To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

 

 

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; 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.  (Isaiah 53:7 NIV)

   When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge–to the great amazement of the governor. (Matthew 27:12-14 NIV)

   The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

   But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. (Mark 15:3-5 NIV)

   When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.  (Luke 23:8-10 NIV)

When Jesus stood before His accusers, He offered no defense for Himself.  He was accused of blasphemy by the Jewish religious leaders because He claimed He was God (John 8:58 NIV).  But this charge held no weight with the Romans, and the Jews needed Roman law in order to kill Jesus.  So they created false charges against Him… things that were against Roman law which carried a death sentence – things like encouraging the people not to pay taxes, claiming to be a king, and causing riots.  Not one of these charges was true, and yet Jesus offered no defense for Himself.  In fact, He did not speak at all.  He did not open His mouth.  Why not?

Because Jesus knew the whole picture.  He knew what His purpose was.  He knew that He was the final sacrifice.  And He knew that the time had come.  If He had defended Himself and won, He would not have been crucified.  And if He had not been crucified, you and I would still be required to come up with lambs and doves to be sacrificed on the altars of the temple if we wanted to be forgiven for our sins.  We would have no salvation through Jesus.  The world would not have been changed one whit.  So, because He knew the future, He offered no defense.  He did not open His mouth.

However, today, Jesus is not silent.  When it comes to you and me and the things that we do wrong, He’s quite verbal.  Unwilling to defend Himself in order to save you and me, He is quite willing to stand at the right hand of God and continually offer a defense for us, protecting us from the certain and eternal punishment that we deserve without Him.  Praise God that He is no longer silent!

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 NIV