When Caiaphas rent his garment, his act was significant of the place that the Jewish nation as a nation would thereafter occupy toward God. The once favored people of God were separating themselves from Him, and were fast becoming a people disowned by Jehovah. When Christ upon the cross cried out, "It is finished" (John 19:30), and the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the Holy Watcher declared that the Jewish people had rejected Him who was the antitype of all their types, the substance of all their shadows. Israel was divorced from God. Well might Caiaphas then rend his official robes, which signified that he claimed to be a representative of the great High Priest; for no longer had they any meaning for him or for the people. Well might the high priest rend his robes in horror for himself and for the nation.

Da Kajfas sønderrev sin kappe, var hans handling betegnende for den stilling, jødefolket som folk herefter ville indtage over for Gud. Det folk, som engang var Guds udvalgte, skilte sig fra ham og var hurtigt ved at blive et folk, som Jehova ikke ville kendes ved. Da Kristus på korset råbte: "Det er fuldbragt!" (Joh. 19,30) og templets forhæng flængedes i to stykker, erklærede den himmelske vægter, at det jødiske folk havde forkastet ham, som var det store forbillede for alle deres symboler, virkeligheden i alle deres skyggebilleder. Israel havde skilt sig ud fra Gud. Så ville der have været grund for Kajfas til at sønderrive sin præstedragt, som betegnede, at han hævdede at være stedfortræder for den store Ypperstepræst; thi nu havde den ikke mere nogen betydning for ham eller folket. Så havde ypperstepræsten virkelig årsag til at sønderrive sin kappe i rædsel over sig selv og sit folk.