Read: Matthew 26:59-66
From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. (v. 64)
Would you tell the truth even if the truth meant death, and a lie would save your life? Suppose it was a truth about yourself? How much do you really believe it?
Jesus was arrested and brought before “the whole council” of Jewish leaders (v. 59). Many false witnesses brought charges, but nothing stuck (v. 60). Finally, the high priest pressed a claim to ensnare Jesus: “I adjure you [I bind you under oath] by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (v. 63).
Jesus’s fate hung in the balance of his answer. If he denied this identity, he would save his life. But Jesus knew that this was his identity and confirmed that truth with a messianic prophecy from the book of Daniel. That declaration became for him a death sentence. The high priest tore his robes, which the law forbids (v. 65; Lev. 21:10), and said, “What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death” (Matt. 26:66).
Jesus had the courage to confess the truth regardless of outcome. In so doing, Christ confirmed his identity, secured his mission, and created a path to glory for himself and a path to salvation for us.
As you pray, reflect on whether you believe in Jesus’s identity as strongly as he did. Christ believed enough to die for it, convinced without doubt that such death would demonstrate that identity. Ask God to enrich your understanding of who Jesus is in all his character, distinctiveness, and uniqueness.
Fred Van Dyke is a conservation biologist dedicated to the care for God’s creation. In this role Fred has served government agencies, private consulting firms, and academic institutions doing research, management, and teaching in conservation science. He is also the author of two books on faith and environmental stewardship.
