"ARE YOU THE CHRIST?

INTRODUCTION-- The last chance the enemies of Jesus had to ask him questions was at His trial. The questions were not asked to gain information, but to condemn Jesus for blasphemy.

1. Blasphemy was a sin under the Law of Moses. Leviticus 19:12 "And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD."
   
   1. It is defined as "(1) slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another's good name, or (2) impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty."
      
   2. Jesus did not slander God by speaking evil of Him, but He was accused of smearing God's good name by claiming to be His son.
      
2. Jesus answered their questions with contempt for their hypocrisy, both by indignant statements, and icy silence.
   
   1. Before Pilate, Jesus also maintained a silence that caused the governor to ask, "'Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?' But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly." (Matthew 27:13-14).
      
   2. This silence fulfilled a prophecy. Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth."

LESSON--

1. General questioning started the trial. John 18:19-23 ---The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said." When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?"
   
   1. In the parallel found in Mark, Jesus is recorded to have said, "Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures." (Mark 14:49)
      
   2. This prophecy followed one verse after the other in Isaiah 53. "By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?"
      
2. The next question was met with scornful silence. Mark 14:55-61a "Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent. Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" But He kept silent and did not answer."
   
   1. What Jesus actually said was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19).
      
   2. Matthew's account of this event has the witnesses testifying that Christ said, "'I am ABLE to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" (Matthew 26:61)
      
   3. In Mark, they say that Jesus said, "I WILL destroy the Temple."
      
   4. One commentator, A. T. Robertson, says, "It is possible that a real logion (word) of Jesus underlies the perversion of it here. Mark and Matthew do not quote the witnesses precisely alike. Perhaps they quoted Jesus differently and therein is shown part of the disagreement, for Mark adds verse 59 (not in Matthew). "And not even so did their witness agree together," repeating the point of verse 57." (He means Vs. 56, which says, "For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.")

5.Faced with such false, and self-contradicting testimony, it is no wonder why Jesus remained disdainfully silent.

1. The last question, before they carried him to Pilate, was the one they were waiting to use against Him. Matthew 26:63b-68 "And the high priest said to Him, 'I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.' Jesus said to him, 'You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.' Then the high priest tore his robes and said, 'He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?' They answered, 'He deserves death!' Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, 'Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?'"
   
   1. Luke's record of this conversation reveals another aspect of the hypocrisy of the Sanhedrin Court. Luke 22:66-71 ---When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD." And they all said, "Are You the Son of God, then?" And He said to them, "Yes, I am." Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."
      
   2. They had no interest in His "good confession," except to use it as their justification for condemning Jesus to death.
      
   3. After Jesus was raised, they worried about the accusation of having the blood of Jesus on their hands. Acts 5:25-29 ----But someone came and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men."

APPLICATION-- It is very easy to look back over the last 2000 years, and condemn these unbelieving and hypocritical priests for their kangaroo court, but it is more sobering for us to think whether we have fully confessed our faith in Christ as the Son of God. If we have not confessed the name of Christ, let us first cast out the log that is in our own eye, before we try to pick out the speck in the Sanhedrin's eye.