“Art thou then the Son of God?”
The full verse · Luke 22:70 · KJV
they , the of ? he , .
Asked by
Sanhedrin: the council of "the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes" who gathered at daybreak to examine Jesus (Luke 22:66)
Asked to
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, who had just said that the Son of man would sit on the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69)
The Scene
In the council at daybreak, Jesus has just said, "Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God" (Luke 22:66, 69).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe council seized on Jesus' words. If He would sit at God's right hand, was He claiming to be God's own Son? The little word "then" shows they were drawing that conclusion from what He had just said. Gill describes "The whole sanhedrim, with one voice, being greedy to lay hold on, and improve these words, that they might have something to lay to his charge." They wanted the claim from His own lips. Barnes, on the parallel scene, explains that to claim to be the Son of God was, in their eyes, to claim what belongs to God alone, so it would count as blasphemy unless it were true.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus answered, "Ye say that I am." This was a yes. Barnes explains the similar answer in Matthew 26:64 as "a form of assenting or affirming. Thou hast said the truth." Gill puts it, "ye say right; it is the very truth." The night before, when the high priest asked, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?", Mark records His answer as "I am" (Mark 14:61-62). The council took it as a confession: "What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth" (Luke 22:71).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsIn Greek Jesus' answer is Hymeis legete hoti ego eimi, "You say that I am." The final words, ego eimi, are "I am."
The charge behind the question was blasphemy. Barnes, on the parallel in Matthew 26:65, explains that the council held Jesus had "arrogated to himself what belongs to God." John records the leaders telling Pilate, "by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God" (John 19:7).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyLuke's Gospel has been answering this question from the start. The angel told Mary her child "shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). At His baptism a voice from heaven said, "Thou art my beloved Son" (Luke 3:22). Even unclean spirits cried out, "Thou art Christ the Son of God" (Luke 4:41). Now the highest council of Israel asks the same question, hears the same answer from Jesus Himself, and rejects it.
Jesus knew what His answer would cost. Matthew Henry writes, "He owns himself to be the Son of God, though he knew he should suffer for it." He told the truth about who He is, and that truth led to the cross.
Look Closer
What led the council to ask, "Art thou then the Son of God?"
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You told the truth about who You are even when it cost You everything; where is it hard for me to say plainly that I belong to You?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Many people in Luke's Gospel heard who Jesus is. What do you think makes the difference between hearing it and receiving it?
- Tell about a time it cost you something to say what you believe about Jesus.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
The question "Art thou then the Son of God?" is still the question everything turns on. Jesus did not soften His answer to save Himself. That gives you solid ground: the One you trust told the truth about Himself under threat.
It also shows that knowing the right answer is not the same as receiving it. The council heard Jesus say it plainly and still refused Him. Hearing the truth calls for a response of faith, not only agreement in your head.
This does not mean every conversation about faith must become a confrontation. Jesus spoke plainly here because He was asked directly by those with authority, and the truth about Himself was at stake.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources