The Gospel of Matthew Study Help (Matthew 26:65-75)

The Passion of Christ

Questions to be answered in this study

1. What were the two charges of which the religious leaders wanted to accuse Jesus?
2. How did the High Priest finally get a charge against Jesus?
3. What were the three things that Jesus told the High priest that He was?
4. How do we know that Jesus was innocent of the charge of blasphemy?
5. How do we know from Scripture humanity is incapable of knowing and loving God in the flesh? 
6. What is the only way we can know, honor, and love God?
7. Why is there so much darkness and insanity all around us in the world today?
8. Why did Jesus endure the torture that the religious leader’s delt Him?
9. Jesus counted it a joy to die in our place, but He despised the shame. What is the implication on how we should face life?
10. What was the two-fold purpose of Jesus’ suffering and death?
11. Why would Peter be so close to what was happening if there was a danger of being recognized as an associate of Jesus?

Introduction

Jesus is now in the home of Caiaphas as the trial continues; this is His second High Priest to stand before on this night. The religious leaders wanted to hold Jesus accountable to their Mishna and accuse Him of violating their rules. Still, Jesus did the unexpected, declared the Mishna not binding, and refused to bow to the demands of the hypocritical Pharisees, which endeared the crowd. Nevertheless, these leaders continued to try and accuse Jesus of blasphemy or insurrection; each charge carried the death penalty, blasphemy under Jewish law, and insurrection under Roman rule.

So, after several hours of questioning and abusing Jesus, they think they have the charge of blasphemy against Him. Previously in the trial, two witnesses said that Jesus said He could tear down the temple and restore it in three days; the temple building had taken 10,000 men forty-six years. To build and still was not completed. Jesus spoke of His body’s temple, not Herod’s temple. However, the charge of tearing down a Roman building was against the law; it did not bear the death penalty. So, the High Priest, in verse 64, placed Jesus under oath and asked Him if He was the Son of God, forcing Jesus to affirm that He was. The religious leaders could falsely charge Jesus with blasphemy even though Jesus told the truth; nevertheless, the religious leaders did not recognize Him for who He was.

Now we continue to move forward as we consider the high priest’s response to Jesus’ testimony:

Matthew 26:65-66, “Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have for witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

           The High Priest reacted to the response of Jesus and rent (tore) his robe, which was the Jewish way of showing distress; this was an absurd action against a defendant against Jewish law. However, there was an exception if the defendant had been proven of blasphemy, as was established to the High Priest with Jesus’ response to the question if He was the Son of God in verse 66. It was further proof to the High Priest when Jesus also said He was the Messiah and would be seated at the right hand of God.

When we carefully examine these statements, even under Jewish law, they were not blasphemy. Blasphemy was dishonoring God and His character. Jesus did neither when He claimed to be the Son of God and the Messiah, especially considering He was the Messiah. Secondly, Jesus declared that He would be seated to the right hand of power, which glorified God as all-powerful and in no way diminished His character. In it all, Jesus never used the name of God, which was considered taboo by the Jews. Jesus knew what blasphemy was under Jewish law and altogether avoided it, but the High Priest said, we don’t need any further witnesses to convict Jesus. The fact is the witnesses, or what Jesus said, was not proof of blasphemy; however, it was for the eager religious leaders who wanted to kill Jesus.

           The quick verdict and the very nature of the trial were against Jewish law and one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in history. Still, it did not keep the High Priest and religious leaders from hastily sending Jesus to Pontious Pilot to be condemned to death. The whole scenario was ridiculous in man’s eyes, but we have to remember it was Jesus who designed His crucifixion in the past.

           Nevertheless, the trial shows the depravity of the heart of man’s view of God and self. The Psalmist describes the state of the human heart: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 2God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one,” Psalm 53:1-3.

           According to Scripture, humanity is incapable of knowing and loving God in the flesh: “As it is written: “there is none righteous, no, not one: “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues, they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes,” Romans 3:10-18.

           Only through the new birth can we know, honor, and love God. That makes it easier to understand why today’s world is so evil and so much against God. Man in his natural state sees himself as good and God evil. That is evident in this trial of Jesus as those who claim to be religious lie and scheme to find fault of an innocent man who has only done well. Jesus describes the condition of man in John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

           So, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together to rationalize their conviction of Jesus: “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not,” John 11:47-50.

           Sin is in opposition to truth, as we see in the instance of the High Priest. Logic alone would suggest that he step back in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the signs and miracles of Jesus and accept Him for who He claimed to be, the Son of God. It is crazy the way the religious leaders grudgingly pursue their goal of killing Jesus. It is evident that Caiaphas lives in darkness and cannot see the light. Satan is using him as a pawn to bring about his will to destroy Jesus.

           We see the darkness and insanity of the world all around us because Jesus, the world’s light, has been rejected, and darkness is reigning. So, in this darkest moment of history, Caiaphas the High Priest demands the guilty verdict, and the council agrees that Jesus deserves to be put to death, but for that to happen, they have to send Jesus to the Romans for the final death verdict. 

So, the next move was to send Jesus to Pilate, appointed by Rome as the procurator of Judea who governed Rome and was responsible for keeping the peace; this was all part of God’s plan so that both Jews and Gentiles would be accountable for the death of Jesus. In doing so, Jesus died for the world’s sins and not just for the sins of the Jews.

Before the religious leader’s place Jesus into the custody of the Romans, they take the opportunity to abuse Him again:

Matthew 26:67-68, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 68Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?”

The above verse shows a continuation of the abuse of the Jews and the Gentiles that took Jesus to the cross. The Jews showed their contempt for Jesus by spitting on Him and then slapping Him across the face showing the bitter rebuke they felt toward Him. They finally blindfolded Jesus and hit Him with their fists asking Him to tell them who pierced Him. Still, it was not the purpose of Jesus to hit back or defend Himself, as we see in the book of Isaiah: “The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed,” Isaiah 50:5-7.

Verse 6 says Jesus did not cover His face to protect Himself from the spitting or slapping, but rather He set His face like flint, or like a rock, to persevere all they did to Him. It was a brutal assault on Jesus as they smote His cheeks and plucked off the hair. Jesus felt the pain, but He endured the torture to fulfill the Father’s will. Jesus was doing what He came to earth to do, suffering and dying for man’s sins; this is confirmed in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Jesus counted it a joy to die in our place, but He despised the shame. The implication is that we also should endure whatever comes our way in the joy of knowing that our Lord also suffered so that we may have eternal life with Him in Heaven. Jesus endured suffering for 12 hours straight to complete physical exhaustion. We may wonder why God allowed it. I think Peter answers the question: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on, the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed,” 1 Peter 2:21-24.

Jesus’ suffering and death had a two-fold purpose. He died in our stead to pay our sin debt, and He suffered to set an example before us on how we should receive suffering. He did not try to defend Himself, nor did He complain; He set the perfect example of how we should face life with joy as we fulfill the Father’s will. Sometimes the suffering we face in life is to make us mature and help us become the person God intends us to be, but if we complain and resist, we miss that benefit.

Jesus had every reason to resist and defend Himself because He was perfectly innocent, but He did nothing to lessen the suffering and the pain inflicted by sinful, evil men. Living a righteous life goes beyond how we live and includes how we respond to life’s events, especially when we are treated unjustly, for we know that God has a purpose and He is in control. Everything that comes our way passes through God first. Peter says, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God,” 1 Peter 2:19-20.

According to Peter, some of our sufferings are of our own making but should be endured with patience. On the other hand, if we suffer because of our faith and accept it patiently, God is pleased. When God is pleased with us, He will bless us with eternal rewards. When we endure harsh treatment from others, we follow in Jesus our Lord’s footsteps. Jesus did not need to defend Himself when wrongly accused because He knew who He was and His purpose. Neither is it necessary for us to defend ourselves against the unkind response of others when we are serving our Lord. Jesus’ suffering as He was on His way to the cross is an example of how we should stand when others abuse us because we stand with Jesus.

Peter had come a long way in his faith when under inspiration, He wrote his epistles. During the time Jesus was suffering, Peter set the wrong example by betraying Jesus and even saying he did not know Him:

Matthew 26:69-75, “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”

Why would Peter be so close to what was happening if there was a danger of being recognized as an associate of Jesus? I think Peter wanted to show that Jesus was wrong about him denying Him. However, fear overshadowed his best intentions, and he was subdued. Scripture was born out in Peter’s case, “Pride goes before a fall.” Peter depended on the strength of the flesh instead of the power of God, and he fell. Then he realized the truth that Jesus spoke of his betrayal, and he wept. Like each of us, Peter was human, and his actions at this crucial time give us hope when we also fail our Lord.

It is hard to believe that Peter, who was with Jesus for some three years, would swear and curse, angrily denying that he ever knew Jesus, but all that changed as he matured in Christ, which is evidenced by what he wrote later: “But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing,” 1 Peter 3:14-17. 

 his later life, Peter became an example of a man of great faith, no longer fearful of what evil men could do to him. He bravely stood for the gospel of Christ until He lost his life. According to tradition, Peter refused to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus and, therefore, requested to be crucified upside down.

I hope each of us can take newfound courage because of this study today and determine not to let anything we face in life disturb our peace. We have a mission and purpose in life that far exceeds anything this temporal world has to offer. So, let us take a new attitude and joy amidst the evil and violence all around us and determine to serve the Lord with joy no matter what.