Why didn't Jesus defend Himself?

“Convicted: Blasphemy”

(Matthew 26:57-68, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 2, 2008)

Matthew 26:57-68 ⁵⁷ Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. ⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹ and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'" ⁶² And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death." ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, ⁶⁸ saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"

Introduction – A time to keep silence, and a time to speak

Ecclesiastes 3:7 informs us that there is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.” It is not always the right thing to speak. One of the striking things about the hours that remain before our Lord’s death on the cross is that He says so little. He has spent three years teaching His disciples. Now He will speak through His willingness to suffer and die for us. Judas has led a band of armed men to Jesus. The time has come for our Savior to be in the hands of those who seek His death. He says only a few words in these verses, but what He says is so powerful.

A gathering (57)

Jesus did not have to be taken away by force. He was willing to go, though He understood as no one else could have understood what He was about to face. What other man was as aware of the holiness of God? What other person could have understood the consequences coming upon Him as the Sin-bearer?

The ones who seized Him took Jesus to Caiaphas the High Priest. There the scribes and elders had gathered. This was an assembly of those to whom God has given a special responsibility for His covenant community. We live in one small corner of the world, and in that corner we have certain people who have civil authority. There are those who gather in assemblies in the halls of power in order to consider the important matters that are before our government day by day. Within this world there are also many assemblies of religious leaders. In the days of Jesus, the ultimate civil rulers were the Romans, but there were other men of authority who were religious rulers. The high priest, the scribes, and the elders were in this group.

Such religious authorities have their own matters to consider and to discuss. Their job is not an easy one. We are told in Hebrews that those who have these positions will have to answer to God for the way that they have shepherded souls, for the decisions they have made, and the actions they have taken. Have they done what God would do, or have they gone in the wrong direction? Are they helping people in the way of life, or are they leading the weak in the way of death?

There was a gathering of religious rulers that night in Jerusalem under the leadership of the man that some people considered to be one of the key religious figures of the day, Caiaphas the High Priest. They had assembled to make a very important decision. Was Jesus of Nazareth a guilty man who deserved to die?

Peter’s dilemma (58)

There was another great religious leader there that day. He would have been easily ignored by many, but his name is now far better known than that of Caiaphas. He did not take the place of a famous person. He sat with the guards as one who had a great dilemma. Peter had been with Jesus for three years as His closest associate. Now all of his hopes seemed to be gone. He may have wanted to flee like so many of the others. Yet he had given his life for these many months in following Jesus. He decided to see what the end of all of this would be.

Peter knew that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death. Should he come forward and defend him more publicly? Should he run away to a place of greater safety? He chose a middle path, staying close enough to observe the end of the affairs of that night, but hopefully staying anonymous enough to steer clear of any trouble himself.

The evidence against Him (59-61)

He could have given excellent testimony before any court regarding the teaching and activities of Jesus. If this assembly of religious leaders had really wanted to know the truth about Jesus, about what kind of man Jesus was, or about His danger to the stability of the world they lived in, Peter could have told them many things. The account that Peter could have related to them that night was not the kind of testimony they were looking for. He could have spoken of the miracles he had observed and of the predictions that our Lord had given that had been accurately fulfilled right before his eyes. He could have spoken even of resurrections that He had seen from the hands and voice of Jesus. He was not called upon to tell those stories. As he hid himself among the crowd, he observed a very irregular trial. The religious judges that assembled were seeking false testimony rather than the truth. They were seeking words that would only be against Jesus and not anything that might have been said for Him. They were seeking something that would show that the Author of life was worthy of death.

It should be obvious that this was not a fair trial, which is itself evidence of how interested these leaders were in convicting Jesus of something that would justify His death. Finally they were able to bring two men forward who would make a claim regarding the temple. Jesus mentioned the destruction of the temple building early in his ministry to allude to the raising of His own body in three days as the temple of the Holy Spirit. (See John 2:13-22). This evidence of His words was used to prove that Christ was a danger to Jerusalem, and particularly to the existing temple. Instead it was a testimony to the Lord’s prior knowledge of His coming death and resurrection, evidence that came from the mouths of two men who were speaking against Him. As such this accusation was an interesting piece of evidence that showed that there were those who heard what Christ had said about these things, even though they tried to twist His words to make Him sound dangerous to society or to the order of Jewish life in Jerusalem.

His own testimony (62-64)

Our Lord did not answer their charges until the High Priest commanded in the Name of God that Jesus answer a very important question that was really at the center of all the controversy concerning Jesus of Nazareth. “Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Suddenly all of the false testimony seemed to recede from view in this one dramatic moment, as Jesus lets the words of the High Priest stand. “You have said so.” A suggestion was given from the lips of the High Priest connecting Jesus of Nazareth with some concept of Messiah. Jesus could have answered with an emphatic “Yes” or He could have vehemently denied that He was the Messiah, the Son of God, or He could have just let the words of the High Priest Himself hang their in the air, quietly admitting the truth of the statement by saying almost nothing. He chose the third option.

He had more to say immediately; words that would have been so striking and bold, not only because of the content of His message, but also because He had said virtually nothing up to this point. “You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” This was an amazing assertion. The “you” here is plural in the Greek, meaning “all of you.” There is coming a day when mankind will see Jesus again. They might kill Him now, or have others kill Him, so that there hands would not get dirty. But one day they would see Him seated at the right hand of Almighty God. That alone was amazing. It was a statement of life and sight beyond the grave, as well as a statement that the Father and the Son would be together in power. The phrase that followed was even more amazing: “You will see Him coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus is the unique Messiah, seen in a vision by Daniel, bringing heaven to earth in the final day. He is that Son of God, and you will see Him.

The verdict, the indignity, and the willing victim (65-68)

Before we see the victorious Son of Man from Daniel, He first had to be the dying Servant of the Lord from Isaiah 53. That would begin even now with the assertion of the High Priest that Jesus had uttered blasphemy. Blasphemy is an insulting word against God Himself. Jesus had identified Himself as the unique God/Man Savior. If it were not true, it would have been a horrible attack against the Name of God. There was one other possibility which would prove to be the case through His resurrection and ascension, something that will be proven even more obviously when He comes again: that Jesus was telling the truth. This is the possibility they would not investigate.

What is your reaction to this tremendous revelation in these few well-chosen words of Jesus before the High Priest? If He is not who He says He is, then You can tare your robes, accuse him of blasphemy, and sentence him to death according to the Old Testament Law as a blasphemer. What is your judgment? What do you think? Is there anyone who has ever honored the Name of God more than Jesus? Is He rightly convicted of blasphemy against God?

Consider the One who they spit at, who they punch and slap. Consider the One they decide to make fun of. But then consider what Peter knew, what he could have testified to. This is the One who turned water into wine and who made the blind see. This is the One who calmed the storm with a word and who called Lazarus forth from the grave. This is the One who taught with authority in the face of great opposition. This is the One who knew of His own death for sinners, and continued with the plan of your salvation. He didn’t defend Himself, because He is the One.

Questions for meditation and discussion:

1. What was the nature and purpose of this gathering?

2. What was the accusation made against Jesus regarding the temple, and how does this relate to his true ministry?

3. What was the key question of the High Priest for Jesus, and why might He have asked this question?

4. What do you think of Jesus answer to this question and the reaction of the High Priest and the assembly?