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Luke 22:67
ESV "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe,
NIV "If you are the Messiah," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me,
NASB If You are the Christ, tell us.' But He said to them, 'If I tell you, you will not believe;
CSB They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." But he said to them, "If I do tell you, you will not believe.
NLT and they said, 'Tell us, are you the Messiah?' But he replied, 'If I tell you, you won’t believe me.
KJV Art thou the Christ tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
NKJV “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe.

What does Luke 22:67 mean?

Jesus' enemies have held two illegal trials since His nighttime arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. The question they pose and the answer Jesus gives shows they are at cross-purposes. The Sanhedrin is trying to get Jesus to admit that He is a political threat to Rome's hold on Israel. If He will admit He is the Christ, they have a chance.

When Jesus claimed to fulfill the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, He quoted Isaiah 61:1–2 about how He will "proclaim good news to the poor" and "liberty to the captives," and heal the blind (Luke 4:18–19). He also claims that His betrayal by Judas and consequent arrest fulfills Scripture (Luke 22:37; John 13:18). More subtly, throughout His entire ministry, He has referred to Himself as the "Son of Man." That term is what God calls Ezekiel as a kind of representative of humanity (Ezekiel 2:1). But it's also the name of the prophetic figure to whom the Ancient of Days will give dominion (Daniel 7:13–14).

The Sanhedrin wants Him to admit to being the king of Isaiah 9:6–7. That is the kind of Messiah which Rome would see as a threat. Jesus is considering a different angle. He is the Messiah of the men gathered here and they are rejecting Him. They are the religious and political leaders of the Jews. The nation of Israel, such as it is, will follow where they lead.

He can tell these leaders He's the Messiah. Tragically, they will not believe, nor will they lead the Jews to salvation through their God. They are completely missing the point. But to ensure the path to the cross goes forward, Jesus does admit to being the Son of God (Luke 22:70).

There appears to be a discrepancy between this passage and the other two Synoptic Gospels. Matthew says, "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.' 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'" (Matthew 26:63–64).

The difference seems to be that Matthew's account as well as Mark 14:61–62 occurred at one of the previous illegal trials during the night; Luke 22:63–65 hurried over that trial without detailing what was said. Or, that Mark and Matthew summarize the two events by explaining their basic components. This is the official trial before the Sanhedrin. They need Jesus to speak now so they can have a legal charge for Pilate. Only Luke records this interchange.
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