The Meaning of a Matthean Redaction

What is it about?

This paper seeks to understand why the author of the Gospel of Matthew prefaced the words "from now on" (Matt 26:64) to Jesus' response to the Jewish High Priest as recorded in the Gospel of Mark (13:62): "'You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'" In Mark's account Jesus' words seem to be referring to his Second Advent, but the addition by Matthew has led some scholars to think that in Matthew's version Jesus is speaking of his heavenly exaltation that would happen upon his resurrection from the dead. This paper considers various possibilities, but concludes that in the Gospel of Matthew as in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is speaking of his Second Advent. The Greek words translated "from now on" emphasize that Jesus' appearance before the Jewish court is a dramatic turning point. When they see Jesus again, after his trial and execution, they will not see him as a humiliated prisoner, but as the glorious "Son of Man" long again prophesied by the prophet Daniel (7:13-14).

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Photo by Joel Filipe on Unsplash

Photo by Joel Filipe on Unsplash