Matthew 26:62 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"

NIV: Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?"

NASB: The high priest stood up and said to Him, 'Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?'

CSB: The high priest stood up and said to him, "Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?"

NLT: Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?'

KJV: And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

NKJV: And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”

The ruling council is seeking something they can accuse Jesus of that deserves a death sentence (Matthew 26:57–59). They are running out of options. After a string of failed false accusations (Mark 14:56–59), two men have finally mis-quoted Jesus, claiming He has said something which could be understood as blasphemy against the temple (Matthew 26:60–61). Not only are these not His actual words (John 2:19–21), but Jesus was speaking about His future resurrection from the dead.

Caiaphas wants to move things along. To make this sham trial at least appear valid, He wants to charge Jesus with something based directly on His own words before the council. The high priest insists Jesus answer this charge against Him. He's likely looking to trap Jesus in a lie, an admission of guilt, or some other mistake.

Jesus will not answer these prejudiced questions (Isaiah 53:7). When He does speak, He will utter a truth which the council interprets as blasphemy and sufficient to have Him killed.

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.

Accessed 11/23/2024 6:14:24 AM