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Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." And they said, "What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."
- Luke 22:63-71
Yesterday, we read that after Jesus was seized, He said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. Jesus begins the Passion, His suffering for righteousness' sake. Earlier in Luke's Gospel we noted commentary by Origen, how Jesus fulfills all the Beatitudes within Himself. We can see that in these verses.
As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go." My study bible tells us that Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (see Luke 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4). Also, Jesus is in some sense exposing the illegality of this "trial" -- even according to their own law, Jesus is entitled to present His own witnesses and to question His accusers. When He tells them that they will by no means let Him go, He's saying they've already set down a verdict without a true trial.
"Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." And they said, "What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth." Jesus declares Himself in this statement, openly, in a sense, answering their question anyway -- His way. This is a declaration of the truth, and of His equality to God. Their plan was to accuse Him of blasphemy; they will never believe His testimony as true.
We see a Man on trial for righteousness' sake, for righteousness' sake He declares His truth. But -- as He has said beforehand -- it falls on deaf ears, on those determined to put Him to death, those who will not listen nor respond to His own questions. This is a mock trial, designed simply as formality (in violation of their own laws, including trial by night), in order to accuse Jesus and sentence Him to death. We're told that the cause is envy (Mark 15:10). If we examine this word for envy (φθόνος/phthónos in the Greek of the Gospel), we find at its heart a desire for bad things to happen to others -- not to raise oneself to the level of the other, but rather simply to tear someone else down. It's a bitterness that results in happiness at another's misfortune. It's something we all have to guard against. Jesus, as noted before, is living out the Beatitudes. He's being persecuted for righteousness' sake. In Matthew 5:10-12, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Well, we know that His kingdom is the kingdom of heaven. As we watch the Savior persecuted in this hour of darkness (after all, even according to their own laws, this trial is being held with many violations of normal justice), we have to keep His words in mind. What has He done? Every day He taught openly in the temple, yet here is an illegal night court. His disciples are scattered; even Peter has denied Him in front of a servant girl outside. This is what "darkness" is all about. But, as John's Gospel teaches us, the light shines in the darkness, and even if the darkness doesn't comprehend, it still can't take away the light. Let us think, as we "view" this scene, what it means to stand up for righteousness and to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. Jesus says we are blessed at such times, that we should "rejoice and be exceedingly glad." That's a very difficult road to follow, but He goes there, before us. There are people in this world facing this choice every single day, all over the world. Shall we live it with all of them? How do you live it in your life? How do we shine His light in us? It is the joy we take in His word that is the real antidote to bitterness and envy. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
