Old Testament Reading: Psalm 2

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’” (Psalm 2, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:63-71

“Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, ‘If you are the Christ, tell us.’ But he said to them, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ So they all said, ‘Are you the Son of God, then?’ And he said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.’” (Luke 22:63–71, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

Here in this portion of Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus descend into the darkness of suffering and death alone. Of course, God was with him, but he alone suffered and died for us and for our salvation. 

To be clear, the descent of Jesus into suffering did not begin here. We confess that it began when the eternal Son of God became incarnate, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (see The Apostles Creed). 

The Apostle Paul helps us to see this when he says that although Jesus “was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8, ESV). The humiliation of Jesus began at the incarnation. 

The Nicene Creed also traces the beginning of Jesus’ descent back to his miraculous conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In this creed we confess to believe,  

“…in one Lord Jesus Christ,

      the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made.

      For us and for our salvation

           he came down from heaven;

           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

           and was made human.

           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;

           he suffered and was buried.”

When did the humiliation of Jesus begin? Not when he was betrayed, denied, arrested, falsely charged, mocked, beaten, crucified, and buried, but when he was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, for he is the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

To fully appreciate the text that is open before us today, we must remember who Jesus is and where he came from. If Jesus were nothing more than a holy and honorable man, we would be repulsed by the terrible treatment he endured at the hands of these corrupt sinners. But when we consider that he is no mere man, but God with us (Matthew 1:23), we will see that the unjust treatment he endured was blasphemous and unspeakably horrendous.

Jesus Mocked And Beaten By His Captors

Jesus was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody late at night after the Passover had been celebrated. No doubt, he was immediately interrogated by the High Priests and other leading men within Israel. The other Gospel writers tell us of this initial interrogation (Mark 14:53, Matthew 26:57, John 18:19). Luke implies that an initial interrogation took place in 22:54, in the words, “Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance” (Luke 22:54, ESV). Interestingly, the other Gospels place Peter’s denial of Christ after his interrogation by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Luke tells us that Peter denied Jesus before an interrogation. The solution is simple: Jesus was interrogated by this group of men twice, once late at night in the courtyard og the High Priest (Luke mentions this in passing in 22:54) and then again at daybreak (Luke tells us of this interrogation 22:66-51).

After the initial, late-night interrogation and after Peter denied Christ three times, Jesus was kept in custody. Think of this for a moment—the eternal Son of God, the one through whom the heavens and earth were made, was kept in custody by sinful men. Worse yet, Luke tells us that “the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him” (Luke 22:63–65, ESV). To blaspheme is to revile or defame one’s name. In this moment, these men thought they were reviling a mere man—a false prophet, perhaps, or one who was guilty of blasphemy himself—but cloaked within the humble, human form of Jesus was the person of the eternal Son of God. No doubt, these men did not know what they were doing. 

Consider, dear brothers and sisters, the love of God for sinners. Consider how merciful he is. Consider his restraint. Consider the humility of Jesus. That he, the eternally generated Son of God, would humble himself by taking to himself a true human nature is astonishing. But that he, for us and for our salvation, would subject himself to such mistreatment at the hands of sinful men, is mind-boggling. Such humility, restraint, self-sacrifice, and love are difficult to comprehend. 

Jesus Tried By Sinful Men

The men who held Jesus captive were military men (see John 18:3). But when the sun rose,

Luke tells us that “the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council…” (Luke 22:66, ESV). This is a reference to the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial council within Judaism at the time. This council was made up of 71 members— scribes, elders, and the high priest. Except for the Sabbath and festival days, the Sanhedrin would meet daily to hear cases. Though they would occasionally meet in the courtyard of the high priest’s home (Luke 22:54), their official meeting place, which was called The Chamber of Hewn Stones, was located in the temple complex in Jerusalem. One Encyclodidia of the Bible says, “The Sanhedrin sat in semicircular rows so that members could view one another. Two clerks sat at either end taking notes and recording votes. Facing the assembly sat three rows of students who were usually disciples of leading scribes. The accused stood in the middle facing the elders. He was required to show abject humility… (Antiq. 14.9.4)” (Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Sanhedrin,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1904.) This was the council that Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate, stood before.

As I said before, when we compare the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it appears to me that Jesus stood before this council twice. Once at night, when they were gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, and then again in the morning. Matthew tells us that when Jesus appeared before the council at night, witnesses were called, but none of the accusations stuck. Perhaps this second trial was called because cases carrying the death penalty were supposed to be conducted during the daytime for the sake of transparency. To be clear, the Jews, being under Roman occupation, did not have the authority to put Jesus to death on their own. They would need the Romans to do it. This is why they would soon send Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor (Luke 23:1-5; 18-25). But the Sanhedrin clearly wanted to put Jesus to death (see Matthew 26:66, Mark 14:64), and it was because they were aiming for the death penalty that they brought Jesus before their council in daytime. This trial, which was held in the morning, was an abbreviated version of the one that was held the night before. No witnesses were called. Instead, the council picked up where it left off the night before, and spoke to Jesus very directly, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV).

As you may know, “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. Both of these words mean “anointed one”. For many centuries, the Jewish people were looking forward to the arrival of the promised Messiah (or Christ), that is, the Holy Spirit-anointed Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom. 

When Jesus was born into the world, he was said to be the Christ (Luke 2:11, 26). When John the Baptist was ministering, the people wondered if he was the Christ. He said he was not and pointed to Jesus instead (Luke 3:15). Even the demons knew and confessed that Jesus was the Christ (Luke 4:41). When Jesus asked Peter, the leader of the twelve Apostles, who do you all say that I am, Peter made a good confession, sayin, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). And finally, Jesus was clear that he knew himself to be the Christ, the son of King David, who is also King David’s Lord (Luke 20:41-44). All of this talk that we find in Luke’s Gospel about Jesus being the promised Messiah, or Christ, really comes to a head text as Jesus stands before the Sanhedrin. 

Think of it. Though a promise concerning the arrival of a Savior was made even to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15), and though that promise was entrusted to and elaborated upon amongst the elect of God who lived from Adam to Abraham (Genesis 6:8; 14:18), beginning with Abraham, it was to the Hebrew people (the Jews) that the promises concerning a coming Savior were given. The promises, prophecies, types, and shadows that pointed forward to the Messiah and his eternal kingdom grew in number and in clarity with the passing of time. Things accelerated greatly in the days of Moses when the Hebrews began to be formed into a nation. Things accelerated greatly again in the days of King David when the nation of Israel became an established kingdom. Of all the nations of the earth, Israel was God’s chosen people, and to them the promises of God concerning the Messiah were entrusted. Paul the Apostle (a Hebrew himself) reflects on the privileged position of the Israelites in Romans 9:4, saying, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4–5, ESV).

I remind you of this history so that you might fully appreciate the significance of this moment that we are now considering. Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial council of the nation of Israel. The two high priests were there. There were two—Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annas— because of political turmoil. In those days, high priests were installed and removed by Roman rulers. Though this is not recorded in the Bible, the tradition is that the Romans had deposed Annas and made Caiaphas the high priest. Officially, Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, was the high priest during Jesus’ ministry, but Annas, the former high priest, still held significant power and was still called a high priest (John 18:13). Both were involved in the trial of Jesus. And the elders (the leading men of the nation) and the scribes (the leading scholars) were also there. So then, there is a sense in which Jesus was standing trial before Israel through their leaders and representatives. And notice what they said to him. “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV).

This really is the central question, isn’t it? If Jesus is the Christ, the long-awaited, Holy Spirit-anointed,  Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom, then these men (and all men) must bow the knee to him, to confess him as Lord and King, to trust him, and pledge their allegiance to him. But if he is not, these men (and all men) would be right to dismiss and condemn him as a false prophet, an impotent priest, and an imposter king. Indeed, if Jesus were not the Christ, then he would be guilty of blasphemy, just as they claimed.   

“If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV), said the Sanhedrin. Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer” (Luke 22:67–68, ESV). Jesus knew that the hearts of these men were cold and hard. He knew that what they loved above all was their worldly power and prestige. He knew that they would never risk losing the earthly power they had and the temporal pleasures they enjoyed by bowing the knee to him. And so he spoke the truth to them, saying, “If I tell you [that I am the [Christ], you will not believe, and if I ask you [questions to prove that I am he], you will not answer.” And he was right about that, as we will soon see. 

Jesus then proceeded to answer their question, saying, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). 

I love the way that Jesus answers questions as recorded for us in the Gospels. He is not always direct, is he? What would be the direct answer to the question, Are you the Christ? The direct answer from Jesus would be, Yes, I am. But Jesus did not give a direct answer to his accusers. 

And to be clear, Jesus refused to answer directly, not to be evasive, but to give his audience more than they were asking for, and to force them to say things with their own lips that they would not otherwise say. 

“If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV). Jesus replied, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). There is a lot of information packed into this single sentence. 

When Jesus said, “From now on…” he directed the attention of his accusers to the future. At present, Jesus was near the lowest point in his descent into suffering and death. No doubt, from a worldly perspective, Jesus seemed to be a nobody to these powerful and wealthy aristocratic rulers. But in the not-too-distant future, things would change, and so Christ said, “From now on…” 

The phrase, “the Son of Man,” is loaded with meaning. It was Jesus’ favorite title for himself in the days of his earthly ministry. On the one hand, the title “Son of Man” emphasizes Jesus’ true humanity and his humility. But on the other hand, it is a Messianic title and one that is used to communicate that the Messiah would one day be exalted to the right hand of God Almighty to be given everlasting dominion, power, and authority, 

The key Old Testament text is Daniel 7:13-14. There, the prophet Daniel says, “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” (Daniel 7:13–14, ESV).

The members of the Sanhedin knew this passage well. They knew it was about the Messiah (or Christ) and the dominion that he would be given. Therefore, when they spoke to Jesus, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us” (Luke 22:67, ESV), and he replied, saying, “But from now on the Son of Man…”, the meaning was clear. Jesus was claiming to be the Son of Man of Daniel 7.

The words “shall be seated” are also filled with meaning. This is enthronement language. Kings, when coronated, are seated on their throne. This is also judgmental language. Kings and those in authority judge while seated. Indeed, the members of the Sanhedrin were at this moment seated in their chamber. They sat as rulers and judges while Jesus stood before them, accused and soon to be condemned. But in the not-too-distant future, the Son of Man would be seated on his throne as ruler and judge over all. 

And where would Jesus, the Son of Man, be seated? Not on an earthly throne or amongst the members of the Sanhedrin, but in heaven “at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). This phrase, “at the right hand of the power of God”, reminds us of Daniel 7, which has already been read. It also reminds us of Psalm 110. Like Daniel 7, this Psalm speaks of the enthronement of the Messiah on his heavenly throne. Certainly, when Jesus spoke of being seated “at the right hand of the power of God”, this Psalm would have immediately come into the minds of his hearers:

“A PSALM OF DAVID. The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.” (Psalm 110, ESV)

Can you see how Jesus’ indirect answer gave his audience more than they were asking for? By answering, not with a simple yes, but with the phrase, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God”, he reminded his audience of those Old Testament passages that speak of the exaltation of the Messiah to the Father’s right hand, and to his entronement, everlasting dominion, and authority to judge. 

As I have said, Jesus’ indirect answer also prompted his accusers to say things with their own lips that they would not otherwise say. In verse 70, we find the response of the Sanhedrin: “So they all said, ‘Are you the Son of God, then?’” (Luke 22:70, ESV).

This response shows that the members of the Sanhedrin were not ignorant of what the Scriptures say concerning the coming Messiah. They knew that the Messiah would not only be the Son of Man (in fulfilment of Daniel 7) but that he would also be the Son of God, for this is what is revealed in another Messianic enthronement Psalm, namely Psalm 2. It was read earlier. I’d like you to listen to it again and imagine it being in the minds of the members of the Sanhedrin with Jesus standing before them, claiming to be the one to whom it points.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2, ESV).

The men who sat on the Sanhedrin were wicked and foolish men, but they were not stupid. They knew the Old Testament Scriptures very well, and so they understood what Jesus was claiming when he said, “But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69, ESV). They knew he was claiming to be the anointed King who would be enthroned in heaven, and so this prompted them to ask if he thought himself to be the Son of God mentioned in the most famous enthronement passage of all (Psalm 2). “Are you the Son of God, then?” they asked. Jesus’ reply: “You say that I am” (Luke 22:70, ESV).

It’s difficult to know what these Jews believed concerning the nature of the Son of God mentioned in Psalm 2. Did they believe that the Son of God of Psalm 2 was the second person (or subsistence) of the Triune God, “begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father”, through whom all things were made (Nicene Creed)? I’m not sure how orthodox they were when it came to their doctrine of the Triune God. My guess is that they were deficient in their understanding. Nevertheless, they believed that when Christ claimed to be the Son of God, it was blasphemous and deserving of death (for more on Jesus as the eternally begotten Son of God, see John 1:1-14, 1:34, 1:49, 3:18, 5:25, 10:36, 11:4, 11:27, 19:7, 20:31). 

In verse 71 we hear the Sanhedrin say, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips” (Luke 22:71, ESV). From there, they proceed to seek Jesus’ execution by way of crucifixion at the hands of the Romans.  

Conclusion

I’ll conclude with a few suggestions for further contemplation and application.

First, I would encourage you, dear brothers and sisters, to never grow tired of contemplating the mystery of the incarnation. As we consider the pronounced sufferings of Jesus, the Son of Man, in the weeks to come, do not forget who Jesus is and from where he came.  He is the Son of God, “begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.” 

Secondly, as we contemplate the divine person and nature of Jesus, it should lead us to marvel all the more concerning the sufferings he willingly endured for us in the human nature he assumed for us and for our salvation.  Oh, how deep and rich is the love of God shown to sinners. How merciful, gracious, and kind he is to redeem us from our sin and misery through the shed blood of the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

Thirdly, and you contemplate the humiliation of Jesus, the Son, do not forget about his exaltation and session at the Father’s right hand.  As Paul says, “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things” (Ephesians 4:10, ESV). You do not trust in a dead Savior, but the one who was raised from the dead. You do not serve a weak and lowly Savior, but one who has ascended and is now seated at the right hand of God “in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20–21, ESV). Christ Jesus is worthy to receive your trust, your worship, and obedience. 

Fourthly, as you consider the risen, ascended, and enthroned Christ, do not forget that from there he will return to judge all people and nations and to make all things new. Obey Psalm 2, therefore. “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV). The kiss that you are to place on the cheek of the Son is not like the kiss of betrayal that Judas delivered, but a kiss of love, of friendship, of trust, and of allegiance. Kiss the Son to take refuge in him under his sovereign rule and supreme authority. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Fifthly, as you look forward to the return of Christ, know for certain that he has the power to save you to the uttermost. The Apostle John speaks of Christ and the salvation that comes to all who trust in him, saying, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9–13, ESV).