Luke 22:71 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips."

NIV: Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."

NASB: And then they said, 'What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth!'

CSB: "Why do we need any more testimony," they said, "since we’ve heard it ourselves from his mouth?"

NLT: Why do we need other witnesses?' they said. 'We ourselves heard him say it.'

KJV: And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

NKJV: And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

The Sanhedrin gets the testimony it needs. This is Jesus' third trial. In the second, some of the same people asked Him the same question: "Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus answered in the same way: "You have said so," a vague assent. At that point, the high priest tore his robes and the other religious leaders present agreed Jesus deserved death (Matthew 26:63–66).

Luke records little of that trial (Luke 22:63–65). This is the official trial before the whole Sanhedrin. Whatever Jesus said in the previous two trials doesn't matter legally. They need to get Him to repeat His words.

He does so. First, He claims to be the Son of Man who will sit at God's right hand (Luke 22:69). The council considers such familiarity with God to be blasphemy. Now, He does not deny that He is the Son of God. Not only is blasphemy according to their point of view, but it is an insult to the Romans: for them, only the emperor is the son of God.

Jesus' enemies have what they need. They can now take Jesus to Pilate and demand that Jesus deserves death. They frame Jesus' crime as claiming to be the king of the Jews, a rival to the emperor. Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, who can't get Jesus to say anything. Pilate knows Jesus isn't a threat to the emperor. But he also knows that the Sanhedrin could ruin him if they make good on their threat to send word that Pilate has shown mercy to someone guilty of sedition (John 19:12). So, Pilate gives them what they want and sends Jesus to the cross (Luke 23).

Luke 22:66–71 records Jesus' third and only legal trial before the Jewish leaders. Whatever Jesus said in the first two trials doesn't matter. In this third trial, before the Sanhedrin, they make an official charge: Jesus formally claims to be the Son of God. His claim, they think, blasphemes God and the Roman emperor—a capital offense. Matthew 27:1–2 and Mark 15:1 only say that at this trial the Sanhedrin agree to take Jesus to Pilate (Luke 23:1–5). After Pilate sees Jesus, he'll send Him to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6–12) before the Sanhedrin convinces Pilate to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:13–25).

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.