One

For twenty-five chapters, ever since the introduction of Jesus as the descendant of King David in verse 1 of chapter 1, the story of Christ’s life has been moving toward a powerful, gripping climax, which is the murder of the King followed by his resurrection. The story started slowly, but it has been building in intensity throughout the three-year ministry and has now reached the point where the final act of the drama is at hand.1 The King has come to Jerusalem for the final time, and the leaders of the people, who hate him, are plotting his arrest and execution.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - Part Five

The idea of eternal suffering has been so disturbing to some people that there have been countless attempts to deny it or limit its duration. People have claimed that eternal suffering is inconsistent with the goodness of God who certainly will never allow any of his creatures to be in hell forever. But God is a better judge of what is consistent with his goodness than we are, and it is he who tells us that hell is eternal. Others have argued that an eternal hell is inconsistent with the justice of God, for no sins committed in time could ever deserve such punishment. But what makes sin an infinite evil is that it is against an infinite God. Besides, we must remember that hell's punishments vary in severity according to the nature of the sin (see Matthew 11:22; Luke 12:47; 2 Corinthians 5:10). 
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - Part Four

Jesus’ description of hell throughout the gospels is significant. Yesterday I mentioned that hell is a total separation. Today we will look at three other characteristics of hell that Jesus discusses.
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - Part Three

Let's notice one other thing also. Notice that the wicked are condemned in this story not because of some great positive evil they have done, but for their simple neglect of doing good. Or to put it in other terms, the people spoken of here are not the great sinners of the world, like Adolf Hitler or some serial killer. They are the good people who occupy the pews of churches and serve on philanthropic boards. Therefore, when the judgment comes they are astonished. They are like the foolish virgins who cannot understand why the groom will not open the door for them or the servant who cannot perceive why the Lord is not satisfied by his zero-growth performance.