I AM

When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL 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, “Yes, I am.” Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” Luke 22:66-71


To legitimize their verdict, reached illegally in the night, an assembly was convened at daybreak by the Sanhedrin (70 or 72 elders and teachers of the nation). Their demand: "If you are the Messiah, tell us." As if He had not been telling them for three years. By His doctrinal teaching. By His miraculous healings. By His grace and compassion for the Jewish people. By His severe discipline of the temple merchandisers. By raising some who had died. If they hadn't believed Him in action, why would they accept His word? They would not even give Him the common courtesy of responding to His question, so He didn't ask.

But after this ordeal was over, He knew He would be seated at the right hand of God. They knew what that meant. It was where He came from, and He would be returning there soon. "So, then, you are saying you are the Son of God!?" "I AM." The self-existing One. Perfect, absolute existence. As He answered to Moses at the burning bush.

"Gotcha!" This is what the conspirators had needed. They construed it as blasphemy that He declared Himself to be God. The Romans would not execute Him for blasphemy, though, so they had to present Him to Pilate as a political insurrectionist. That wouldn't be hard, they thought, with the Romans and their lackeys always on their guard against any kind of competition.

The Council of elders had no authority to carry out a capital sentence, and they clearly wanted Jesus dead, so they would have to ask the senior Representative of the Roman government to rule on the case. All these hearings and trials of Jesus were done hastily and illegally, under pressure to get it all over with before the Passover. These sanctimonious religious leaders of Israel had to be ceremonially pure and clean in order to celebrate the Passover the next day. They must dispose of this Jesus of Nazareth NOW, and they must somehow convince the Romans it had to be done.

They were conspiring to kill their Messiah, getting Him out of their way so they could carry on with the offering tomorrow of the Passover lamb, who was God's ceremonial representative of their Messiah. Well, they were about to offer The Lamb. And He was the willing sacrifice for their sins, who did not believe in Him. Many have believed, and are IN HIM forever. It is why He came.