WHO’S IN CHARGE? (MATTHEW 26:57-68)
My wife and I loved legal dramas, especially the ones we watched when we were in the States, such as Law and Order and their spin-offs and The Practice. I read that good legal dramas must focus on the cases, and not the lawyers. Also the best legal dramas concentrate on the legal aspects of a case, and not on fingering someone else for the crime – not to be a cop show. Very often in legal drama, the lawyers appeal primarily to the jury’s emotion, rather than the law.
Our favorite Law and Order was the longest running drama in television history – 20 years - because it uses real case law to prosecute their cases. The attention-grabbing “ripped from the headlines” opening line to every episode is enough to catch your attention: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”
The first half of each episode would follow two detectives (a senior and a junior detective) and their commanding officer as they investigate a violent crime. The second half of the episode would follow the District Attorney's Office and the courts as two prosecutors attempt to convict the accused. The show dwells little on the characters' back-stories or social lives – not their spouses, parents or chidlren, focusing mainly on their lives at work. There is no affair between the mentor, an older male superior, and his mentee, an attractive single lady, nor between the mentee and the two cops.
Jesus faced two big trials, one before Caiaphas and another Pilate. Present at the first major trial were the presider or high priest Caiaphas, the Jewish authorities or religious officials, and the Sanhedrin or Council. The Jewish authorities were in a hurry to convict Jesus because the feast of unleavened bread, which forbids a trail to be held, was near (Luke 22:1). Not only Jesus was not given a fair trial, he was sentenced before the legally-required night had passed.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Day-of-Preparation.html
Who is Jesus according to his critics and in his own words? What authority did the officials have and what authority did Jesus have? Why did He not fear, flee or fight his capture, conviction or critics?
Defend Yourself Without Apology or Arguing
57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. 59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
During the days of the Berlin Wall some East Berliners decided they were going to send their West Berlin adversaries a little “gift.” They loaded up a dump truck with all sorts of garbage, broken bricks, old tires, building materials, and any-thing else of zero value. They drove the truck across the border, gained clearance, and dumped it all on the West Berlin side.
Needless to say, the West Berliners were incensed and were going to “get even” with them. Fortunately, a very wise man intervened giving entirely different counsel. As a result, they responded by loading a dump truck with bags of food (scarce in East Berlin), clothing (also scarce), medical supplies (even more scarce), and a host of other essential items. They drove the truck across the border, carefully unloaded it all, and left a sign that read neatly: “Each gives according to one’s ability to give.” Zig Ziglar
In the beginning of the chapter the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled together at the palace of the Caiaphas high priest (Matt 26:3). Verse 57 is the second assembly, this time with Jesus captured. Matthew’s gospel said they “look/sought” false witness against Jesus (Matt 26:59). That was not the only thing they sought to do. The gospels described the five things they sought to do, including “sought false witness”:
The scribes and chief priests…sought how they might “destroy” him. (Mark 11:18)
The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might “take him by craft,” and “put him to death.” (Mark 14:1)
The chief priests and scribes sought how they might “kill” him (Luke 22:2)
It was intentional, insidious and illegal. They were desperate, deceitful and deadly.
Mark’s gospel also noted that false witness had failed the first time (Mark 14:56) before the two false witnesses showed up, yet the witness of the two did not agree, too (Mark 14:59). Why did the testimony of the two not match, according to Mark 14:59? Because Jesus did not say he will destroy, but consistently “it will be destroyed.”
Matt 24:2
There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mark 13:2
There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Luke 21:6
There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not
be thrown down.
Jesus did not use first person pronoun “I,” but the third person pronoun “it” (be destroyed). Second, he used the passive voice “BE destroyed” and not the first person active “will destroy.” Further Jesus mentioned the destruction of “buildings” (Mark 13:2) and “stone” (Matt 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6) in his prediction, but never the specific “temple.” Fourth, another time when Jesus predicted, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up this temple” (John 2:19-20), he was referring to the temple of his body (John 2:21), not “the temple of God.” Fifth, if Jesus really said “I am able to destroy the temple of God,” then he vowed “he will rebuild it in three days” to make matters right.
Disclose Yourself Without Ambiguity or Arrogance
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
A minister who had to move to an obscure country parish in England because of ill health never gained acceptance among the villagers whom he sought to serve. Being unable to do much work, he procured a preacher from Wales who attracted large congregations. His family was a little jealous of this unexpected preference, but he rebuked them. “Take me to hear him,” he said. “God honors him, and I will honor him. Have you ever studied that text, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease’? ‘A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven.’” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 522)
Twice the gospels recorded that Jesus remained silent or held his peace (v 63, Mark 14:61). Jesus did not respond to indirect sources, instigated rumors and invalid opinions. It was not the time to charm, contest or convince them. Jesus was ambushed, not arrested. It was not done unbiasedly at daytime but unlawfully at night. Jesus was not allowed his witnesses, observers or counsel. There was no fairness, justice or reason.
The verb “charge” (v 63) is its only entry in the Bible. It is to put under oath, to swear to God, pledge one’s word. The oath by the high priest was very tense, threatening and thorough. It was made futilely, foolishly and forcefully in the name of the “living God.” Apparently, the witness of the two were not enough to convict Jesus.
To the religious officials’ investigation, interrogation and inquisition if he were the Christ, the Son of God (v 63), Jesus added a third title: he was the Son of Man (v 64). Christ was Jesus’ relationship to the Jews, while the Son of God is His relationship to God and the Son of man is to man in general. The actions of the Son of Man were two-fold: (1) sitting on the right hand of God, and (2) coming in the clouds of heaven, both in the present tense. The Son of man is Jesus’ favorite designation for himself, more than the Son of God. It is found 84 times in the gospels, all from Jesus’ mouth directly or indirectly. The phrase Son of God, on the other hand, occurs 20 times in the gospels, and is used merely three times by Jesus to call himself (John 9:35, 10:36, 11:4).
There are three words most associated with the Son of man: His glory (Matt 16:27, 19:28, 24:30, 25:31, Mark 8:38, 13:26, Luke 9:26, 21:27), power (Matt 9:6, 24:30, 26:64, Mark 2:10, 13:26, 14:62, Luke 5:24, 21:27, 22:69) and coming (Matt 16:28, 24:27, 24:37, 24:39, 26:64, Mark 13:26, 14:62, Luke 21:27).
Dignify Yourself Without Animosity or Anger
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think? “He is worthy of death,” they answered. 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
a man goes to his pastor and tells him how much he needs more patience and asks that the pastor pray for him in this matter. The pastor agrees and suggests they have prayer right there. As he prays, he prays that this man would have trials come into his life and have many struggles. Right in the middle of the prayer, the man stops his pastor. “That’s not what I asked for.”
“Sure it is,” his pastor replied, “the way to patience is through just such trials. Paul himself told us that tribulations work patience.”
To blaspheme is to revile (Matt 27:39), rail on a person (Mark 15:29), slander (Rom 3:8) and speak evil of (Rom 14:16). The high priest’s condemnation of Jesus for blasphemy was illegal, illogical and ill-natured. First, the religious officials illegally tried and convicted Jesus in the late of the night. The morning did not arrive till the next chapter (Matt 27:1, Mark 15:1).
Second, the religious officials were in no position to call for Jesus’ death. The Synoptic writers record the same question from Pilate: “Why, what evil has he done?” (Matt 27:23, Mark 15:14, Luke 23:22) Jesus did not do anything wrong or wicked. Surprisingly, it was up to Pilate to verify Jesus’ innocence. Pilate said to the chief priests and to the people, “I find no fault in this man,” not once or twice but thrice, no matter how vocal, vile or violent they were (John 18:38, 19:4, 6). Interestingly, the religious officials proclaimed Jesus “worthy” of death or, more accurately, “guilty” (enochos – “cause to have”) of death in Greek, which is also translated as “in danger” (Matt 5:21) or “subject to” (Heb 2:15), but Pilate and his invited guest Herod found nothing “worthy” (axios) of death in Jesus. The two authoritative figures did not find Jesus “worthy of death,” which is more authoritative and accurate than the alarming but arbitrary “guilty of death.” The Jews admitted as much later before Pilate, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” (John 18:31) The Bible Knowledge Commentary explained, “The Jews' accusation of blasphemy would be difficult to prove and would not impress Pilate as worthy of death under Roman civil law.”
Third, Pilate knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy (Mark 15:10). The only way they could send Jesus to death was to accuse him of refusal to give tax (Luke 23:2) and “sedition” against the government (Luke 23:5), for the same word “insurrection” Barabbas committed (Mark 15:7, Luke 23:19).
Conclusion: A song I sang at youth entitled “It Was Love” still inspires me today:
Why did Jesus give up heaven's glory
For this world of sin and misery?
Why did Jesus suffer in the garden,
Drain the bitter cup of agony?
Why did Jesus stand in Pilate's judgement hall,
Wear that cruel crown of thorns so patiently?
Why did Jesus give His life to save me?
It was love, God's wondrous love for me.
Why does Jesus lift me when I stumble,
Take my hand whene'er I go astray?
Give me strength I need for each tomorrow,
Grace to face the trials of the day?
Why does Jesus share the load I cannot bear,
Fill my soul with peace and joy beyond degree?
And why does He watch o'er me and keep me?
It was love, God's wondrous love for me.
Yes, it was Jesus’ love that carried Him to the cross, nailed Him to the cross and kept Him on the cross. Have you acknowledged and accepted His love? Have you told of and testified to His love? Do you long for Him and live for Him?
