NO
DEFENSE
Tenth
of twelve in Lamb of God Parallel Bible Series
Isaiah
53:7, Mark 15:5
Isaiah
53:7: “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 the shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
Mark
15:5: “But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.”
Why was Pilate amazed? Mark 15:3 says, “The chief priests accused
Him of many things. So again Pilate
asked Him, ‘Aren’t you going to answer?
See the many things they are accusing You of.’” Jesus saw into their hearts. Defense was pointless.
Trying to explain things would not
be accepted, and would only further inflame their murderous intent.
Jesus did answer Pilate in Mark
15:2: “‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
asked Pilate.”
“‘Yes, it is
as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
Before Jesus was formally arrested
in Matthew 26:62, someone testified that Jesus said He’d “destroy the temple of
God and raise it up in three days.” The
high priest stood up and asked Jesus to defend those charges.
You want me to explain my death and resurrection? Jesus
probably thought, forget that!
Matthew 26:63-64: But when the high priest threatened Jesus
with, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the
Christ, the son of God.” Jesus was legally obligated to reply.
“‘Yes, it is
as you say,’ Jesus replied, ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will
see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on
the clouds of heaven.’”
Pin
drop time. Clearly, what Jesus had to
say, people weren’t prepared to hear. After
Jesus did reply, the high priest tore his clothes in Matthew 26:65, and said,
“He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need
any more witnesses? Look, now you have
heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“‘He is worthy of death,’ they
said.”
Blasphemy [BLAS-fem-ee] means irreverent
disrespect for God.
Matthew 26:67 continues, “Then they
spat in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, ‘Prophesy to us,
Christ. Who hit You?’”
Have you ever been humiliated like
this, where people refused to believe you?
Take Home Nugget
There
is a popular quote from the movie, “A Few Good Men”, when a famous actor yells,
“You can’t handle the truth!” I see
Jesus biting His tongue so that He wouldn’t shout that into the faces of His
accusers, can’t you?
If mom caught you with chocolate
around your mouth, and wondered if you snatched cookies from the cookie jar,
what would you say?
Silence speaks volumes when nothing is
said.
J.D.
Griffith
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