A silence of Jesus
Silent Before Pilate
The Lamb who did not open his mouth · Matthew 27:12-14
When accused before Pilate, Jesus 'answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly' (Matthew 27:14). He could have defended himself or called down heaven, but he was silent, fulfilling Isaiah's picture of the Lamb who 'openeth not his mouth.'
The moment
What the silence means
Standing before the man who held his life in his hands, accused of crimes he did not commit, Jesus does the one thing no innocent person under threat normally does: nothing. He 'answered nothing.' Pilate is baffled by it, 'the governor marvelled greatly,' because everyone fights for their life, everyone defends themselves, and this man will not. He does not argue, does not plead, does not expose the lies. He is silent.
This is not weakness; it is restraint of terrifying power. He had told his friends he could call twelve legions of angels; he had silenced storms with a word. He could have flattened his accusers with a sentence. Instead he chose the silence Isaiah had foreseen seven centuries earlier: 'he was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb.' The silence was not helplessness. It was the sound of a Lamb choosing not to save himself, so that he could save us.
He could have called twelve legions of angels. He answered nothing, so that the Lamb could be led to the slaughter.
The silence was never the whole story
Every silence of Jesus ended in a word, a work, or a resurrection. If God feels silent to you right now, you are not necessarily far from him; you may be in a Saturday before a Sunday. The Living Bread is a quiet place to keep bringing your questions to him, read the Gospels, and pray, even into the quiet.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- Why was Jesus silent before Pilate?
- Though falsely accused, Jesus 'answered nothing,' amazing Pilate (Matthew 27:12-14). He chose silence rather than defending himself or calling down power, fulfilling Isaiah 53:7, that as 'a sheep before her shearers is dumb,' he would not open his mouth, willingly going to the cross for us.
- Could Jesus have defended himself?
- Yes. He said he could have called 'twelve legions of angels' (Matthew 26:53) and had silenced storms with a word. His silence before Pilate was not weakness but deliberate restraint, choosing to be led as a lamb to the slaughter to accomplish our salvation.