Matthew 26:68Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the Chief Priests were thus assembled, this conventicle of ruffians sought to give their conspiracy the character of a legal trial. But it was entirely a scene of confusion and uproar, as what follows shews, Though many false witnesses came, yet found they none.

Upon His condemnation, they proceeded to insult Him and curse Him, covering His face with a robe, as noted by another evangelist (Luke 22:63-64). Viewing Him as a prophet, they unleashed their scorn upon Him. To bruise signifies striking with a clenched fist, or more simply, to hit forcefully.

We may echo the words of a holy prophet: The heavens were amazed and greatly shaken, declares the Lord, the Almighty, the Sovereign of sovereigns and Master of masters. One among Us is brought low, suffers the beating, and stands firm against the cruelty of the unrighteous, revealing to us the image of His profound humility. How could He, who examines hearts and minds (Rev. 2:23), the source of all prophecy, be unaware of who struck Him (Mt. 26:68)?

That, they did spit in his face, signifies those who reject His proffered grace. They likewise buffet Him who prefer their own honour to Him; and they smite Him on the face, who, blinded with unbelief, affirm that He is not yet come, disowning and rejecting His person.

At last came two false witnesses. How are they false witnesses, when they repeat only what we read that the Lord spoke? A false witness is one who takes what is said in a different sense from that in which it was said. Now this the Lord had spoken of the temple of His Body, and they cavil at His expressions, and by a slight change and addition produce a plausible charge. The Lord’s words were, Destroy this temple; (John 2:19.) this they make into, I can destroy the Temple of God. He said, Destroy, not ‘I will destroy,’ because it is unlawful to lay hands on ourselves. Also they phrased it, And build it again, making it apply to the temple of the Jews; but the Lord had said, And I will raise it up again, thus clearly pointing out a living and breathing temple. For to build again, and to raise again, are two different things.

Let both heaven and earth and all of creation tremble! What a countenance, what disgrace they brought upon Him! While many had referred to Jesus Christ as a prophet, they now derided Him as a false prophet. They obscured His vision with a veil, as noted by Mark (Mark 14:65) and Luke (Luke 22:64), while some struck Him and others mocked, saying, ‘Prophet to us, O Christ, who is it that strikes You?’ The term κολοφίσμος refers to a blow delivered to the neck with an audible sound, while ραπισμος denotes a strike to the face.

False witnesses have place when there is any good colour for their testimony. But no pretext was found which could further their falsehoods against Jesus; notwithstanding there were many desirous to do a favour to the Chief Priests. This then is a great testimony in favour of Jesus, that He had lived and taught so irreproachably, that though they were many, and crafty, and wicked, they could find no semblance of fault in Him.

Upon the inquiry of the Hierarch, the truth revealed stirred indignation, prompting the unrighteous servant to strike Him (John 18:22). The countenance that radiated like the sun was battered by the hands of the unjust, while others approached and spat upon the one who had restored sight to the man born blind. "Is this how you respond to the Lord? Are these men brutish and senseless?" (Deuteronomy 32:6). The prophet, in astonishment, declares, "Lord, who has believed our report?" (Isaiah 53:1). It is truly astounding that the only God, the Son of God, and the might of the Lord would suffer such indignities. Yet, for the sake of those destined for salvation, the Holy Spirit foretells through the voice of Christ, who, having spoken then, manifested later: "I will give My back to scourges" (Isaiah 50:6).

Some sought to appear clever: ‘They closed His eyes and struck Him on the face, saying, “Guess, Christ, who struck You”’ (Luke 22:64). This mockery was not the behavior of Roman soldiers who were unfamiliar with the prophets. Instead, it was the cruel actions of the disrespectful servants of the Sanhedrin, intent on ridiculing Jesus as a false prophet. These men, along with many others who blasphemed and spoke derogatorily about Him (Luke 22:65), hurled numerous other insults at our Lord. How unfortunate for a people whose leaders employed such base servants! Were the servants of the patriarchs in such a manner? Did Abraham have such servants? Abraham lived in reverence of God, imparting this fear not only to his children but also to all his servants.

Some sought to display their cleverness: they covered His face with a cloth and, with cruel mockery, struck Him, asking, “Prophesy to us, O Christ, who was it that struck You?” They challenged Him, suggesting that if He was indeed the all-knowing Messiah, He should be aware of everything happening around Him. The Lord endured their taunts in silence, and the evangelists deemed it unnecessary to even mention this. The Messiah, through Isaiah the prophet, declared of Himself, “I gave My back to those who struck, and My cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). This prophecy was fulfilled in precise detail. St. Chrysostom asks, “What purpose did they have in this mockery, knowing that they were intent on executing Him?

They concealed His face with a veil and struck Him on the cheek, asking, "Do you know who hit You?" The expected knowledge of the Messiah led His tormentors to believe that if Jesus truly was the Messiah, He ought to recognize His assailants. Yet Christ remained silent, and this quietness provided some a pretext to regard Him as a false Messiah, leading them to show their disdain in the most extreme way: they began to spit upon Him and blasphemed Him in numerous ways (Luke 22:65). Christ endured all these insults and sufferings without complaint, perhaps even praying silently for those present, as He will later intercede for His crucifiers: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:24).

The Pharisees, who made up a significant portion of the council, likely initially considered the teachings of Jesus with some degree of favor, given their fervent national and religious beliefs. However, the internal conflict they faced before ultimately dismissing His claims contributed to a growing animosity that evolved into profound hatred over time. It was these fervent members of the council who instigated the dramatic and tumultuous conclusion to the assembly. Throughout the final examination of the witnesses, Jesus remained silent; yet, the weight of His assertion regarding His identity as the Messiah and God lingered heavily on the judges, overwhelming them until they could no longer endure it.

Following the pronouncement of sentence upon Christ, He was handed over to the court attendants, enduring the initial degradation at their coarse hands. The arrogant nobles ridiculed Him in every manner imaginable, seemingly to curry favor with their superiors.

'Prophesy unto us,' etc.: the act of prophesying involves more than merely disclosing future events or revealing hidden truths. He endured beatings from individuals who may have been strangers to Him, as noted in the account of Mark (Mk. 14:65). In Mark's testimony (Mark 14:65), with eyes closed and in mockery, they challenged Him to name those who struck Him, questioning how the Messiah, if truly all-knowing, could remain unaware of His assailants. "What could be more degrading than this? That very countenance, before which the sea felt shame and from which the sun, witnessing the crucifixion, concealed its rays, was spat upon, suffocated, and battered by their wrath" (Zlat.).