Matthew 26:61 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and said, "This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’"

NIV: and declared, "This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ "

NASB: and said, 'This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’?'

CSB: stated, "This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’"

NLT: who declared, 'This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’'

KJV: And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

NKJV: and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

To condemn someone to death under Jewish law (Matthew 26:57–59), two witnesses were required to verify the accusation. In this case, Jesus' enemies are looking for an act of blasphemy or sacrilege to show Jesus deserved to die. Unfortunately for them, Jesus has neither sinned nor committed a crime (John 8:46), so those who say otherwise wind up contradicting one another (Mark 14:56–59). Of course, all of this is so illegal that Jesus' accusers ought to be put to death, themselves (Deuteronomy 19:18), but they will press on.

Finally, two men came forward together to accuse Jesus of saying something the council can twist into a blasphemy charge. According to them, Jesus said He could rip down the physical temple in Jerusalem and then rebuild it in three days. That could be construed as a blasphemy against the temple—a thin charge for a death sentence, but better than nothing.

However, their quote is false. The witnesses had not only taken Jesus out of context, they've changed His words: "'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up'…But he was speaking about the temple of his body" (John 2:19–21). It was this prediction that brought Jesus' followers greater faith after the resurrection: "When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken" (John 2:22). He has subtly declared He will be raised to life three days after being destroyed.

This accusation, itself, won't be needed. Jesus will be condemned by the Jewish religious leaders for words He will speak directly to them, in response to the high priest's challenge over this misquoted statement (Matthew 26:62).

Matthew 26:57–68 describes Jesus' sham trial before members of the Jewish ruling body. False witnesses accuse Jesus of crimes worthy of a death sentence; their attempts are so transparently false that the effort fails. Finally, the high priest challenges Jesus to state that He is the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus agrees, and even adds to the declaration. The high priest and council agree Jesus is guilty of blasphemy and condemn Him to death. Mark 14:53–65, Luke 22:63–71, John 18:12–14, and John 18:19–24 explain different perspectives on the same events.

The Jewish religious leaders further their plots to arrest and kill Jesus, finding a willing traitor in Judas Iscariot. A woman anoints Christ with oil during a dinner at Bethany. Next, Jesus and the disciples hold the Passover meal in an upper room where Jesus predicts His arrests and introduces the sacrament of communion. Then Jesus prays in unimaginable agony in the garden of Gethsemane before being betrayed by Judas and captured. The disciples scatter. Before the high priest, Jesus explicitly claims to be divine. They convict Him of blasphemy and sentence Him to death. As this happens, Peter denies knowing Jesus and runs away in shame.

After a long series of teaching (Matthew 24—25), Matthew 26 begins with Jesus saying He will be delivered up for death. Christ is anointed at a dinner in Bethany and Judas agrees to turn Him over to the chief priests. Jesus holds a Passover meal with the disciples, predicts an act of treachery, and introduces the sacrament of communion. He tells the disciples they will run in fear and that Peter will deny Him, which happens just as prophesied. Christ prays in great sorrow in a garden and is then arrested and taken away and unfairly sentenced to death. After this, Jesus will be taken to the Roman governor, where Jewish leadership will press for Him to be executed as an insurgent.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.