← Back to sermon library

Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26. I'll begin 
reading in verse 47. And while he was still speaking, 
behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords 
and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 
Now his betrayer had given them a sign, saying, 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? Then they came and 
laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly one of those 
who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, 
struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. But 
Jesus said to him, 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. 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. And 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? Amen, let us pray. Father in 
heaven, we thank you for this account of our Lord and His sufferings 
and His trial and ultimately in His crucifixion. We know the 
story doesn't end there, however. On the third day, He was raised 
from the dead. We now know that He's enthroned at the right hand 
of God Most High, and we look forward to that day when He comes 
again in glory to judge the living and the dead. May it be the case, 
Lord, that all of us would be clothed in His righteousness 
on that day, that all of us would have been found in Him, not having 
our own righteousness which is from the law, but that righteousness 
which is from You through faith in Christ Jesus the Lord. May 
today be the day of salvation for any and all who have come 
here this morning that are outside of Christ. May they with Bartimaeus 
call upon the Son of David. And may it be the case that they 
would answer that they desire to be saved from their sins and 
restored to a relationship with God Almighty. We know that you 
are merciful and that you are gracious, and as was pointed 
out to us again, with you all things are possible. We don't 
trust in the wisdom of men or in their ingenuity or their inherent 
goodness, but we know it doesn't depend upon him who wills or 
him who runs. but it depends upon God who shows 
mercy. And in this we greatly rejoice 
and pray that we would see that demonstration of power in our 
own place this day. And do forgive us now for our 
sins and our transgressions whenever we come to consider a holy God 
Whenever we come before the word of truth, we see our own waywardness. As we sang in the last hour, 
we are prone to wander and prone to leave the God that we love. 
So cleanse us now in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
fill us with your Holy Spirit, and cause us to receive with 
thanksgiving your word. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. Well, our focus this morning 
is going to be on verses 59 to 64. We're taking this trial before 
the Sanhedrin a bit slowly. Last week we looked at the setting 
of the hearing in verses 57 to 58. We noted then that it was 
probably like a preliminary investigation. Essentially, the problem facing 
the unbelieving Jews at this particular time is that they 
wanted to rid themselves of the Lord Jesus Christ. They wanted 
to destroy him. They wanted to kill him, but 
they did not possess authority. They had to build a case and 
turn Jesus over to Pilate. They had to turn him over to 
the Roman governor so that he could give the execution order 
and so that Jesus could be capitally punished. So, it is important 
for us to take our time as we move through this section because 
of the nature of the events at play. But as well, what we see 
in this particular passage is a whole host of streams of Old 
Testament prophecy converging. Through Christ's words, specifically 
in verse 64, and through his deeds, I think you'll note with 
me, a whole lot of what the Old Testament described concerning 
the Christ comes to pass here. Now, the Bible is a unity. We, 
of course, divide it into Old and New Testaments, but the Old 
Testament is a book of promise, and the New Testament is fulfillment. 
The Old Testament anticipates, and the New Testament realizes. 
So we need to have them both together. In fact, our Lord's 
emphasis in the previous section on the fulfillment of Scripture 
is absolutely crucial for us to keep in mind, and that is 
what's transpiring here in this place. And then finally, just 
by way of introduction as to why we're going a little bit 
slower here, is that in many respects we have here the heart 
of the Christian faith. And it's in the words of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. This is the third of the last 
time we're going to hear from Christ until he dies. He's going 
to testify in a similar vein before Pilate and then his cry 
of dereliction on the cross, why hast thou forsaken me? But 
notice in Jesus' response in verse 64, it is to the chief 
priest or the high priest question, tell us if you are the Christ, 
the Son of God. What Christ answers there is 
yes. Affirmatively, this is who He 
is. It is His identity. This is the 
sum and substance of the Christian message. It is concerning Jesus, 
the one who came into this world to live in obedience to the Father, 
the one who died on the cross for sinners, and the one who 
was raised the third day. It is of this Christ that our 
whole religion is founded upon. It is of this confession, if 
you will, that we owe our life and our being. And there is an 
interesting sort of a contrast here. Christ, before the high 
priest, is confessing Christ. Here, before the high priest, 
Christ is confessing who he is. The next section is going to 
take up Peter, who made a similar confession in Matthew 16, but 
here in the courtyard, before servant girls, will deny Christ. We have the faithful confessor, 
and we have, unfortunately, a faithless confessor. Not a faithless to 
the neglect of his own soul and his own life, because Jesus restores 
him. But this is an important passage 
of Scripture. Our brother Mike is teaching 
a series of lessons at the Surrey Bible Study on the question, 
who is Jesus? Now you may have come here this 
morning with that question as well. I think to a degree here 
in Canada or North America, we have some idea of who Jesus is. 
Our calendar in some sense is built on who Jesus is, but do 
we really know him as he sets himself forth in a passage like 
this? This is our hope and prayers 
that if you're outside of Christ, that means you're an unbeliever 
this morning, that you would pay attention. Listen to the 
testimony of our Lord concerning who He is. So as I said, the 
section breaks down into four parts. First, the setting of 
the hearing, verses 57 and 58. Secondly, this morning we'll 
take up the testimony of the witnesses in verses 59 to 61. And then thirdly, the examination 
by the high priest, verses 62 to 64, and then God willing, 
will take up the formal charge of blasphemy next week in verses 
65 to 68. So remember, as we move into 
this passage, they're building their case so that they can turn 
Jesus over to the Roman governor so that He could be executed, 
so that He could be put to death. But note with reference to the 
testimony of the witnesses in verses 59 to 61. Initially, it 
is frustrating to the council or to the Sanhedrin because they 
are unable to find consistent testimony. They're not going 
to be able to hand Jesus over to the Roman governor for an 
execution order unless their case is tight. And no doubt they're 
frustrated in their search for witnesses. Notice in verse 59, 
the chief priests, the elders, all the council sought false 
testimony against Jesus to put him to death. It's an interesting 
choice of language that Matthew gives us here. Certainly, consistent 
witness testimony is necessary for a capital case. Numbers, 
Deuteronomy, Leviticus all highlight the emphasis on two or three 
witnesses for the execution of the death penalty. But note what 
he says here. They sought false testimony against 
Jesus to put him to death. It's not unfortunate that men 
driven by rage and hatred toward this one called the Lord Jesus 
Christ are going to neglect their own law. The ninth commandment 
very clearly says you shall not bear false witness. Now they 
themselves break this and as well they pursue others that 
are going to break this and the express purpose is that they 
might put him to death. As I mentioned last week, France 
says the final clause in verse 59, so that they could have him 
executed, indicates that this was not to be an impartial hearing. 
Make no mistake about it whatsoever. He's not getting a fair trial. 
He is not getting a fair shake. Certainly it's under the decree 
of God Most High, but these men are guilty. They've got blood 
on their hands. They are vile and wicked. He 
goes on to say the verdict had already been decided in verse 
4, Matthew 26, and the only problem is how it may be justified. When 
the verdict precedes the charge, a proper trial is not to be expected. It's a kangaroo court that our 
Lord submits to for the overarching purpose of saving His people 
from their sins. So if we ask the question, why 
does Christ go through what Christ goes through? It is for the glory 
of His Father and for us men and for our salvation. Christ 
goes to these lengths to save wretched sinners like us. In 
fact, this preliminary hearing and the trial before Pilate and 
the whole wretched crucifixion underscores the necessity of 
blood shedding. It underscores the necessity 
of the type of work that Christ undertook in order to save sinners. Without the shedding of blood, 
there is no remission. And if we are honest with ourselves 
and honest with our Bibles, we will see ourselves in these passages, 
not as champions for the Lord Jesus Christ, but with the crowd 
who will ultimately say, away with him, away with him, crucify 
him. You see, Christ came to His own, His own received Him 
not. They delivered Him up to this crucifixion at Calvary's 
cross. So they seek out witnesses in 
order to support their already guilty verdict. Now notice, these 
false witnesses come forward. Verse 60 says, 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." Now, this would be a grave charge. Remember I 
said last week, Pilate probably wouldn't be interested in putting 
to death a man for blasphemy in the Jewish religion. Most 
likely, he wouldn't care one bit about Leviticus chapter 24. But Pilate would have to act 
if this man was viewed as a revolutionary, or this man was viewed as a terrorist, 
or this man was viewed as one that would desecrate or destroy 
a temple. You see, even the pagan kings 
at that particular time made it capital offense to violate 
a sacred place, or to violate or desecrate or destroy a temple. So this is now something that 
they can use. It's a grave charge. Notice, 
two false witnesses, or we could read it as, two witnesses came 
forward and said, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the 
temple of God and to build it in three days. Now this has probably 
got them chomping at the bit. They need two witnesses for a 
capital charge. They've got two witnesses for 
a capital charge. They've got a grave charge, namely 
destroying a temple. So they're probably thrilled 
at this particular revelation from these particular witnesses. 
Now what's the nature of their charge or the background of their 
charge? Does anybody here use Robert 
Murray McShane's reading calendar? If you do, this morning you read 
Jeremiah 26. You'll see the link between Jeremiah 
26 and Matthew 26. Not just the numbers. Say, well, 
I could have put that together. They're both 26. That's a happy 
accident. What happens in Jeremiah 26? 
Jeremiah 26, Jeremiah the prophet comes to the temple of God Most 
High and says, if you don't repent, this temple is going to be destroyed. 
You know what they do? They freak out. They flip out. They go nuts and they order that 
he should be executed. Put him to death. Destroy this 
man. How dare he prophesy such things 
against our temple? We can't have such a thing. Now, 
it's the prophet Micah who ultimately gets Jeremiah off, because about 
a hundred years prior, during Hezekiah's time, Micah prophesied 
something very similar, and they didn't execute him. So Jeremiah 
gets a stay of execution, he's not put to death, but there's 
a Jeremiah-Jesus connection going on here. But as well, when we 
consider Christ's ministry in Matthew's gospel, for instance, 
you'll see what, at least to them, appeared to be an anti-temple 
sentiment. Now, notice in Matthew 12. Matthew 
chapter 12. It's important for us to see 
why they're building their case in this particular way. And it's important for us to 
see how it is they misinterpreted His actions, His words, and His 
significance. Notice in Matthew 12 at verse 
6, "'Yet I say to you that in this place there is one greater 
than the temple.'" Now, that's a pretty grave admission on the 
part of a human being, isn't it? There is one greater than 
the temple. Now, the temple in Jewish religious 
life was everything. The temple was that representation 
of God and sinners dwelling together. The temple was most significant. In fact, in that reference from 
Micah the prophet in chapter 3, he's indicting the false teachers 
of his age, and he says that they say things like, well, isn't 
the Lord among us? No doubt they're looking at the 
temple. Their thought is that while the temple is standing, 
everything is okay. What Micah's prattling on about 
makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And here Christ says that He 
is greater than the temple. Notice in Matthew 21. Again, 
things that are not interpreted properly can be seen as an anti-temple 
sentiment on the part of our Lord Jesus. Notice in Matthew 
chapter 21 at verses 12 and 13, then Jesus went into the temple 
of God and drove out all of those who bought and sold in the temple 
and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats 
of those who sold doves. And he said, to them it is written, 
my house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made 
it a den of thieves. That den of thieves reference 
is owing to the prophet Jeremiah. See the Jesus-Jeremiah connection. 
Jeremiah comes, tells them their temple's going to be destroyed. 
So what do they say? They want Him executed. Jesus comes and 
He tells them that something is going to happen in terms of 
the temple, and they say, let's destroy Him. And then His prediction 
concerning the destruction of the temple, very specifically 
in chapter 23, verse 38, and then in the Olivet Discourse 
in Matthew 24. Now, in none of those particular passages does 
Jesus say, it's me. I'm going to put on C4, I'm going 
to go into the midst of the temple precinct, and I'm going to say, 
see you on the other side. He doesn't say that. In fact, 
that's probably the passage, the last one we're going to focus 
on here in a moment, that these false witnesses have in view. 
Notice in John 2. John chapter 2. John chapter 2, this was spoken 
by our Lord, but we'll see when we get back to that witness testimony 
in Matthew 26, it was misquoted and certainly misinterpreted. 
Notice in John chapter 2, specifically beginning at verse 
16, a cleansing of the temple scene. He said to those who sold 
doves, take these things away. Do not make my father's house 
a house of merchandise. Then his disciples remembered 
that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up. So 
the Jews answered and said to him, what sign do you show us 
to us since you do these things? Jesus answered and said to them, 
destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Notice 
what he doesn't say. He doesn't say, I will destroy. He says, destroy and I will raise 
it up. So going back to Matthew 26, 
note the witness testimony. Notice how they're sort of twisting 
the particular testimony of our Lord. says, this fellow said, 
I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three 
days. So the statement of Christ is 
not, I'm going to destroy it. Now John goes on to rightly interpret 
the statement of Christ. He's not talking about the earthly 
temple that took 46 years to build. He is talking about the 
temple of his body. It is that death resurrection 
in three days motif that is so conspicuous throughout the gospel 
records that men like John got it. Men like these witnesses 
in the Sanhedrin rejected it. They despised it. They used it 
as a piece of evidence to suggest that he was somehow revolutionary 
or an insurrectionist. So they misquote Jesus and they 
misinterpret Jesus. So this is their witness testimony. 
This is that upon which their case hangs. Jerome said he is 
a false witness who does not understand what was said in the 
same sense as the one who spoke. So technically Christ did talk 
about temple, destroy, and raised up, but he was talking about 
the temple of his body is what John so conspicuously tells us. They twist that data, they misrecite 
that data, they misinterpret that data, so this makes the 
Sanhedrin now gives them or provides them a substantial charge by 
which they may proceed. John Gill also notes, and so 
they perverted his sense as well as misrecited his words. Now 
this charge continues on. It's going to be what's said 
at the cross. Notice in 27 verse 40. At verse 39, those who passed 
by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, you who destroy 
the temple and build it in three days, save yourself. If you are 
the Son of God, come down from the cross. It's going to last 
until the time of Stephen. You see, there's a Jeremiah, 
Jesus, and Stephen connection, because Stephen is indicted for 
the selfsame crime, that he has spoken against the temple. He 
has said ill things about the temple. He has said that this 
temple is no longer going to stand. Therefore, we must execute 
him. There's an instance where the 
Sanhedrin operates apart from prevailing law, and they take 
justice into their own hands, and they execute that holy Stephen. They stone him to death without 
authorization, without approval. It is a travesty of justice. And what's Stephen's problem? 
Because he spoke against this temple. Same sort of thing is 
what we find here. So that's the drummed up charge. 
So go back to Matthew 26, and let's look secondly at the examination 
by the high priest. So the testimony has been submitted. 
Notice in verse 62, "...the high priest arose and said to him, 
Do you answer nothing? What is it these men testify 
against you? But Jesus kept silent." What 
are we supposed to think here? Jesus is really unlike us, isn't 
he? What would we do? Well, no, that's 
not the way I said it. That's not what I meant. This 
is a tragedy, this is a travesty, I'm an innocent man. No, he's 
submitting to the rule and government of his Father. He is going to 
go through this for the glory of the Father and the good of 
our salvation. The silence of Jesus should be 
understand in light of Isaiah 53.7. I mentioned earlier the 
Old Testament, and I think that this is a problem, not only among 
professing Christians, but certainly among pagans. Persons treat the 
Bible as if it's this sort of conglomerate of random things 
thrown together and bound in nice leather covers. I think 
that many out there sort of judge the Bible as they would say, 
for instance, the Koran. Just sort of this collection 
of random mutterings that have some cogency or coherence due 
or owing to the author, but there's not really a connection. You 
cannot say that about the Bible. The Old Testament streams, as 
I said earlier, prophetic streams, all flow in to this particular 
section. Now, not all of them. I'm speaking 
with hyperbole. There's a lot of things going 
on in this section concerning Jesus in light of the Old Testament 
Scriptures, and Isaiah 53.7 is one of them. the prophet there 
writes concerning Jesus, he was oppressed and he was afflicted, 
yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter 
and as a sheep before its shears is silent, so he opened not his 
mouth. There are four songs in the prophet 
Isaiah, not songs like we sang here, not songs like you listen 
to on the radio, but there are what's called four-servant songs 
in the prophet Isaiah, and basically they're glimpses or snapshots 
or facets of the life and ministry of Messiah. life and ministry 
of Christ. Christ is the Greek term for 
anointed one. Messiah is the Hebrew term for 
anointed one. So Messiah, Christ, anointed 
one, all used synonymously, and that's the charge here that Jesus 
is counter, being charged with ultimately. Are you the Christ, 
the Son of God? But these four servant songs 
depict something interesting about the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And 53 very specifically sets him forth as a substitutionary 
curse bearer. Now, you may say, what does that 
mean? I think you know what substitution means. Substitution means that 
if I would have got hit on the way to church today by a Big 
Mac truck, either Pastor Porter or Mike would have been my substitute. They would have stood in my place. 
Christ is a substitute. You see, when He goes to the 
cross, it's not simply a moral lesson. It's not simply, this 
is the kind of love that you should express one to another. 
But Christ is a substitute. He's at the cross for us. He bears the punishment that 
we deserve justly because of our sins. He goes to the cross 
to satisfy divine justice through his own suffering. And Christ 
here, that great substitutionary atonement, we find that he opens 
not his mouth, nor, or he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his 
mouth. You see, I think the parallel 
or the illusion is stronger even in light of verse 67, when they 
spit on the face of Jesus. I mean, that's a disgusting thing, 
isn't it? Most of you know I was raised 
as a papist. I was brought up as a Roman Catholic, 
and they got a lot of things wrong. But one thing they did 
get right, I remember a nun early on telling us, don't you ever, 
ever spit on another human being. That just stuck with me. They 
would use the example of Christ being spat on. It's terrible. That's one of the most sort of 
loathsome, derogatory things you could do to another human 
being. I mean, spitting on them. Well, in Isaiah 50, verse 6, 
the Lord Christ, speaking there as the suffering servant, says 
he did not turn back his face from being spat upon. All of 
this is for us men and for our salvation. The most hardened 
reader has to be somewhat softened along the way, as you see this 
guilty, this guiltless, innocent man suffering like this. When 
you ask the question, why is he doing it? He is doing it for 
sinners. He is doing it to save. He is 
doing it for the glory of God. He is doing it to fulfill the 
obligations placed upon Him by His Father. So we ought to think 
the silence here in light of, or think of it in light of Isaiah 
53, 7. But it also must be understood 
in light of Matthew 26, 45. Notice in Matthew 26, 45, The cup of sorrow has come. John 
Calvin says, it is certain that Christ was silent when false 
witnesses pressed hard upon him, not only because they did not 
deserve a reply, but because he did not seek to be now acquitted, 
knowing that his hour was come. The testimony comes. Christ is 
silent. The high priest says, don't you 
have anything to say for yourself? Now, probably the high priest 
is a bit exasperated. He's probably getting a little 
bit impatient. He wants to move this along. 
Remember, this is in the early hours of Friday morning. They 
got to put the case together. They got to deliver him up to 
Pilate. He's got to be crucified before all of the events associated 
with Passover and with Sabbath. Notice what he does now. Verse 
63, I put you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are 
the Christ, the Son of God. Now, intriguingly, that's the 
most appropriate question he could have asked at this juncture. It's the most appropriate question 
he could have asked at this juncture. You say, why is that? What's 
the charge against Christ? That he's going to destroy the 
temple and he's going to raise up another. You know what's associated 
with Messiah in the Old Testament Scriptures? What is associated 
with Messiah in the Old Testament Scriptures has to do with temple. 
In 2 Samuel 7, verses 13 and 14, God says that a son of David 
will build a house for God. In Zechariah the prophet, chapter 
6, verses 12 and 13, there is this branch, this man, who builds 
the temple. So for the high priest here, 
he is accurately thinking through the implications with reference 
to this charge. Christ has asserted some sort 
of anti-temple mentality, and that leads him naturally to ask 
the question, are you the Christ? Are you the Son of God? And that brings us to Christ's 
answer, very specifically in verse 64. Now, you'll notice 
here that Christ does answer. He doesn't maintain the silence 
because it's his identity that's at stake. It's a confession. He's not somehow lapsing into 
this super defensive posture. But one man has well said, confronted 
by the question of his own identity, silence would be the same thing 
as denial. So he has to answer concerning 
his identity. But notice how this is all gone. 
The false witnesses come. They've asserted that Christ 
has asserted authority over the temple. That leads naturally 
to the high priest to say, wow, temple is associated with Messiah, 
therefore I'm going to ask Him, are you the Messiah? Are you 
the Son of God? And Christ answers in the first 
place affirmatively. He says, it is as you said. What's Christ doing there? Christ 
is affirming that He is Israel's Messiah, that He is the Christ 
of God. Now, the language is a bit difficult 
in terms of interpretation, but it's a legitimate translation 
that we find here in the New King James. It is as you said. He'll reply in a similar fashion 
to Pilate. Judas has replied this way to 
him. I'm sorry, he replies this way 
to Judas earlier in verse 25, but it is an affirmative statement. 
Are you the Christ, the Son of God? Listen to what J.C. Ryle 
says, the unconverted Jew can never tell us at the present 
day that his forefathers were left in ignorance that Jesus 
was the Messiah. Let me read that again. The unconverted 
Jew can never tell us at the present day that his forefathers 
were left in ignorance that Jesus was the Messiah. There's a fellow 
named John Hagee that teaches that Jesus never said or never 
claimed to be the Messiah. What Bible is he reading? Because 
Jesus does claim to be the Messiah. It is as you said. The words are properly translated 
here as an affirmation. And if you're thinking in terms 
of the rest of Matthew's gospel, you'll know that this has always 
been the issue. Matthew's purpose and point is 
to present Christ to Israel as the Christ, the Son of God. Israel's 
champion, Israel's Messiah, that one prophesied of old, that one 
from Genesis 3.15, that one in Genesis 22, that one in Deuteronomy 
18, that one set forth in the servant songs in Isaiah the prophet, 
that one spoken of by the prophetic testimony is now standing before 
this high priest, and when he's asked point blank, are you the 
Christ, the Son of God, Christ says, it is as you said. But then Jesus amplifies this, 
and that's how we're supposed to interpret the remainder of 
this verse. I think that Christ is saying something like this. 
Yes, you have affirmed it, but you haven't even begun to wrestle 
with the implications of it. You haven't even entered in to 
what a glorious reality this is. Again, reaching back into 
the Old Testament, vis-à-vis Psalm 110 and Daniel 7, Christ 
says there's more at stake than your puny mind has even begun 
to entertain. I don't think that was his posture, 
but this is how I'm seeking to amplify it here. This is the 
heart and soul of Christian theology. This is the heart and soul of 
who Jesus is. When he says, nevertheless, it 
almost sounds like it's a bit of an adversative. Some translations 
have, it is as you said, but, there's no but, there's no adversative. I think it could be translated 
this way. It is as you said, indeed, and now he fleshes it 
out with more certainty and with more pinpointedness. So the particular 
contrast here, or the particular sort of contrast is not there. 
It is as you said, indeed, I say to you. I'm going to clarify 
some things right before your eyes as I reach back into the 
Old Testament. Notice he uses the title Son 
of Man. 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." Again, I think that exceeds even what 
the high priest is thinking in terms of Son of God. When the 
high priest says, are you the Christ, the Son of God? The high 
priest isn't thinking Chalcedonian Christology. The high priest 
isn't thinking Nicene Christology. He's not thinking second person 
of the Trinity, Son of God, Ness. When he says, are you the son 
of God, he's probably reaching back to 2 Samuel 7, where God 
says to David, he will be my son. This temple-building Messiah 
will be identified as my son. So the high priest, in many respects, 
is still tied to the earth. This temple building Messiah 
will come and do something revolutionary for the Jews and they will no 
longer be subject to this Roman political power. See, Christ 
referring to himself as son of man, a term or phrase that he 
uses often with reference to himself, takes it from earth 
into heaven. The fact that he puts it in the 
context of Daniel 7, 13, and 14 is essentially saying to the 
high priest, it is far more than you ever thought because I will 
sit at the right hand of the power. I am that one who comes 
on the clouds of heaven. What you perceive as only being 
earthly glory associated with the Messiah includes and involves 
earthly glory to be sure, but it transcends that. There's a 
heavenly glory connected with the Son of Man, and that's what 
Christ is highlighting in this particular instance. France explains 
this a whole lot better than I just tried. In place of the 
title Messiah, he uses his own preferred title, Son of Man. 
And in place of the sort of earthly power the high priest question 
probably implied, he speaks of a heavenly glory and authority. And again, this language of Son 
of Man is more often than not applied to our Lord Jesus by 
our Lord Jesus. Notice his reference to Psalm 
110 verse 1. Hereafter you will see the Son 
of Man sitting at the right hand of the power. The Greek text actually sets 
this off as quotations from the Old Testament. I don't know why 
it doesn't here in this English translation. Christ is quoting 
Old Testament language and he's applying it specifically to himself. So just visualize the scene with 
me for a moment. It's a preliminary hearing. They've 
got to build a case. They've got to turn him over 
to Pilate so that he can be executed. These false witnesses come. They 
say that he's asserted authority over the temple. The priest says, 
aren't you going to answer these charges? Christ is silent in 
light of Isaiah 53, 7, in light of the fact that the hour has 
come upon him. Now the high priest puts him under oath. I adjure 
you by the living God. Are you the Messiah? Are you 
the Christ, the Son of God? So Christ answers, and he says, 
it is as you said. Indeed, it is so much more. We have puny thoughts of Christ. Christ has glorious thoughts 
of Christ. We have small thoughts of the 
Savior, Christ's thoughts, in line with the Old Testament, 
in line with His mission, in line with His submission to His 
Father according to the economy of salvation, are most glorious. Psalm 110 was a psalm written 
by David. It says, Yahweh said to my Lord, 
Jesus Christ, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies 
your footstool. Do you understand why now the 
priest tears his garments and says, it's blasphemy? I'm not 
saying he was right. He was absolutely wrong. But 
he is standing before a man who claims to be the Lord of Psalm 
110.1, and thrown at the right hand of the Father. One who shares 
His authority. One who shares His preeminence. 
One who shares His glory. Brethren, if the high priest 
had one of two responses, this was it. The other, of course, 
would have been, I confess you too. And that would have been 
most excellent and most blessed. But here, when he says, it's 
blasphemy, you can see why. Think that section in John's 
gospel when Jesus says, I am, and they pick up stones to throw 
at him. Again, I'm not legitimizing it, I'm not justifying it, I'm 
not suggesting that they were somehow right to throw stones 
at him, but consider the gravity of his statement. I am, I'm the 
Exodus 3.14, I am, I'm the prophet Isaiah, I am. I am the one who 
is from everlasting to everlasting. I am God most high. Of course, 
men are either gonna confess Him as Lord and Savior and bow 
down to Him and kiss the sun, or they're gonna pick up stones 
to throw at Him. And the same sort of thing is here. He says, 
hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand 
of the power. It's a beautiful statement. Now 
notice what he goes on to say, "...and coming on the clouds 
of heaven." This is Daniel 7, 13 and 14. In fact, you can turn 
there. Daniel 7, 13 and 14. There's 
an interesting contrast that we see set up here in Daniel 
7. And the Son of Man is introduced 
to us in verses 13 and 14, but it's in contrast to the beastly 
kingdoms of men. These various beastly kingdoms 
of men are detailed in chapter 7, verses 1 to 8. And then notice 
when we get to the introduction or the display or demonstration 
of the Son of Man, notice in verse 13, I was watching in the 
night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man coming with 
the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, 
and they brought Him near before Him. Then to him was given dominion 
and glory in a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages 
should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting 
dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom the one 
which shall not be destroyed." So you see, Jesus standing before 
the high priest adopts the identifier of Son of Man that he has used 
so consistently and frequently of himself in the gospel record, 
and now tells this high priest that he is the one of whom Daniel 
wrote. Again. Not that it was good, 
but you can understand why an unbelieving wretch of a man would 
say, he has spoken blasphemy. Because Christ here says, yes, 
I'm the Christ. Yes, I'm the Messiah. Yes, I'm 
the Son of God. But I'm also that one enthroned 
upon the right hand or at the right hand of the Father. I am 
that one that Daniel saw in 7, 13, and 14. The idea of clouds 
themselves or tippa, are typically used in Old Testament, are often 
used in the Old Testament as a manifestation of God. The word 
theophany, a revelation or a manifestation of God. You'll see clouds associated 
with a display of God. It's a visible sort of a representation 
of the invisible God. And this idea that He's coming 
on the clouds of heaven, in the language in Daniel 7, this is 
not the second coming. This is not in our future. Notice 
that in Daniel 7, 13, and 14, he comes to the Ancient of Days. He doesn't come from the Ancient 
of Days. The best of Christian interpreters 
see this as an ascension text. It's what takes place when Christ 
is dead, and he's risen, and then he ascends on high. And 
what happens when he ascends on high? The Father confers upon 
him this messianic kingdom. So Christ is telling the high 
priest that he is that Danielic son of man. And if you go back 
to the text, if you look at verse 64, when he says, nevertheless, 
or indeed I say to you, this sort of hereafter supports the 
reading that it's in the future, a distant future. It shouldn't 
be read that way. The better translation is from 
now on. from now on. In other words, 
High Priest, you and the rest of the Sanhedrin, from now on. You see, Christ is going to die 
on Good Friday. Christ is going, however, to 
be raised on Sunday. Christ is going to be with his 
disciples for a period of time, and then he's going to ascend 
on high. He's going to lead captivity captive. He's going to give gifts 
to men. He's going to send forth his 
church to preach the gospel, to testify concerning him, and 
to call sinners to repentance and faith through the power and 
operation of the Holy Spirit. And in AD 70, Christ at the right 
hand of majesty on high is going to be responsible for the destruction, 
not of the temple at that particular time only, but of the entirety 
of the city. All law, Matthew 24 and 25, the 
Lord Jesus Christ, they will see Him sitting at the right 
hand of the power. They will see Him manifesting 
His glory. This selfsame Christ that they 
are now going to charge with blasphemy isn't going to stay 
in the grave. He will be raised. He will be 
ascended. He will be exalted. He will engage 
in the current session at the right hand of His Father. And 
that includes the destruction of Jerusalem. So these men as 
well are on trial. You ever consider that situation 
in the book of Acts when Stephen is stoned to death? When Stephen, 
godly Stephen is being stoned, what happens? Stephen looks up 
into heaven and he sees the glory of God and he sees Jesus standing 
there. You ever considered that? The 
author to the book of Hebrews, most likely the apostle Paul, 
takes pains to tell us that when Christ finished the work of atonement, 
he sat down. What does that mean? It was complete. 
You see, the high priest on the day of atonement, Leviticus 16, 
he didn't chill out in the Holy of Holies. He didn't go pour 
his blood and then sit down. He got out. He went back. He sent out the scapegoat. There 
were other things to do. But the author in Hebrews tells 
us that Jesus sat down having completed atonement. Well, here 
in Acts chapter seven, Jesus is standing there. I think the 
best explanation for that is by John Gill. John Gill says 
Jesus is standing to signify, one, his readiness to receive 
Stephen. Isn't that beautiful? You're 
being stoned to death and God gives you a glimpse of triune 
glory. Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit. He sees the 
glory of God. He sees Jesus standing at the 
right hand. And Gil explains that Jesus is 
standing there like a father to receive his son. But as well, 
Christ is standing as judge presiding over that Sanhedrin that is going 
to execute this godly man. It's the same thing here. Christ is on trial before the 
Sanhedrin, but Christ is telling them hereafter, rather from now 
on, you plural, Sanhedrin, religious leadership, first century, you 
will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power 
and coming on the clouds of heaven in his glory and in his majesty 
and in his excellence and in his sovereignty. You will experience 
that That's a foreboding thing. If these guys had ears to hear, 
they should have bowed before this Christ and confessed Him 
and kissed Him. So the theological import of 
what our Christ is saying, He is the Christ, He is the Son 
of God, He is the one exalted at the right hand of the Father, 
He is the one prophesied by Daniel the prophet, He is the one who 
comes on the clouds of heaven. Again, not in the future in terms 
of a second coming, though He will, but in this context, this 
coming on the clouds of heaven is not directionally from heaven 
to earth, but it's from earth to heaven. Christ ascends to 
the ancient of days, and there is conferred upon him all authority, 
all power, all dominion. And interestingly enough, that's 
the shape of the narrative from here on out, because Christ will 
die. Christ will suffer at the hands 
of these godless men. Christ will cry, why hast thou 
forsaken me? But what happens in Matthew 28? 
It's Daniel 7, 14. He says to his people, go therefore, 
he says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to 
me. That's Daniel 7.14, based on 
the reality that the suffering servant underwent what God gave 
him to do. You see, so many streams of Old 
Testament prophecy come to bear upon or converge upon this very 
testimony and the actions associated with it. He's silent, Isaiah 
53, 7. He's spat upon, Isaiah 50, verse 
6. He declares that he is that man 
spoken of at Psalm 110, 1. This is him, exalted to the right 
hand of God. He is the Daniel 7, 13, and 14 
man. So the chief priest, or the high 
priest here rather, thought, oh, this son of God, this Messiah 
is just going to tear down this temple and build up another temple. 
And Jesus says, there is so much more involved that you haven't 
even begun to think. Think of the streams that lead 
to this particular moment. Think of the Psalm 110.1. Think 
of the Daniel 7, 13, and 14. So as I said, brethren, it's 
no surprise that the high priest tears his clothes and he says 
he has spoken blasphemy. It is no surprise that these 
men now think that their case has been built. They've got it. It's signed, sealed, and delivered. 
They have testimony from his own mouth. That's, in their mind, 
everything. Well, brethren, I think, by way 
of conclusion, I want to close this down. I want to just appreciate 
two things that this text sets forth. First, the sinfulness 
of man. We're pretty bad, aren't we? 
I don't think we really appreciate that statement, but we really 
are. Now, I know we weren't there 
in Matthew 26, and I know we weren't with Caiaphas in the 
Sanhedrin, and I know we weren't there present saying, away with 
him, away with him, crucify him. But what makes us think we wouldn't 
have been? What delusion have we entertained to somehow think 
that we are better than most others? Have we adopted something 
of Peter in the previous section when Jesus says, all of you will 
deny me? Peter says, all these may deny you, but I never will. Brethren, we just need to embrace 
the reality. A friend, you may not be a brother 
or a sister this morning because you're not confessing faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Friend, you may think that you're 
good, but you're not. You may think you are not as 
bad as everyone else, and to a degree, in terms of external 
wickedness, you may not be Charles Manson, you may not be Caiaphas 
the high priest, you may not be some notorious criminal that 
is in the pages of the paper each and every day. But at heart, 
at root, the heart of man is deceitful above all things and 
desperately wicked. Not just the notorious criminal 
that shows up on the Vancouver sign, but us, all of us. I think sometimes people, non-believers, 
non-persons that are familiar with scripture, get really offended 
by what they read in the Bible. And again, sort of like what 
this high priest does, I guess we can't blame them. I mean, 
imagine an unbeliever grabs the Bible and he opens to Psalm 58 
to find some comfort. And Psalm 58 tells him that the 
wicked go estranged from the womb, speaking lies as soon as 
they are born. Not a real comforting thought, 
is it? I suggest these latter chapters with reference to our 
Lord's passion. It's not a comforting thought 
either. It says, man, it is worst. It says, man, it is absolute 
worst. Notice, the sinfulness is seen 
in their already agreed upon verdict even prior to the hearing. Look at 26.4. Matthew 26.4, well, 
verse 3, then the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, this 
is the same group called the Sanhedrin in our passage, then 
the chief priests, the scribes and the elders of the people 
assembled at the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas 
and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill him. You see, 
they already had decided upon it. They already knew what they 
wanted. That's probably why when all 
these false witnesses were coming forth and their witness testimony 
didn't agree, they were probably frustrated. Then these two come 
along and these two actually match up and they say, great, 
let's use these guys. They already knew the outcome 
of the trial. You see, again, we appreciate what our Lord was 
willing to go through on our behalf. How many of us would 
stand for that? How many of us would sit silently 
while such a thing was transpiring before our eyes? I mean, if somebody 
ever has the least beautiful thought of you, you're really 
quick to want to fix it. I can't believe you'd think that 
of me! I'm just so great! I can't believe you'd actually 
think... We're a defensive lot, aren't we? It's in us. You parents know this if you've 
got children. You saw the ones that were destined 
to be a defense attorney. You saw the ones that knew logic 
and rationality by age four because they were, you know, I wasn't 
there, it wasn't me, it was them. We're always willing to defend 
ourselves. Christ is silent. The sinfulness of men, secondly, 
is seen in the willingness of the Sanhedrin to violate their 
own law in actively seeking false testimony. Do you see the irony 
in this statement in verse 59? They sought false testimony against 
Jesus to put him to death. This is the highest religious 
court, political, civil court that Israel has to offer. This 
is, as it were, the Supreme Court, and they were seeking actively 
false testimony. If this was a newspaper article 
in the first century, we would say, how in the world could such 
things ever happen in a democracy or in a civil society? How is 
it the case? Because we are wretched. Whatever rises up in you to ask 
the question, how, how, how? Jeremiah, baby, the heart is 
deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. That's how. See, our society wants to socially 
engineer everything. If everybody has enough money, 
if everybody has enough health care, if everybody has access 
to public education, if everything is manipulated and controlled, 
then we'll all always live happily ever after. No, we won't. We will still kill each other, 
we will still engage in false witness, we will still engage 
in the sorts of things condemned by God in the Ten Commandments. That's the reality. You say, 
well, Pastor Butler, that doesn't make me feel very good. I'm sorry, 
my job isn't to make you feel good, it is to preach the one 
who is good, even Christ. It's because of those violations, 
it's because we rejected the law, it's because we didn't conform 
to that law, Christ came into the world. Thirdly, The sinfulness 
is seen in the united effort of both Jews and Gentiles in 
the crucifixion of the Son of God. Now Christ in John admits 
that the ones who delivered me up to you, the Roman government, 
bear more guilt. That doesn't mean the Romans 
were guiltless. One from within the confessing 
disciple group, even Judas, was the betrayer of the Son of God. 
So it's not the case that we can just pick on the Jews here, 
or just pick on the Gentiles, or just pick on the apostates. We're all guilty. We've all sinned. We have all fallen short of the 
glory of God. We have all transgressed. All 
we like sheep have gone astray. That's the reality of the situation. And the sinfulness is seen in 
the willingness of many to even perjure themselves. I mean, the 
Sanhedrin here is just reprehensible that they're seeking out false 
testimony, but that they found it? Isn't that terrible? Remember, we're not talking about 
Friday afternoon at 12.30 or 1. Show up, we'll buy you lobster 
and steak, and then you give us your testimony. This is the 
early morning hours of Friday. You gotta really have some malice 
in your heart to go and pony up false evidence or testimony 
against a man who is innocent. J.C. Ryle, I'm sorry, Matthew 
Henry made this observation. I thought it was appropriate 
in light of our studies in 1 Kings. It's on the Matthew 26 passage. It's on the false witnesses who 
provide this testimony. He says, if Naboth must be taken 
off, there are sons of Belial to swear against him. For those 
who were here on 1 Kings 21, you'll know what that means. Ahab wants to increase his holdings. He wants a new vegetable garden. So what does he do? He has a 
man by the name of Naboth executed so he can get a new vegetable 
garden? Yeah. See, brethren, I'd like to tell 
you that we're not that bad. Gleam. We're great. Ding. That's the white teeth 
and the pearly appearance and all that. But we're not. And if you are not a believer 
here this morning, this is the best thing I could tell you. 
because hopefully it will drive you to an end of yourself, then 
you will see you can't merit God's favor. You can't ascend 
heaven. You can't get to him unaided, 
unhelped, unsaved by the grace of God Almighty. And that's the 
second thing. We see the sinfulness of men, 
we see the glory of Christ. He is the Christ, the Son of 
God. He is the temple builder in accordance 
with the Davidic covenant. Let's read that, 2 Samuel 7, 
13 and 14. He shall build a house for my 
name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. I don't know 
that we appreciate temple in the Bible. There's a couple of 
good books on this subject that people ought to read. One is 
The Temple and the Church's Mission by J.K. Beale. Another is Who 
Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord by L. Michael Morales. It's a biblical theology of Leviticus. Do you realize that temple is 
a, not the, but a central motif in scripture? Because temple 
means what? It means God and his people dwelling 
together. You see, the tabernacle in the 
Old Testament, the temple in the Old Testament, they function 
in a particular way for Israel at the time. They always pointed 
forward to Christ. They always pointed forward to 
the Lord Jesus. Christ says this as much in Matthew 
16. After Peter confesses him, thou 
art the Christ, the Son of the living God, what does he then 
go on to say? I will build my church and the 
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He is the Christ, 
he is the Son of the living God, he is the 2 Samuel 7, 13 and 
14 Son of God that's going to build a temple. There specifically 
in Matthew 16 he calls it the church. We see as well the fulfillment 
of the temple motif ultimately is in the death and the resurrection 
of Christ. You see, where do God and sinners 
dwell together? It's in Christ. destroy this 
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John said he wasn't 
talking about the earthly structure that was standing before them, 
but he was speaking about his body. When that body is destroyed 
and when it's raised up the third day, that is the locus, that 
is the focus, that is where redemptive history has pointed us, that's 
where God and sinners dwell. It's in the person and the work 
of the Lord Jesus, such that when that New Jerusalem descends 
out of heaven, in the New Jerusalem rather, descends in the revelation, 
we read this beautiful statement, but I saw no temple in it, for 
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. You see, 
you need to know what your condition is so that you can appreciate 
who Jesus is. Christ isn't simply an example 
to tell you to do better. Christ isn't simply an example 
to pat you on the head and say, well, just buck up and do a little 
better. Christ is a savior. Christ is 
the one who will die as that substitute, as that atoning sacrifice 
in the place of God's people, and there he will bear their 
penalty on the cross. He will be raised the third day. 
He will ascend on high. And you know what the beauty 
of the gospel is? He's there right now receiving 
all who come to him. I love that passage that Pastor 
Porter read before we got to the preaching of the word. What 
does Bartimaeus do? Bartimaeus says, Jesus, thou 
son of David, have mercy on me. Did you see what the crowd did? 
The crowd comes and silences him. Shh, he doesn't want to 
hear you. He's too busy for you. He doesn't 
want to stop for a blind beggar. He doesn't want to get near that 
rabble. What does Bartimaeus do? Jesus, 
thou son of David, have mercy on me. Brethren, if anyone were 
to ever tell you he doesn't have time for you, he doesn't wanna 
listen to you, he doesn't want you near him, say it the louder. Jesus, thou son of David, have 
mercy upon me. But the glory of the passage 
is that in the midst of the busy streets of Jericho, Jesus hears 
that and he stops. And then Jesus walks over to 
blind Bartimaeus and Jesus, this son of man who comes on the clouds 
of heaven, who's enthroned at the right hand of God most high, 
that one who has that authority and that glory and that power 
comes to that blind beggar and says, what would you have me 
to do? You see, if you've got an idea 
this morning that you can't come to Jesus, you don't know the 
Jesus of the Bible. Because you can come. God draws 
sinners. God calls wretches. Jesus himself said, I didn't 
come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So what 
does Blind Bartimaeus say when Jesus asks him? Lord, I want 
to see. What happens? He opens his eyes 
and he sees. He sees the mountains. He sees 
the skies. He sees the sun. He sees the 
people. And in the language of that blessed book, read aloud 
Bible stories. Best of all, he sees Jesus. That's the Christ who is standing 
before the Sanhedrin. That's the Christ enthroned at 
the right hand of the majesty of God on high today. Do not 
resist him, do not reject him, do not forsake him, but rather 
believe. Look to him in faith and he will 
receive you. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you so very much for the Word of God. We thank you 
for the testimony of our Lord Jesus. We thank you for all that 
this passage says He is. He is the suffering servant. 
He is the exalted Son of God. He is the temple-building Christ. He is the one in whom alone there 
is salvation. May it be the case today that 
sinners would know this, that sinners would come, that they 
would taste and see that the Lord is good, and that, Father, 
You would strengthen and bless and encourage all of Your people, 
cause us to reflect again and again as we move through this 
Passion narrative on how much the Son of God loved us and gave 
Himself for us. Go with us now, we pray, and 
we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.