Luke 22:66-71 Condemned for the Truth
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: December 12, 2018 Luke 22:66-71
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
(Understanding the Text) As soon as Caiaphas knew that he had Jesus in custody. He sent out messengers to all the Council that needed to be present to order Jesus’ death, setting a meeting time at dawn. First, Judas had betrayed Jesus, and then Peter had denied Him. Peter had already left when the guards hurriedly led Jesus out of Ananias’ courtyard and over to Caiaphas’ house. Some members of the Council gathered there at Caiaphas’ house in the dark. John might have still been there, I think. Now, it was time for the third rejection of the day. This group questioned Jesus, and Jesus was beaten again.
The night beatings and taunts were just the beginning of the nightmare. Early in the morning as the sun rose, the elders hurried down the street to the meeting at Caiaphas’ house. They gathered in their accustomed order and convened the Sanhedrin. They pretended to examine Jesus before condemning Him, but Jesus’ response was that they would not believe anything He said, and they would not respond to any of His questions, so they were really not examining Him. Then, Jesus told them that they would one day know the answer to the examination because they would see Him sitting at the right hand of the power of God with their own eyes. On that day, there would be no question of who Jesus was. They asked a clarifying question just to make it official that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God, and Jesus responded that they said so. According to a sermon by Gary Vendon, “you say so” was a Greek idiom that indicates yes, like in English: “you said it!” Thus, Jesus was responding with an affirmative to the question. I’m a little confused because Vendon indicates that this interaction happened during the night trial. I’ll have to wait and get the order better later.
It is ironic that the Council condemned Jesus for saying that He was the Son of God when that is exactly who He was. They said that they were waiting for Messiah, but when Messiah came, they did not recognize Him. They claimed to follow the Father, but they rejected His leading and were blind to their own hypocrisy and deceit.
Guzik’s commentary points out all the ways that the treatment of Jesus was illegal by Jewish law. “i. Because by the Sanhedrin’s own laws and regulations the night trial described in Mat_26:57-68 was illegal. To begin with, according to Jewish law, all criminal trials must begin and end in the daylight. This second trial was held because they knew the first one – the real trial – had no legal standing. ii. According to Jewish law, only decisions made in the official meeting place were valid. The first trial was held at the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, so they called together this trial, held at their council. iii. According to Jewish law, criminal cases could not be tried during the Passover season. iv. According to Jewish law, only an acquittal could be issued on the day of the trial; guilty verdicts had to wait one night to allow for feelings of mercy to rise. v. According to Jewish law, all evidence had to be guaranteed by two witnesses, who were separately examined and could not have contact with each other. vi. According to Jewish law, false witness was punishable by death; nothing is done to the many false witnesses in Jesus’ trial. vii. According to Jewish law, a trial always began by bringing forth evidence for the innocence of the accused, before the evidence of guilt was offered; this was not the practice here.” Guzik seems to indicate in point ii. that the full Sanhedrin trial was not held at Caiaphas’ house. If this is so, then the guards would have had to move Jesus another time-Gethsemane to Ananias’ to Caiaphas’ to the Sanhedrin. Later, He would again be moved to Pilate and then to Herod and back to Pilate before being led to Calvary. That’s a lot of movement.
(Revelation of God) God gives us the information we need to choose rightly, but He does not become defensive like we do when we are accused. God makes sure that we have every opportunity to choose rightly, not for His own sake, but for ours. When we refuse to listen to His voice, He becomes silent. One of the most worrisome times for me is not when the Spirit is convicting me about something; it is when God is silent.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I never want to betray you as your disciples and your chosen people did. I pray to be faithful and follow Your leading. I pray that You will be with me as I face trials and hold me close when I try to drift away from You. I am sorry for my betrayals and denials. Forgive me for being such a disloyal follower.