Mat 26:59-66 | TNotes | STEP | 26:59 were trying to find witnesses: The verb tense suggests an extended, perhaps desperate, attempt to find any testimony that could lead to a formal accusation (see Mark 14:55-56 ).

26:59 ^a were trying to find witnesses: The verb tense suggests an extended, perhaps desperate, attempt to find any testimony that could lead to a formal accusation (see Mark 14:55-56 ^b).
26:60 ^c could not use anyone’s testimony: The evidence was too insubstantial or inconsistent to meet their goal of a death sentence until two men came forward (Deut 17:6 ^d; 19:15 ^e) with testimonies that did not conflict.
26:61 ^f The charge is either a misunderstanding or a deliberate distortion of Jesus’ prediction of his death and resurrection (see John 2:19-21 ^g).
26:63 ^h if you are the Messiah: This question from the high priest was prompted by Zech 6:12 ⁱ, which had predicted that the Messiah would rebuild the Temple (cp. Matt 26:61 ^j).
26:64 ^k You have said it: This purposefully enigmatic response is essentially an affirmative answer (see 26:25 ^l; 27:11 ^m); Mark has “I Am” (Mark 14:62 ⁿ).

• you will see: By quoting Dan 7:13 ^o, Jesus affirmed that he was the Son of Man who would be vindicated and exalted by God.

• seated in the place of power at God’s right hand: Literally seated at the right hand of the power; see Ps 110:1 ^p. Jews were reluctant to name God directly (see study note on Matt 5:4).

• The expression coming on the clouds of heaven could refer either to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 or to Jesus’ second coming at the end of history.
26:65 ^q Blasphemy! Caiaphas evidently understood Jesus’ claim to be the exalted Son of Man as a blasphemy against God’s majesty. The Son of Man (Dan 7:13-14 ^r) was closely associated with this majesty.