Matthew 27:1 Mark 15:1 Luke 22:66-71


Matthew 27:1
1 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death;
Mark 15:1
1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.
Luke 22:66-71
66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer. 69 “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” 70 And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”
The exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders continues.  There is clearly a plot to destroy Jesus taking place in this scene.  It is interesting to note that these leaders are the ones in charge while Jesus is the one who is being confronted.  However, Jesus is the one who is calm and confident while the leaders are nervous and insecure.  It is important to remember that if we know we are following the Lord, there is never any reason to be afraid of what people in this world might do to us.  Obedience to Christ is vital to being able to live in confidence in the midst of trials.

THE CHIEF PRIESTS CONSPIRE AGAINST JESUS: The leaders of this trial had a foregone conclusion for which they were searching desperately to find justifiable cause.  Their predetermined decision was to find some way to put Him to death.  In their minds this was the only way to preserve their power and to prevent some sort of a revolt against their leadership.  They pretend to have a genuine interest in knowing if Jesus is the Christ and ask Him that question.  If He affirmed the statement, they would have all the proof they needed to accuse Him of blasphemy.  However, they failed to consider the possibility that He really was the Christ.  There was plenty of evidence to prove that He was the Christ, but that is not the evidence for which they were looking.  It is always a danger to try to fit evidence to our established opinions. 

JESUS CONFRONTS THE PRIESTS UNBELIEF: Jesus does not immediately answer their questions.  Instead, he confronts the fact that they will not believe whatever answer He gives and that they would refuse to answer any questions He might ask.  He then declares that He will be going to sit at the right hand of the Father.  Jesus knows the hearts and minds of every person.  He knows what they will think, what they will say and how they will respond.  It is amazing that He knows all of us that well and yet, He still loves us and cares for us.  Our failures, doubts and unbelief do not take God by surprise.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  We might not understand why God does certain things or why we don’t get certain things that we request.  It is important to remember that all of these things are determined by a God who knows us perfectly.

JESUS CONFIRMS HIS IDENTITY AS SON OF GOD: The leaders who are examining Jesus as Him straight out: “are you the Son of God.”  Jesus answers that question in the affirmative.  This is the accusation that they brought against Jesus, that He claimed to be God.  There are those who would argue that Jesus never claimed to be God.  However, when He states that He is the Son of God, He is claiming to be God.  The reason Jesus was crucified was for claiming to be God.  As we relate with Jesus, it must be as God.  Jesus is far more than a great teacher, moral example or miracle worker.  He is God.  The divinity of Christ is key to His identity and our salvation.  We are called to worship Him as God and proclaim His greatness among the nations.

APPLICATION: Be prepared for unfair things to happen to us as followers of the Lord.  We live in a world that is fallen and hostile to the message of Jesus.  We face an enemy that is out do destroy and discredit us.  Don’t be surprised when we are treated unjustly.  Rejoice in the truth that God knows you perfectly but still loves you completely.  We can relax in His loving care and providence.  At the end of the day, we serve He who is the eternal Son of God.  Worship His as such and rejoice in His grace.

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