“You have said so… the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power”
You have said it yourself… But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.… the high priest tore his clothes and declared, 'He has blasphemed!' (Matthew 26:64–65 BSB)
What it sounds like today
'You have said so' reads as evasion; the rest as apocalyptic poetry; the robe-tearing as rage.
The cultural key
Three decodings. 'You have said so' is a qualified yes, affirming while flagging that the framing is the asker's. Then Jesus fuses the two most explosive throne texts in Scripture: Psalm 110:1 ('Sit at my right hand') and Daniel 7:13 (the son of man coming on clouds to receive everlasting dominion), claiming the seat beside God. 'Power' (ha-Gevurah) is a reverent circumlocution for God, used even here. And tearing robes was not a tantrum but the prescribed formal judicial act of a judge who has heard blasphemy: the trial's verdict, performed.
Recovered meaning
Under oath, the veiled 'Son of Man' language finally goes explicit: I am the cloud-rider, and the next time you see me, the courtroom will be reversed; you will be in the dock. The high priest understood perfectly; that is what the torn robes mean.