Luke 22:67-71 -- On Further Witness and Avoiding Poor Choices

"Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.
Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.
And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth."
Luke 22:67-71


This conversation stands out to me, as the chief priests and scribes were questioning Jesus, specifically the last part where they seem to condemn themselves. They ask Jesus if he is the Christ and he says basically, why are you asking me... you aren't going to believe me, or answer me yourselves, even though you already know that I am. Then they ask him again, and he basically tells them that he knows they have discussed it and that they already know the answer, even if they are trying to repress it. When they say "why need we any further witness" ... that is exactly the question that *they* need to answer. They've been there the whole time. They've seen the miracles, talked to the people that he healed, and have been in his presence, trying to catch him with manipulative questions. *They* don't need any further witness that Jesus is the Christ. They are just determined to take him down anyway.

There is a similar situation when Abinadi is testifying before King Noah: "And now king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him. / But the priests lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain" (Mosiah 17:11-12) ... Just a group of bullies that probably knew better individually, but when you put them together they brought out the worst in each other and ended up ruining their own lives as well as many others.

Today, let's consider this story and make sure that we take the time to pray, think, and listen to our consciences / the Spirit as we make decisions rather than joining in mocking, ridiculing, or harming any person, no matter who or how crazy we might think they are. That is exactly what happened to Christ, and "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). We don't want to be in such company as this.