The High Priest Tears His Clothes - Matthew 26:65

Matthew the apostle wrote how the high priest demanded of Jesus, “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you be the Christ, the Son of God”, and “Jesus said unto him, You have said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse sixty-five of his book, Matthew wrote how, “the high priest rent his clothes” where we read:

Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.

The verse reads, “Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy;” Matthew began words, “then the high priest” which means “at that time and moment the chief priest” “rent” or “tore, burst through and asunder” “his clothes” which means “the high priest's garments, cloaks or mantle and the tunic”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “He has spoken” or “Jesus has uttered, declared and proclaimed” “blasphemy” which means “speaking reproachfully, railing, reviling, calumniating, defamation and evil”. Matthew shared how the “chief priest” ripped his outer garments which was a display of utter anguish and distress while he declared that Jesus spoke “reproachfully with defamation and evil”.

The verse goes on to say, “what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.” Matthew continued with the words, “what further need have we” or “why do we need a greater degree or increase” “of witnesses” which refers to “of those who give testimony and record”? “behold” or “lo, look and see”, “now you have heard” or “at this present time the other religious leaders were given the capacity to hear” “his blasphemy” which means “Jesus' speaking reproachfully, railing, reviling, calumniating, defamation and evil”. Matthew shared how the “high priest” surmised that the religious leaders did not need any more “witnesses” because Jesus Himself spoke “blasphemy” when He stated that He was the “Christ”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see the utter anguish of this “chief priest” because Jesus declared Himself to be the “Messiah of God”. Anyone who made such a statement was guilty of defying God unless they were actually “the Messiah”. Jesus was and is God's “Christ”, and though the religious leaders around Him thought He was “speaking blasphemy”, He was actually telling the truth. Only by Jesus, the Christ of God, can mankind be “saved” from their sins, and when they submit their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall not only know He speaks the truth about being the “Christ”, but they also shall inherit “everlasting life” with Him.

Next time Matthew shares how the religious leaders determine, “He is guilty of death”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.