Luke 22:66-70

⁶⁶ At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ⁶⁷ “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, ⁶⁸ and if I asked you, you would not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” ⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.”

Du sagest’s

Jesus has been captured, mocked, and beaten by the guards and he is led before the chief priests and teachers of the law. They ask him questions, trying to get him to incriminate himself. His answers are, as is often the case with Jesus, unexpected and confusing. He tells them that “from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” And when they ask him if he is the Son of God, His answer is “You say that I am”. Later, when Pontius Pilate asks him similar questions, his answer is the same.

“Du sagest’s,” is the German used in J.S. Bach’s Matthäus Passion when Jesus answers Pilate in Matthew 27:11. This is one of the few times that the German language is sparser with words than English.

In my opinion, the Matthäus Passion by J.S. Bach is one of the most impressive pieces of music ever created. He wrote it in 1727 for solo voices, a double choir and a double orchestra and it sets the entire chapters of Matthew 26 and 27 to music with amazing chorales and arias. I can remember being at my grandparents’ place for the Easter weekend as a young child. On Good Friday the radio would be on, and the grown-ups would be listening to the Matthäus Passion. I may not have stayed to listen for the full 2.5 to 3 hours, but I was drawn to the beautiful music.

Later, as students, Mathilde and I went to a performance in a church in Leiden on Good Friday. Even from the cheap seats behind one of the huge pillars, the music and singing were amazing. This was the first time that I had a booklet with the text to follow. This QR code takes you to the text, with English translation. I cannot listen to some of the chorales without crying every time. The struggle of our Lord Jesus, the injustice, the betrayal, and the suffering are overwhelming in this musical setting.

This injustice is what Luke describes in today’s passage. Jesus’ captors are trying everything they can to build a case against Jesus. But they are not successful. Even Pilate does not see a basis for a charge against Jesus.

We all may sometimes feel wronged or think that we are being treated unfairly. When this happens to me, I remember this moment in Jesus’ life, realizing that I have nothing to complain about. Jesus led a sin-free life, healed the sick and raised the dead. Yet he was captured, mocked, tortured, tried unjustly, and killed. And through this, he paid for all our sins and ensured life eternal for all who believe in him!

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice, for enduring injustice, torture, and death to give us eternal life. Amen.