Scripture Daily

Context No. 1922 of 4322 · Luke

Context · Reflection

Luke 22:66-71: in context

66As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people were gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying, 67“If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, 68and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go. 69From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.” 71They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!”

At daybreak, the council of elders, chief priests, and scribes assemble and lead Jesus before them. If you are the Christ, they demand, tell us. Jesus answers that they will not believe him, but declares: from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Are you then the Son of God? they ask. And he answers, you say that I am. It is enough for them; they need no more witnesses, for they have heard it from his own mouth, and on this confession they condemn him.

Jesus, on trial for his life, tells the truth about who he is, though it will condemn him. He could have equivocated, denied, said something ambiguous to save himself; the council was looking for exactly the confession that would justify a death sentence, and Jesus gave it, declaring himself the Son of Man who would sit at the right hand of God, and affirming that he was the Son of God. He confessed the truth rather than deny it to escape, and they condemned him on it. This is truthful witness at the ultimate cost, the refusal to deny the truth even to save one's life. And notice what he confessed: not defeat, but exaltation. From now on, he says, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Standing bound before his accusers, about to be condemned and crucified, he speaks not of the humiliation coming but of the exaltation beyond it: he will sit at God's right hand. Beyond the cross lay the throne; beyond the condemnation, the glory. Jesus saw past the humiliation of the moment to the exaltation God had promised, and confessed it even as his enemies condemned him. There is a pattern here for those who must bear witness to the truth at cost. Like Christ, we may face pressure to deny the truth, to equivocate, to save ourselves by silence or falsehood; and like him, we are called to truthful witness even when it costs us. And like him, we may hold, through the cost, the confidence of the exaltation beyond it. He who testified the good confession before Pilate is our example; and the same God who exalted him, giving him the name above every name, honors those who confess the truth at cost. Jesus confessed who he was and was condemned for it, seeing past the condemnation to the throne; and those who bear truthful witness at cost may hold the same hope, that beyond the humiliation of faithfulness lies the exaltation God gives to those who are faithful.

When I face pressure to deny the truth or equivocate to save myself, can I look to Christ, who confessed the truth of who he was before the council though it condemned him, seeing past the humiliation to the exaltation beyond it, and bear truthful witness at cost, holding the hope that beyond faithfulness lies the honor God gives to those who are faithful?

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