Mat 26:67-68 | KingComments | STEP | During all the false accusations, the Lord has said nothing. The high priest can’t stand this. He wants to force Him to make a statement. But the Lord does not allow Himself to be forced. He is, as always, perfect Master of the situation. Then the high priest takes refuge in the oath and adjures Him by the living God. The man is so blind and so far from God that he does not realize that the living God is before him. He wants the Lord to say whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. If He were to say so, they would have proof that He blasphemed God and thereby have a reason to condemn Him. The Lord now opens His mouth to confess the truth about His Person. He confesses the glory of His Person as Son of God. He adds, however, that from now on they will no longer see the Son of Man in the meekness of Someone Who does not break the bruised reed ( ), but as Someone Who sits at the right hand of power and comes with the clouds of heaven. He points to the position of glory that He will take in heaven, as it says in Psalm 110 ( ), and to His coming in glory from heaven to earth, as spoken about in Daniel 7 ( ). This confession is what the high priest needs. In hypocrisy he tears his robes as if he has heard something awful that plunges him into mourning. He pronounces and asks for approval. The scribes and elders agree with the accusation and judge the Lord guilty of death. Thus the Lord Jesus is condemned on the ground of the truth, the testimony of His own Person. As if they had not gone low enough, the high men are falling to their lowest level ever. To their blatant condemnation of the Righteous, they add the most brutal insults that can be given to a human being. The high priest does not intervene, but enjoys it and may have himself participated. The Lord has not been spared any humiliation. Not only did they hurt Him physically, but their questions also hurt His soul. They mock Him as the Prophet. They mockingly call Him “Christ”. They challenge Him to say who hit Him. One day He will answer this question to their great dismay when they appear before the great white throne. Hopefully there will be those who have come to repentance and therefore have discovered before then that He knew who was hitting Him.

‏ Matthew 26:67-68

Convicted for the Truth

During all the false accusations, the Lord has said nothing. The high priest can’t stand this. He wants to force Him to make a statement. But the Lord does not allow Himself to be forced. He is, as always, perfect Master of the situation. Then the high priest takes refuge in the oath and adjures Him by the living God. The man is so blind and so far from God that he does not realize that the living God is before him. He wants the Lord to say whether He is the Christ, the Son of God. If He were to say so, they would have proof that He blasphemed God and thereby have a reason to condemn Him.

The Lord now opens His mouth to confess the truth about His Person. He confesses the glory of His Person as Son of God. He adds, however, that from now on they will no longer see the Son of Man in the meekness of Someone Who does not break the bruised reed (Isa 42:3), but as Someone Who sits at the right hand of power and comes with the clouds of heaven. He points to the position of glory that He will take in heaven, as it says in Psalm 110 (Psa 110:1), and to His coming in glory from heaven to earth, as spoken about in Daniel 7 (Dan 7:13).

This confession is what the high priest needs. In hypocrisy he tears his robes as if he has heard something awful that plunges him into mourning. He pronounces and asks for approval. The scribes and elders agree with the accusation and judge the Lord guilty of death. Thus the Lord Jesus is condemned on the ground of the truth, the testimony of His own Person.

As if they had not gone low enough, the high men are falling to their lowest level ever. To their blatant condemnation of the Righteous, they add the most brutal insults that can be given to a human being. The high priest does not intervene, but enjoys it and may have himself participated.

The Lord has not been spared any humiliation. Not only did they hurt Him physically, but their questions also hurt His soul. They mock Him as the Prophet. They mockingly call Him “Christ”. They challenge Him to say who hit Him. One day He will answer this question to their great dismay when they appear before the great white throne. Hopefully there will be those who have come to repentance and therefore have discovered before then that He knew who was hitting Him.