Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 26:59-68

"Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death; and they found it not, though many false witnesses came. But afterward came two, and said, This man said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest stood up, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy: what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? They answered and said, He is worthy of death. Then did they spit in his face and buffet him: and some smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ: who is he that struck thee?" — Matthew 26:59-68 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: When the Chief Priests were assembled, this gathering of thugs tried to give their conspiracy the appearance of a legal trial. But it was entirely a scene of confusion and uproar, as what follows shows: “Though many false witnesses came, yet they found none.”

Origen of Alexandria: False witnesses are effective only when there is some plausible basis for their testimony. But no pretext was found that could advance their lies against Jesus, even though many were eager to do the Chief Priests a favor. This, then, is a great testimony in favor of Jesus: that He had lived and taught so blamelessly that though His accusers were many, crafty, and wicked, they could find no trace of fault in Him.

St. Jerome: “At last came two false witnesses.” How are they false witnesses when they only repeat what we read that the Lord said? A false witness is one who interprets something said in a different sense than was intended. The Lord had spoken this about the temple of His Body, but they twisted His words, and by a slight change and addition, they produced a plausible charge. The Lord's words were, “Destroy this temple” (John 2:19); this they changed into, “I am able to destroy the temple of God.” He said, “Destroy,” not, “I will destroy,” because it is unlawful to lay hands on oneself.

They also phrased it, “and to build it in three days,” applying it to the Jewish temple. But the Lord had said, “and in three days I will raise it up,” thus clearly referring to a living and breathing temple. For building again and raising again are two different things.

St. John Chrysostom: Why did they not bring up His breaking of the Sabbath now? Because He had so often refuted them on this point.

St. Jerome: Unable to find even a false accusation, headlong and uncontrolled rage moved the High Priest from his throne, the motion of his body showing the emotion of his mind.

And the High Priest arose and said to him, “Do you answer nothing? What is it that these witness against you?”

St. John Chrysostom: He said this, intending to draw from Him some indefensible answer that could be used to trap Him. But “Jesus held his peace,” for a defense would have been useless when no one would listen. This was only a mockery of justice; in truth, it was nothing more than the lawlessness of a den of robbers.

Origen of Alexandria: This passage teaches us to despise the clamor of slanderers and false witnesses, and not to consider those who speak inappropriately of us as worthy of an answer. This is especially true when it is more noble to be courageously and resolutely silent than to plead our cause in vain.

St. Jerome: For as God, He knew that whatever He said would be twisted into an accusation against Him. The High Priest was exasperated by His silence before the false witnesses and ungodly priests and summoned Him to answer, so that from anything He said he might raise a charge against Him.

Origen of Alexandria: Under the Law, we do indeed find many instances of adjuration. However, I believe that a person who wishes to live according to the Gospel should not adjure another, for if we are not permitted to swear, we are surely not permitted to adjure.ⁱ

However, one who considers that Jesus commanded demons and gave His disciples power over them will say that to address demons with the power given by the Savior is not to adjure them. But the High Priest sinned by laying a trap for Jesus, imitating his father, the devil, who twice asked the Savior, “If you are the Son of God.” Therefore, one might rightly say that to doubt whether Christ is the Son of God is the work of the Devil.

It was not fitting for the Lord to answer the High Priest's adjuration as if under compulsion, which is why He neither denied nor confessed that He was the Son of God. The High Priest was not worthy of being taught by Christ, so He did not instruct him, but instead took up his own words and turned them back on him. This sitting of the Son of Man seems to me to signify a certain royal security. By the power of God, who is the only true power, He is securely seated—He to whom all power in heaven and on earth has been given by His Father.

And a time will come when His enemies will see this reality established. Indeed, this began to be fulfilled from the earliest days of the new covenant, for the disciples saw Him rising from the dead and, in doing so, saw Him seated at the right hand of power.

Alternatively, in respect to the eternal duration that exists with God, the time from the beginning of the world to its end is like a single day. It is no wonder, then, that the Savior here says “soon,” signifying that only a short time remains before the end comes. He prophesies, moreover, that they would not only see Him “sitting at the right hand of power,” but also “coming on the clouds of heaven.” These clouds are the Prophets and Apostles, whom He commands to bring rain when it is needed. They are the clouds that do not pass away but, “bearing the image of the heavenly” (1 Corinthians 15:49), are worthy to be the throne of God, as “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

St. Jerome: The same fury that drew the High Priest from his seat now compelled him to tear his clothes, as it was the custom for Jews to do whenever they heard blasphemy or anything spoken against God.

St. John Chrysostom: He did this to give weight to the accusation and to confirm by his actions what he declared in his words.

St. Jerome: And by tearing his garments, he shows that the Jews have lost their priestly glory and that their High Priest's throne was vacant. For by tearing his garment, he tore the veil of the Law that covered him.

St. John Chrysostom: Then, after tearing his garment, he did not pass sentence himself but asked the others, saying, “What do you think?” This was always done in cases of undeniable sin and manifest blasphemy. As if by force, driving them toward a certain opinion, he anticipates the answer: “What further need do we have of witnesses? See, now you have heard his blasphemy.”

What was this blasphemy? For previously, when they were gathered together, He had interpreted for them the text, “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand’” (Matthew 22:44), and they had remained silent and had not contradicted Him. How then do they now call what He says blasphemy? “They answered and said, ‘He is deserving of death!’”—the same people acting at once as accusers, judges, and jury.

Origen of Alexandria: How great their error! They pronounced the very source of all life to be guilty of death and failed to acknowledge the Fount of life—from whom life flows to all who rise again—by the testimony of the resurrection of so many.

St. John Chrysostom: Like hunters who have cornered their prey, they exhibited a wild and drunken exultation. ¹

St. Jerome: “Then they spit in His face and struck Him with their fists,” to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “I gave my cheek to the smiters, and turned not away my face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6).

Glossa Ordinaria: “Prophesy to us” is said in ridicule of His claim to be regarded as a Prophet by the people. ²

St. Jerome: But it would have been foolish to answer those who struck Him and to identify the attacker, seeing that in their madness they seem to have struck Him openly.

St. John Chrysostom: Observe how meticulously the Evangelist recounts all these details, even those that seem most disgraceful. He hides or downplays nothing, but considers it the highest glory that the Lord of the earth should endure such things for us. Let us read this continually, imprint it on our minds, and boast in these things.

St. Augustine of Hippo: That “they spit in His face” signifies those who reject His offered grace. Likewise, those who prefer their own honor to Him are the ones who buffet Him. And those who, blinded by unbelief, affirm that He has not yet come—disowning and rejecting His very person—are the ones who strike Him on the face. ³

1. Hom. lxxxv
2. ord.
3. Quaest. Ev., i, 44