What does Matthew 26:64 mean?
Caiaphas, the high priest, wants to sentence Jesus to death for blasphemy (Matthew 26:57–59). After several failed attempts, he finally challenges Jesus to answer whether He is the Christ—the Messiah—and the Son of God. These terms had created enormous controversy when Jesus used them in His ministry (John 5:18). Where Jesus ignored obviously false accusations thus far (Isaiah 53:7), He not only confirms this "accusation," He multiplies it with an absolute claim of divine power. This response gives the high priest and the council all they need to condemn Him.Mark quotes Jesus as saying it more directly in the form of "I am." Matthew's quote, though, carries the same weight. Jesus is not being elusive. He is saying, in essence, "what you have said is so," or "that's exactly right."
Jesus doesn't stop there. He is more than just a human Messiah sent by God to set up an earthly kingdom. In fact, Jesus declares they will see Him, as the Son of Man, seated on God's right hand and coming back to earth on the clouds of heaven in judgment. The phrase "from now on" may mean "when you see me again in the future" or it may mean that Jesus is claiming to hold that position in their eyes, right in front of them, from now on. He stands before them not only as the future king, but the rightful king right now who will one day take the throne.
Jesus' words make direct reference to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. They would have left no doubt in the minds of Caiaphas or those on the council: Jesus of Nazareth is claiming to be the eternal Messiah and Son of God. Their reaction corresponds to the enormous nature of Jesus' claims (Matthew 26:65).
From his perspective, Caiaphas could not have asked for a better answer. In his own mind, Caiaphas likely thinks he has baited Jesus into making an arrogant, exaggerated claim. He wanted to put Jesus to death (John 11:48–53), and this is a statement the council sees as blasphemous. At the same time, the high priest and the council would now be held responsible for rejecting the Son of God when He revealed Himself to them, face to face, for who He truly was (John 5:39–40).