What is the meaning of Luke 22:70? So they all asked • The scene unfolds before the Sanhedrin at daybreak (Luke 22:66), the nation’s highest religious court. • Moments earlier Jesus had spoken of the Son of Man “seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:69), a claim that directly echoed Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13–14. • That declaration forced the council to confront Him: His words placed Him on equal footing with God, a reality they could not ignore (cf. John 5:18). • This question is the climax of mounting hostility that began in Galilee (Luke 4:28–29) and intensified in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:15–16; John 11:53). • In their eyes, a clear confession from Jesus would provide grounds for a charge of blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16; Mark 14:64). "Are You then the Son of God?" • “Son of God” was not a casual title. The leaders understood it as a claim to unique divine sonship, far beyond the royal “sons” described in Psalm 2:7 or 2 Samuel 7:14. • John 10:33–36 shows the Jews equating this title with equality with God, which is why they took up stones. • Their wording “then” (“therefore” in some translations) signals that Jesus’ prior statement about sitting at God’s right hand logically necessitated a confession of deity. • The question exposes their hearts: rather than seeking truth, they seek a pretext for condemnation (cf. Matthew 26:59–60). • Yet, even in their unbelief, they articulate the very truth God intends the world to hear (Mark 15:39; John 20:31). He replied, “You say that I am.” • Jesus’ answer is an affirmative idiom—essentially, “Yes, it is as you say” (compare Matthew 26:64 “You have said so” and Mark 14:62 “I am”). • By echoing their words, He affirms the title while exposing their accountability: they now testify against themselves that He has claimed His rightful identity (cf. John 18:37). • His response fulfills Isaiah 53:7—He speaks only what is necessary, entrusting justice to the Father (1 Peter 2:23). • The declaration seals His path to the cross; yet in God’s plan, that very cross becomes the means of our redemption (Acts 2:23–24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). • For believers, the verse anchors our confession that Jesus is fully God and fully Man, the promised Messiah and eternal Son (Hebrews 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–20). summary Luke 22:70 presents the pivotal moment when the religious leaders demand a direct answer and Jesus openly affirms His divine Sonship. Their question, driven by hostility, is nonetheless the very confession God wants proclaimed. Jesus’ measured yet unequivocal “You say that I am” confirms His identity, triggers the final steps to Calvary, and invites every reader to recognize and trust Him as the living Son of God. |
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