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Transcript 203B — Why was Jesus Evasive in Luke 22:67?
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: Yes. I wanted to comment about the time in the Bible when they asked Jesus if He was the Son of God. In Luke 22:67 it was really interesting. It says that they asked Him if He was the Christ, and He said, "If I tell you, ye will not believe. And if I also ask you, ye will not answer Me, nor let Me go. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then they said all, 'Art Thou then the Son of God?' And He said unto them, 'Ye say that I am.'
And I was wondering if you could explain that. It sounds like He's telling them that no matter what He says, they're not going to believe Him. So He just says, "Well, you're the one that said it."
HC: I'm not really sure why Christ uses this particular language here. It's very interesting the way He says this. Let's reconstruct if we can. They say, "If you are the Christ, tell us." He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe." In other words, "Anything I tell you doesn't mean anything to you anyway." "If I ask you if I am the Christ you will not answer." Now the implication of that is that they had a really sneaking suspicion that He was the Christ. And this would have put them right on the spot.
In fact, it could well be that when Christ asked them that question, "Do you believe that I am the Christ?" just because He is Eternal God, they would not be able to lie in front of Him with that kind of a question. I don't know whether we can read that much into it.
But then He says,"' But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God." And they all said, 'Are you the Son of God then?' And He said to them, 'You say that I am.'" And He's really building on what He has said just earlier. "If I ask, you will not answer." And so He's implying here that they knew very well that He was, and He is simply underscoring this.
Now it's interesting that He says, "You say that I AM." I AM is a Name for God. Exodus 3 we read where Moses was told by God, "Tell the children of Israel that I AM has sent you." And so there's a double implication here. "You say that I AM." That is, you say that I am God. But He's also saying you're using the very words of God, you see.
CALLER: I've heard a lot of people say, "Well, He's not saying that He is, and He's not saying that He isn't." But it sounds to me that He's not really tricking them, but He is really putting them on the spot. And a lot of people don't understand that.
HC: You know, we have to read some implications in this, and it's not nearly as direct as, for example, your quotation from Mark 14, where they said, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, 'I AM.'" Notice that "I AM" again there. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven." That was as strong a statement as He made anywhere that He was God.