Morning By Morning #93

Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge.

Matthew 27:14

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Jesus had never been slow to speak when He could bless someone, but in order to save Himself, He would not say a single word. “‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared” (John 7:46)—and no one was ever silent like He was! Was His exceptional silence the very sign of His perfect self-sacrifice? Did it show He would not utter one word to stop the slaughter of His sacred person, which He had dedicated as an offering for us? Had He so entirely surrendered Himself He would not intervene on His own behalf even to the slightest degree? Instead of intervening, was He willing to be bound and slain as an unstruggling and uncomplaining victim?

Was His silence designed to show us there was no defense for our sin? After all, what words could ever be said that could cover or excuse human guilt? Thus, He took the total weight of our sin upon Himself and stood speechless before His judge. Isn’t patient silence the best reply to an accusing world that continually denies its own sin? And doesn’t calm endurance answer some questions infinitely more conclusively than even the loftiest eloquence of words?

In fact, the best defenders of the faith in all of Christianity in the early years were its martyrs. An anvil can break a multitude of hammers by quietly enduring their blows. Didn’t the silent Lamb of God provide for us a great example of wisdom? Every accusation against Him became a new opportunity for blasphemy, so He saw it as His responsibility not to offer any words to further fuel the flames of sin. Accusations that are ambiguous, false, petty, or have no basis in fact at all will soon disprove or refute themselves. Therefore the truth can afford to remain silent and then discovers there is wisdom in silence.

By His silence our Lord also provided a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. A long defense of Himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s foretelling—“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isa. 53:7). Thus, by His quiet submission He conclusively proved Himself to be the true Lamb of God.

Jesus, it is as the Lamb of God that we greet You this morning. Be with us today, and in the silence of our hearts may we hear the voice of Your love.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

If Isaiah prophesied Jesus would “not open his mouth,” how is it that when He stood trial before Pilate, He answered one of the governor’s questions? Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” to which Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say” (Matt. 27:11). This is not a contradiction, however, because Pilate asked a direct question as to who Jesus was. But when the chief priests and elders brought charges and accusations against Him, “Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor” (Matt. 27:14).

Why didn’t He respond? He was standing in our place, and since we “are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20), no reply or defense could be made. Who could defend sinful man, when God’s Word says, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10)?

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).