Chapter

Matthew 26:66

ESV What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death."
NIV What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered.
NASB what do you think?' They answered, 'He deserves death!'
CSB What is your decision?" They answered, "He deserves death!"
NLT What is your verdict?' 'Guilty!' they shouted. 'He deserves to die!'
KJV What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
NKJV What do you think?” They answered and said, β€œHe is deserving of death.”

What does Matthew 26:66 mean?

In a tense moment, the high priest has pressed Jesus to answer a direct question, under oath before God, about whether He is the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew 26:62–63). Jesus has been waiting for this moment, as well, to make His official claim before Israel's official ruling body (Isaiah 53:7).

Jesus declares that He is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, who will wield the power of God Himself and return to earth to judge with God's judgment (Matthew 26:64). This references Psalm 110:1 as well as the prophecies of Daniel 7:13–14:
"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."
This is not a vague statement. There is no room, at all, for anyone to misunderstand what Jesus means here. This is a claim to not merely be the Chosen One of God, but a claim to be God. Fully grasping Jesus' claim—and rejecting it (John 5:39–40)—the high priest tears his robes, declares that they have all heard Jesus speak blasphemy, and demands the council make their judgment. Israel's ruling religious leaders answer instantly: He deserves death. This, of course, is what they'd already planned to do (John 11:48–53).

Israel, through the highest levels of leadership, has now formally rejected the Son of God as the Messiah (Matthew 23:37). They have scorned Him to His face and sentenced Him to die.
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