Daily Devotional For Saturday, March 14, 2026
Good day Southside. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew and today we are picking up where we left off yesterday. We are now in Matthew 26:57-68.
“Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. (58) Meanwhile, Peter followed Him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. (59) Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put Him to death. (60) But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward (61) who declared, ‘This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ (62) Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Well, aren’t You going to answer these charges? What do You have to say for Yourself?’ (63) But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, ‘I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ (64) Jesus replied, ‘You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ (65) Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, ‘Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. (66) What is your verdict?’ ‘Guilty!’ they shouted. ‘He deserves to die!’ (67) Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat Him with their fists. And some slapped him, (68) jeering, ‘Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit You that time?’” (NLT).
As we read this we should be aware of the problems in this whole text. Let me list three:
- It was against their own Jewish law to hold a trial at night or during festivals. In this case, it is both at night and the Passover Festival.
- Jewish law stated that no capital verdict could be reached in a day. For capital offenses, Jewish law made it clear that the accused had the right to have an attorney or a defense. They did not do that for Jesus.
- Witness testimony had to be from at least 2-3 credible witnesses who under cross examination were consistent in their testimonies. We know from the Gospels their “witnesses” lied, contradicted each other – thus making the testimonies illegal and not credible.
These 3 illegal Jewish trials were an injustice to railroad Jesus to get a death verdict against Him. Desperate people often break laws and lie to get what they want acting as if they are attempting to get to justice. For example, Rome had a law that no capital offense could be carried out except by Rome. If anyone did, the punishment was death by Rome. This is why the Jewish leaders sent Jesus to the Romans and He went through 3 illegal trials there. Pilate said at the first trial, “He’s innocent.” Herod said at the second trial, “He’s innocent.” And at the 3rd trial, Pilate said, “He is innocent.” As for breaking their own laws, the Jews decided to murder and martyr Stephen in Acts 7:54-60.
Nowhere does Matthew indict all the Jews. When Jesus’ disciples fled, they were just as Jewish as the religious leaders. This is why when injustices are done against the Jews, Christians have a moral responsibility to speak out against it. If the Jews are the ones doing something unethical, we must speak out against it. Being God’s Chosen People is not a license for them to harm, maim, or kill anyone at will. Matthew’s point is that no one person is to blame for Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Jesus went willingly. Jesus made it clear He was born to do this. Jesus made it clear that this was God, The Father’s will for His life.
BUT, it was every sin ever committed by everyone in the past, present and future that put Him there. All of us are guilty. It was your sin and my sin that put Jesus on the cross. God the Father has the right to point His finger at all of us and legitimately claim we killed His Son. Judas was the first disciple to fall away, but then came the other 10 and finally Peter. Jesus had told His disciples they would scatter (Matt. 26:31) based on the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7 some 500 years earlier. In Matthew 26:2 Jesus told His disciples He was going to be crucified. Yet, Jesus knew their scattering would only be temporary, except for Judas.
It is amazing how quickly things can change in a 24-hour period. Jesus had been in the Upper Room celebrating the Passover with His disciples and eating the Passover lamb. Now, He the Passover Lamb is on His way to be sacrificed for the sins of all humanity. All three Gospels that record this let us know that it was Judas who betrayed Him. Judas is identified as “one of the twelve,” emphasizing how treacherous and how huge his offense was. What is so amazing is that none of the Gospel writers even attempt to darken Judas’ character here. They simply tell the story and leave that up to the reader.
The Jews decided Jesus was worthy of death for religious reasons – He claimed to be the Messiah, but this would not be enough for Rome to kill Jesus. In their minds, blasphemy was what they claimed He was guilty of! According to Leviticus 24:16, they were justified in seeking the death penalty, even though they could not do it themselves. Therefore, they posed to Pilate that Jesus claimed to be a king and probably would lead an insurrection and revolt. This was punishable by death. If Pilate did not deal with this quickly, then Rome might remove him as governor. From the perspective of the Jewish authorities, their “foxhunt” was over. They had apprehended this radical rebellious and rabble-rousing Rabbi. They had been able to do this by convincing Judas to go along with them.
With all the people and pilgrims asleep who had come for Passover and who had hailed Jesus on His triumphant entry, they had to work quickly under the stealth of darkness and treachery. All that was needed now was a swift trial and execution so that this radical rabbi did not lead a rebellion bringing the wrath of Rome upon them all – especially upon the religious leaders and the Jewish Sanhedrin. Sure, cutting corners would have to be their method because in their minds the needs of the many out weighed the needs of the one. Demonic and diabolical forces greater than power-hungry priests and a corrupt council were at work behind the scenes. Notice that Jesus basically stayed silent, thus proving His innocence. This had to infuriate them because they are trying every trick to trap Jesus into an entrapment. He knows it and sees right through them. So, they decided to physically abuse Jesus with slaps, hits and spitting on Him. Which means they spit into His face.
Hell was finally getting what it wanted – the death of the Jewish Messiah and Savior for the world. I imagine demonic parties were planned, invitations were sent out and all they needed now was Jesus’ death so they could celebrate. Verse 61 is Jesus’ prophecy about His own death and burial for 3 days and then His Resurrection. And from the rest of the passage we see them have sport with Jesus – striking Him, slapping Him, hitting Him with their fists and spitting on Him.
Reflection Assignment: Have you ever “cut corners” to get someone? Have you ever had someone "cut corners" or “cut your throat” to get to you or someone you love? Those who plot to do this, especially if they are of the household of faith, makes it a harder pill to swallow. If you ever did this, would you consider repenting now and taking responsibility for it? If it was done to you, would you consider forgiving them and leaving justice to the Lord?
Scripture To Meditate On: Colossians 3:13, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, it is so easy for me to judge and condemn those who hurt me or someone I love. But no one has done anything to me like they did to You. I should be like You and simply forgive them and move on with my life instead of letting this control me. God, I am going to give all this to You right now and let You deal with as You know best. I love You Lord. Thank You for forgiving me and please help me to forgive them. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly