John Calvin Commentary Matthew 26:63

"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." — Matthew 26:63 (ASV)

I adjure you by the living God. The high priest thought that this alone was a crime sufficient to condemn Christ, if he professed that he was the Christ. But since they all boasted of expecting redemption from Christ, he should first have inquired if such was the fact. That there would be a Christ, by whose hands the people were to be delivered, they would not have ventured to deny. Jesus came publicly forward, bearing the title of the Christ.

Why do they not consider the fact itself? Why do they not examine the signs by which a correct decision might have been formed? But, having already determined to put Christ to death, they are satisfied with this pretense of sacrilege: that he claimed for himself the glory of Divinity. And yet Caiaphas examines the matter on oath, as if he were prepared to yield as soon as it was fully established. But all the while, his whole mind is filled with malicious hatred and contempt for Christ, and he is so blinded by pride and ambition that he takes for granted that, as soon as the fact has been ascertained—without inquiring whether it is right or wrong—he will have just grounds for condemning him.

If you are the Christ, the Son of God. From the words of Caiaphas we may infer that it was common at that time among the Jews to bestow on the Messiah the title of the Son of God. For this form of interrogation could not have originated in any other way than from ordinary custom. And, indeed, they had learned from the predictions of Scripture that he was no less the Son of God than the Son of David. It also appears that Caiaphas employed this epithet, intending either to terrify Christ or to stir up prejudice against him. It was as if he had said, “See where you are going; for you cannot call yourself the Christ without claiming, at the same time, the appellation of Son of God, with which Scripture honors him.” This is also his reason for using the word Blessed, which Mark gives instead of God; for this pretended reverence²³² for God was intended to bring a heavier charge against Christ than that of profaning the holy name of God.

²³² “Ce mot duquel Caiaphe use, faisant semblant d’avoir une grande reverence à la majesté Divine;” — “this word which Caiaphas employs, pretending to have a great veneration for the Divine majesty.”;” — “this word which Caiaphas employs, pretending to have a great veneration for the Divine majesty.”