Near the end of his earthly life when Jesus is on trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin…

…his accusers come up with all sorts of false testimony and slanderous statements about him. It is the worst of the “Kangaroo courts.” But we read that Jesus is silent before his accusers.

Caiaphas is frustrated by Jesus’ silence. He explodes and now the high priest puts Jesus “under oath.”

“I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

This is the most solemn oath any human being can take. An oath before God. “Answer me as if you are answering God.”

What happens next is astounding. Now Jesus must answer truthfully the question put to him: “Are you the Christ, the son of God?” The earthly high priest does not realize that he is confronting the Heavenly High Priest who is also the Christ, the son of God. He is filled with contempt, unbelief, and scorn toward Jesus.

Now in the darkness of this night, captive, humiliated and falsely accused, Jesus confesses his true identity and glory.

First is this amazing response: “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so.’”

One commentator says that we think maybe Jesus is giving an ambiguous answer because he starts off by saying “You have said so.” But he is not giving an ambiguous answer. Please understand that Jesus is saying, clearly and affirmatively, “Yes, you have said it with your own lips.” That’s what Jesus is saying. “I am the Christ. I am the son of God!” For those of us who are Christians, we know it is true. But to the religious court – the Sanhedrin – it was an outrage! So the ears of Caiaphas turn red and begin to burn. “The son of God” – the claim to Deity!

Do you get it? By saying this, Jesus knows that although all the other foolish accusations were nothing, he knows that these words from his lips will put him to death.

But he doesn’t stop there, does he? See how he ends his statement of self-revelation.

“But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

This is so astounding!! – Isn’t it? He takes them right to Psalm 110:1, and he takes them right to Daniel chapter 7: 13 and 14, and he says, “Let me tell you that I am claiming to be someone far beyond that which you have ever dreamt that I was claiming to be. I am not just some sort of petty revolutionary with delusional messianic aspirations.

He says, “Do you guys know Daniel 7:13 – 14?

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

he is saying: “I am the Glorious, Almighty, “Son of Man” who stands with the Ancient of Days – God Almighty.”

Then he says, “Do you know Psalm 110:1?”

“The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

It is as if he says, “I will be seated at the right hand of God – and all those who have set themselves up as my enemies – all those who have lived in rebellion against me – they will be under my feet in submission to me.” Then he says, “And you will see it.”

Do You see what Jesus is saying to the chief priest? He saying, “You think you are my judge, but let me tell you something. I am your judge.” Jesus says, “Psalm 110:1 speaks of my coming ascension to the right hand of the father – and that is my destiny until all who opposed me are in submission to me.”

Some people think that because Jesus says “You will see it,” that he is referring to the coming judgment upon Israel in 70 A.D. That may be true because back in Matthew 24 Jesus said, essentially, “This generation will not pass away before that kind of judgment befalls the nation that has rejected their Messiah.” But certainly, if it is that, then that judgment foreshadows the day when he will judge the whole or earth.

That is the day when the books are opened and God will call all men to account for everything they have said and thought and done!

That day there will be no kangaroo court. For then he will appear in the most just court in the universe. He will be the judge!

Acts 17:31 “...because God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Well, as he says all these things their rage grows. And frankly, in their minds this is no longer a kangaroo court where they are trying to come up with something to pin on him. In their minds eye they have heard a violation of Leviticus 24:16

“Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.”

And with all that Jesus says about himself being the Christ, the son of God, the Messiah, at God’s right hand; and all he says about himself being “the Son of Man with dominion over an eternal kingdom and that he is one who will open the books and judge…

“What other choice do we have?” asks Caiaphas as he rends his garments! BLASPHEMY!

But the Christian believes that Jesus spoke accurately. His life of love, his exquisite wisdom, his display of power, his forgiveness of sins, his accurate knowledge and interpretation of Scripture – all are unmistakable. He is the Christ. He is the son of God. Do you know this? He has just made his grandest self revelation in the darkness of night in the midst of a kangaroo court.

Who do you believe?

So many of my atheist friends believe there will be no judgment.

I say to them, if there is no God there will be no judgment day. If Jesus was deluded or a liar there will be no judgment day. And essentially, that is a relief to them. Consciously or unconsciously they think, “whew! I am not accountable for my sins!“

But then I remind them that I believe there IS a God who is all righteous and all knowing and who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and I believe he is the Messiah, the Savior, and the judge of all men.

And then I remind them that if they are correct, all my faith will not bring about a judgment day. But then I remind them that if Jesus is right, as I believe, all their unbelief will not make that date go away.

Do you live with an awareness that Jesus Christ will come again in glory to “judge the quick and the dead?” Do you believe he will come to make all things new? Do you believe he will come to cleanse the world, eliciting our praise to his glorious justice, goodness and grace?

I hope you do, because rather than stand alone on that day, your judge will welcome you as his friend for whom he died on the cross to make you right with God

Musing’s from Pastor John, April 25, Click to Email Pastor John