Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all!
Caiaphas was high priest from about 18 A.D. to 36 A.D. Though the office was originally for life, the Romans were in the habit of changing high priest from time to time as suited their needs. In fact, in the hundred years before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. there were a total of 25 high priests, which means they served an average of 4 years.
Josephus observes that the Sadducees were “even among themselves, rather boorish in their behaviour, and in their intercourse with their peers are as rude as to aliens.” (qt’d in Morris) This is quite evident by the rudeness displayed by Caiaphas in his opening phrase. There is an emphatic double negative in his statement which has Barclay include in his translation “You are witless, brainless creatures.”
“that year” has special significance because all of history revolves around it. “That year” was the year Christ died for all of mankind. “That year” was the year that the high priesthood passed from man to Jesus. It is strange indeed to note that the last high priest before Christ took over the role forever, was a man so self-centered and immoral as Caiaphas. How sad that the line of Aaron should end in such a man.