Our focus tonight is on v.64. After the high priest demands that Jesus state for the record – the heavenly record – if he’s the Christ, Jesus’ initial response is a letdown: You have said so. What’s that supposed to mean?
This strikes me as Jesus being dismissive of the high priest, something of a taunt… our Lord certainly isn’t being vague out of cowardice. And as it to make that clear his next words are memorable…dazzling: But I tell you… – that’s Jesus tell that he’s about to say something big-time, official, must be remembered…
…from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Whoa! Incredible.
Except, not incredible to us…we don’t understand what he’s saying?!
Well, let’s look into that, and to encourage us to do that, hear these comments on Jesus’ sentence from a professional Bible reader: It is not often noticed that this is Jesus’ final speech before his dying words… The Silent One at his trial finally speaks in order to give the world the most important information it will ever receive… In a Gospel full of great sermons (on the Mount) on Mission, on the Kingdom, on Community, and on the End of the World), this may be Jesus’ single most important sermon, given at the most critical moment of his life. We may call it his “Sermon on His Person,” or “Sermon at His Trial.”…Thus in this verse we have Jesus’ final self-definition on earth. It is at last a definition as full of majesty as Jesus’ life has been full of modesty… -Frederick Dale Bruner
Ok, that testimony helps us trust this is important. And lest we still doubt, we could also briefly note that the high priest thought Jesus was saying something especially striking. After this sentence he tears his robes!
So what did Jesus mean? First, we’ll notice that he tells Caiphas that he…they…Israel…the world?…has reached a critical moment: From now on…. Going forward from this moment, this will now be true, this is what you’ll see. Perhaps “you” meaning not merely Caiphas himself but Caiphas as the high priest of Israel and thus Israel as the priesthood of the world… … … so this is what will be the new total situation.
Ok, what will now be the case? And to state that Jesus pulls a quotation from the Old Testament. Remember on Sunday we said that when the Old Testament is cited, what’s being pulled up is not just those particular cited words but the entire context in which those words are found. So let’s turn to Daniel 7
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. 2 Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ 6 After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and 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.
14 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.
15 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. 16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
Writing from the Babylonian court some 500+ years before Jesus, Daniel reports on his alarming vision. What he saw was leaders of various political superpowers coming one after another out of the sea – “the sea” the symbolic dwelling place of the dark powers. In the middle of all that movement of the dark powers into human history is also a vision of the Ancient of Days. Thrones surround him that were placed– he is the authority over the powers. The main impression about him is fire…indeed he even sits on fire. Relative to him everything else is consumable, impermanent. His court – just those in waiting around him – are 10,000 x 10,000 = very many. The books were opened before him – whatever these powers are doing they are always accountable to him…he is the judge of all!
The vision continues: a quick glance at these worldly powers talking big, but then the biggest talker is suddenly destroyed. Other powers remain, but notice they’re on a leash…they are being acted upon = prolonged.
Then coming with the clouds of heaven – the heavenly powers are royally conveying him – comes one like a son of man. What does like a son of man mean? It means incoming is a human… but with an asterisk. Truly a human but also…
This Man is royally conveyed coming to the Ancient of Days. Wait, a human approaching the Ancient God? This won’t go well! Get ready for the smell of burn flesh! But wait, this Man is presented before him. This is one dignitary meeting another. This is a human (with an asterisk) on equal footing with God! And God gives this Man…everything. Specifically, all authority over power…don’t just think of governmental powers here!
His dominion is an everlasting… dominion… … which… shall not… pass away.
Ok, fast forward 500 years back to Caiphas’ residence. And now, equipped, listen again to Jesus’ words: From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
There’s an old New England poet called Emily Dickinson, and she has a great line from one of her poems: Tell all the truth but tell it slant —/ Success in Circuit lies.
Jesus here is telling the truth slant. He’s not being straightforward. However, we get the gist of what he’s saying: Going forward from this trial he is receiving all authority in heaven and on earth from the Ancient of Days.
From now on: When Jesus is crucified, then, that’ll have to be interpreted as an act of authority, of a type of power being exerted.
From now on: When Jesus is raised from the dead, that’ll be his official coming out to the powers as King of the Cosmos.
From now on: When the Man ascends to the right hand of God he will do so as head over all earthly and heavenly powers.
From now on: When in AD 70 “after months of fighting, the Romans [under the authority of a beast of the sea] breached [Jerusalem’s] defenses, destroyed the Second Temple, and razed the city, killing, enslaving, or displacing much of its population” (Wikipedia), that would be under the authority of King Jesus.
From now on: When Jesus will act on the earth through his Body the Church in the power of the Spirit, he does so with all authority, all power over every ruler and nation and harder to trace power, like Google, like entropy, like the deep state, like this thing we call ‘the economy,’ like the fads of thought we call ‘the zeitgeist,’ etc.
From now on: When at the end of history Jesus returns into human history on the clouds as King, Warrior, Judge of all – – that will not be a new situation for him, but the continuation of what started just after the crucial moment when Caiphas came face to face with Jesus.
Jesus is writing the script of his crucifixion, and he wants to establish at the outset, that what is about to happen is a triumph. From now on what you will see – it’s another thing if you’ll interpret it as such – is the great eschatological triumph of the Son of Man. The decisive victory of God over the dark powers in their long campaign against each other on the battle ground of human history – the decisive victory starts now.
Then, moving forward, I’ll all do is win.
But hold on, the crucifixion a victory? Ok, Jesus is being conveyed through the heavens but it’s the rough hands of Roman soldiers hoisting him onto the cross. There he is for six hours, genitals exposed to the public, his blood dripping onto the gravelly soil, men and women mocking him, heart and lungs traumatized, slowly losing the battle against suffocation. And in his spirit – an anguish that no human language has words to describe though our English words, DESOLATION, gets us into the ballpark.
And you’re calling this the great victory of God, the great achievement of the Ancient of Days? Come on! If you have one of those Bible versions that have the words of Jesus in red, notice that after his sentence in v. 64, except for another ‘you said it’ to Pilate, he doesn’t speak again until 27: 46. Then the words are so jarring that the gospel writers like to first leave it untranslated so that the actual sounds go down into our gizzard: Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
Strangely, victory. In that moment, in that man saying those words, God was wading into the Sea and hacking up the powers that were enacting their will into human history. He was despoiling them of their great club by which they had assaulted humanity forever – our guilt. He was establishing peace between God and humanity, between humanity and the non-human creation, between God and everything – peace through the very blood of Jesus’ cross.
[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [the crucified Jesus]. At the cross the books are opened and next to the powers – shame. In Shakespeare’s Henry V, a messenger of England comes into the French court to bid the French to surrender. Toward the end of the exchange the French prince asks – kinda smugly – what message the English King, Henry, has for him. The smile leaves his face as the messenger says, yes, here’s his message for you: Scorn and defiance, slight regard, contempt and anything else that might not misbecome the mighty sender. That’s the message of the Ancient of Days to the demonic powers through the death of Christ!
The Son of Man victorious at the cross in the most upside-down scene in human history. From now all of our labels of “strong” or “weak” are called into question. God is sometimes evidently powerful and clearly working out his will. God is sometimes evidently weak and evidently not working out his will. But the big truth is that the Lord God is always – even through weakness and suffering and defeats and betrayals – …always in heaven doing whatever he pleases. And he pleases to give all things to the One like a son of man who since Caiphas on has been coming on the clouds of heaven at God’s right hand.
The Son of Man riding on the clouds of heaven, victorious in his Church. Please turn to 2 Corinthians 2:12
When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
Paul came to preach. He could tell folks were primed to hear him. But Titus should be here. I don’t care about the opportunity; I need to find my boy, T. So Paul leaves this fruitful field, off to look for Titus.
Opportunity squandered. Lost co-worker. Confusion and worry. But what’s the Son of Man coming on the clouds interpretation? Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession…. The Church in its weakness, steps back, confusion – is a Church in triumphal procession. This is God’s word.
How can Jesus claim that His Church is strong through him? Doesn’t Jesus realize how weak, even pathetic, his Church will sometimes be? And he must have…look down at the next paragraph and you’re hearing about the One upon whom Christ would build his Church.
Brothers and sisters: tonight as we mediate on the weakness that was Christ’s crucifixion, God would have us remember His strength. Tonight, in some parts of the world, prisoners for Christ’s and righteousness’ sake are away from their families at Easter, recalling former celebrations. I know of a minister who’s just lost his spouse of 42 years, and the memories sting. Some of you are – to put it mildly – perplexed about what God is doing in your life, where he is taking it. Some of you have for many years lived with weakness, financial uncertainty. Some of you are going through anguish that is boggling your mind, taking your breath away, and there’s no relief in sight.
What we have had before us is the words out of the mouth of our Lord who’s been up all night, who’s about to lock eyes with Peter, who’s about to be crucified. And it’s a message not of hope, or love, or any kind of tenderness. It’s a word of his power. He sees what you don’t see. He thinks that he’s over everything because he’s been given everlasting dominion. And he thinks he’s moving things forward, including in you and through you. Will you trust him?
Because if you trust him, suffer with him, your sufferings are working an eternal weight of glory. So that when the last trumpet sounds, you’ll be caught up with the Son of Man as he comes on the clouds. And then what Daniel saw will be true of you: the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
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