Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. Matthew 27: 11-14, NKJV.
Merciful God, please help us to learn the lesson that there is power in remaining silent in the presence of accusations. May we learn this lesson well. This we ask in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
We have often heard people talk about the beauty of silence. But there is also power in silence. You will notice that it was Jesus’ silence that caused Pilate to marvel. He did not seem impressed by the accusations brought against Jesus by the religious leaders. Jesus certainly was not moved by the false accusations brought against Him by the leaders or the people. He was strengthened and sustained by the truth.
It is interesting to note that the only time Jesus responded, was when He was questioned regarding His identity, “And the governor asked Him, saying, ‘ “Are You the King of the Jews?” ‘ Jesus said to him, ‘ “It is as you say.” ‘ Jesus knew who He was and why He had come to earth. Therefore, when the question was in regards to His mission, He did not vacillate to answer. The wise men from the East had corroborated that fact at the time of His birth, “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘ “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” ‘ (Matthew 2: 1, 2, emphasis provided).
Silence helps to uncover hidden motives, “So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him” (17). It was obvious to Pilate that Jesus had nothing to conceal. His peacefulness and calm were testimonies to that fact; while the loud accusations, and the unrest, of the religious leaders, revealed their true motives.
It is typical of us, human beings, to defend ourselves, our reputation, our territory. We are easily threatened by someone else coming and invading what we claim as ours. But Jesus never lost sight of the fact that He had come to show us the Father (John 14: 9), while seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19; 10). As a result, the accusations of the chief priests and elders did not unsettle Him. His defense was in the hands of the Father. Therefore, He would allow the Father to defend Him:
“While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘ “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him” ‘ (Matthew 27: 19). Yes friends, there is much power in silence; because when we are silent, God has an opportunity to speak on our behalf.
There will come a time when all things will be revealed. Meanwhile, rest assured that God will defend His own. We can “be still,” because silence is powerful! Even those who crucified Christ could not ignore the fact that, ” ‘ “Surely he was the Son of God!” ‘ ” (54b).