Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!

And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death." Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?"

- Matthew 26:57-68

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' betrayal by Judas. Judas came into Gethsemane, where Jesus is with His disciples, and he was accompanied by a mob of people with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders. Judas said, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" They laid hands on Jesus to take Him, and one of the disciples struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. But Jesus said, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. We will see what role Peter plays as the night progresses. Inside, an illegal trial is commencing. Night trials were forbidden in Jewish law.

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. Again we are given further violation of Jewish law in Jesus' trial. It is a time of deep error in so many ways. It's important to note that pointing out violations of the law isn't the purpose of the Gospels -- but it is a part of the story of Jesus, something essential for us to understand as an element of this time. Even the false witnesses themselves cannot hold up as evidence. There is obvious failure here in so many ways.

But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" This is quite an interesting detail. Of course we know where this statement comes from, as it's reported in the Gospels. These witnesses have misunderstood the statement, as did the leadership to whom it was made. John tells us that the disciples recalled it later, after Jesus' Resurrection. My study bible says that "some Jews believed the temple would be destroyed and a new one rebuilt by the Messiah," an important understanding.

And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus has been silent, keeping silence in what is already an illegal trial made with only one aim in mind. It's interesting to think of His warning to Judas at the Last Supper, His attempts to save Judas by including him in the Eucharist, and even addressing him as "Friend" at the betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane. But here, where there is nothing to be gained with these men who only wish Him to be put to death, who in order to do so are violating their own law which is theirs to protect, there is no point. So far, the witnesses really prove nothing worthy of this aim. Therefore the high priest demands the word of Jesus.

Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." My study bible notes, "Quoting from Psalm 110 and the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 7:13), Jesus confesses He is the Messiah, both fully man, indeed, the Son of man, and fully God -- for only God can sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing the authority of the Father. Jesus also proclaims He will yet establish the Kingdom of God in its fullness, coming in His glory on the clouds of heaven." "It is as you said" is a variation of what we will hear from Jesus in several places; it is the same phrase He said to Judas at the Last Supper. The phrase seems to me to imply their own witnessing, the words out of their own mouths.

Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! What do you think?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death." The sentence is pronounced abruptly, through Jesus' own words and not those of any witness. None of the other accusations could stand, so the judge makes this one - yet another violation of the law. My study bible says that Jesus' "claim to be God is the real reason the high priest sentences Him to die. Jesus' statement is befitting His divinity, but the high priest can neither comprehend nor endure such a thing."

Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" This ridicule strikes us as the most base treatment. It's not yet scourging nor crucifixion, but an example of the most heinous sort of thinking. To my mind it is a truly crude example of blasphemy of the Spirit. It's an example of ignorance at work, debasing and hating what it does not understand. We have been witness, through these latest chapters in Matthew, to Jesus' prophecies about Jerusalem and the temple, to His foreknowledge regarding arrangements for His entry into Jerusalem and the Last Supper. This abuse of power regarding a prisoner, seeking to abase His spiritual gifts, to this Man who fed multitudes and healed so many, serves to us as an example of everything He preached against. It's a vivid warning by illustration of our own capacity for the worst kind of error.

Despite the trial errors and evil intent, the overwhelming evil of this hour in darkness, I just can't get out of my mind the crude treatment rendered to Jesus. Whatever their opinions and aims, Jesus was popularly considered at least a holy man, or a prophet. We observe the intense irony of contradiction here: even as He professes Himself to be Son of Man, coming into the Kingdom, on the right hand of the Power, He goes through the debasing ritual of the powerless, the crude blasphemy -- after He is falsely accused of blasphemy. It's hard to think of a more profound example of what it is to seek to debase another human being, of the perspective of those in whom there is no mercy and no justice. And yet, it is quite possibly a scene we could imagine anywhere. The victim may not be the Son of Man Himself, but it very well could be any person acting in good faith, or through faith, whose actions someone else wants out of the picture. If we are to see in the "littlest ones" the image of Christ, we best think about this scene, and how easy it is to turn something good into something spat upon. Jesus' story also tells us of the importance of justice and truth, of institutions that preserve for us an honesty in the seeking of justice. Let us understand the impact of His life and His story upon us all, our cultures and our institutions. He is a gift to us in so many incalculable ways.