Jesus remained silent before His accusers. His trials were steeped in conspiracy, treachery and twisted truths, showcasing the greatest miscarriage of justice in human history. As religious leaders conspired and bloodthirsty mobs shouted “Crucify him!”, the only truly innocent man was flogged and handed over to be crucified by a cowardly Roman governor called Pontius Pilate.
Mark captures Peter’s testimony as Jesus stood trial before the Sanhedrin and then Pilate: “Then the high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not offer any answer for what these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not offer any answer.” (Mark 14:61). Pilate, amazed by Jesus’ silence, pressed further, asking, “Do You offer nothing in answer? See how many charges they are bringing against You!” (Mark 15:4-5). Yet, Jesus remained silent.
Matthew notes that “when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer, not even to a single charge.” Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” (Matthew 27:12-14)
Luke is the only gospel writer to record Jesus’ silence before Herod, where mocking soldiers added to the contempt He faced: “So [Herod] questioned him at some length, but he made no answer….Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:9-10)
Conspiracy.
The conspiracy against Jesus had been building for quite some time. The animosity of the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin, had come to a head. Jesus was an offense to their pride and threatened their power over the people. Mark notes the motivation behind their desire to kill Jesus, “for they feared Him” (Mark 11:18).
After witnessing Jesus heal on the Sabbath, instead of embracing Him as the Saviour of the world, the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians to destroy Him (Mark 3:6). They resented the way the Lord cleared the Temple of those who fleeced the people and envied how the crowds listened to Him with delight (Mark 11:12-19; 12:37). Fear, resentment and envy are dangerous forces.
Jesus’ trial before the chief priests and Sanhedrin exposes this conspiracy (Mark 14:53-65). It was more of a preliminary hearing designed to fabricate charges, as blasphemy was not a viable charge under Roman law. Conducted in the secrecy of darkness, it was a farce of justice, a conspiracy dressed in legal robes, lawfare in its purest form.
Condemnation.
Condemnation was their foregone conclusion and a guilty verdict was decided long before the trial started. The Jewish leaders sought evidence to justify their predetermined conclusion: death by crucifixion. There was no fair cross- examination of witnesses, and no dissenting voices were allowed.
The widow of Nain and Jairus were not invited to tell of how Jesus had raised their dead children. Legion the former demoniac was not called to testify to his miraculous transformation. Nor were Lazarus, Bartimaeus or the bleeding woman on the witness list. Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and Zacchaeus were not asked to tell their stories of redemption, and sympathetic Jews like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were not welcome either.
Instead, Mark records how evidence was false and fabricated: “The chief priests and whole Sanhedrin were searching for evidence against Jesus, but couldn’t find any. Many testified falsely against [Jesus] but their statements did not agree” (Mark 14:57, Matt 26:60). The charges were false, contradictory, and at best, twisted half-truths.
Twisted Truth.
Twisted truths can be more dangerous than outright lies. Proverbs 25:18 reminds us, “A man who bears false witness against his neighbour is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow”. A false witness has the power to destroy a person’s life.
Consider the twisted evidence of two false witnesses, “This fellow said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days” (Matt 26:61). This misrepresentation sought to paint Jesus as a traitor and terrorist, twisting His prophecy of resurrection into a weapon against Him. Jesus had never said that He would destroy the temple. Rather, he said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19).
The chief priests and elders “persuaded” and “stirred up” the crowd for the express purpose of condemning Jesus (Matt 27:20; Mark 15:11). Death by crucifixion was always their end game for Jesus and they used every means at their disposal to achieve it.
Pilate.
Pontius Pilate, the pragmatic politician, recognized Jesus’ innocence, but lacked the integrity to uphold justice. By the time Jesus was dragged before the notorious Roman Governor, Pilate knew that it was envy driving the Jewish leaders (Matt 27:18, Mark 15:14). Weeks later, speaking in Solomon’s Colonnade, Peter would explain that Pilate had decided to release Jesus, before the Jewish leaders “disowned him” before Pilate (Acts 3:13). While sitting on the judge’s seat, Pilate’s wife warned him to to avoid “that innocent man” (Matt 27:19).
But feeling trapped and manipulated, Pilate made a last ditch attempt either to release Jesus or pass on the problem to Herod. First, he unsuccessfully tried to appease the crowd by offering Barabbas, a notorious insurrectionist and murderer (Mark 15:7-9). When that failed, his final act of deflection was sending Jesus to Herod, hoping to evade responsibility (Luke 23:1-7).
Ultimately, Pilate washed away his honour and integrity for all time as he dipped his hands into the water bowl, declaring himself innocent of Christ’s blood (Matt 27:24-25). The mob’s reply is chilling, “Let his blood be on us and our children!”
Today Pilate is remembered as the cowardly man who stood by while God’s Son was murdered by His own people.
Jesus breaks His silence.
Amid this gross injustice, Jesus remained silent. In any criminal trial, this would be the moment for the defence attorney to ask for an acquittal. The evidence was weak and inconsistent, certainly not beyond reasonable doubt. This moment became pivotal. But Jesus chose to break his silence when the high priest asked a direct question about His identity: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Jesus could have remained silent. He was not obliged to answer the high priest. Yet, His shocking response is what sent him to the cross. Jesus made a powerful declaration of His identity:
“I am, but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Mark 14:62)
Jesus finally broke His silence by affirming his identity, using three provocative phrases:
I am.
“I am” ascribes to Himself the name of God revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14). The title “Son of Man” links Himself to the Messianic King and Judge described in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7), while “sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One” signifies divine authority and power. Without a doubt, Jesus was claiming to be the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Ancient of Days in Daniel’s vision.
After hours of silence, Jesus’ bombshell declaration shook his accusers to the core. The high priest, horrified, tore his robes, then escalated the contempt and brutality against Jesus (Mark 14:63-65). For a Jew, it is the highest blasphemy for a man to identify as God….unless, of course, He is God.
Beaten and bloody, humiliated and abused, wearing a mock crown and purple robe, Jesus did not look anything like a king. But in these carefully chosen words He chose to unveil His true identity as God’s chosen King. He also issued a powerful warning: “All who stand in judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ will ultimately by judged by Him.”
Jesus’ resurrection three days later would be a foretaste of his ultimate return as King and Judge. In a very real sense, Jesus wasn’t on trial before the Sanhedrin, Pilate or Herod at all. His accusers were on trial. In fact, we will all stand before Christ and be held to account for what we do with Him. Pilate had the power to crucify Jesus, but the accused standing before him held ultimate power.
Jesus remained silent before His accusers, but Rome would ultimately collapse and Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed, along with its Temple in 70AD. Pontius Pilate would be recalled to Rome, face disgrace, and he either committed suicide or was executed by Emperor Caligula, possibly with his body thrown into the Tiber River.
Jesus remained silent in 33AD, but no empire or tyrant has successfully silenced the gospel of Christ ringing through the next two thousand years. In these mock trials on the eve of the crucifixion, the only one who was truly innocent, confident, and free was our Lord. He could see the day when all the kingdoms of the world would come under his reign forever and ever. Wasn’t it loving of Jesus to warn His accusers that they were falsely judging the One who would one day be their Judge?
Then, as the priest’s question turned to abuse, the Lord resumed His silence.
Silence of the Lamb.
The silence of Jesus during his trials was not the response of a helpless victim, but the declaration of a perfectly righteous man who saw beyond the moment. His silence was not a resigned fatalism, nor a response to intimidation. At any moment, Jesus could have called ten thousand angels to lead him to safety. Jesus’ silence was not a sign of weakness but of profound love and compassion. The Lamb of God stood there silently and bravely, taking all those insults, lies and accusations for us.
Jesus was in charge of every player in the drama leading to his crucifixion, and He saw the sovereign hand of His Father ordering those events, planned from the dawn of time. Peter later explained that this was all part of the definite plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23).
Moreover, Jesus’ silence before his accusers was the most powerful disclosure of His identity as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), the sacrificial Lamb promised by Isaiah seven hundred years beforehand:
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out nor raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bent reed He will not break off, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice on the earth (Isaiah 42:1-4).
The innocent Lamb died an unjust death, so that the guilty might be set free. Jesus’ life was given as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28), as He volunteered to take the place of sinners and bear the just penalty of their sin. While Christ’s accusers were amazed that He did not open his mouth, God was working out His salvation plan for rebels and lost sheep like you and me. Amid the silence of the Lamb, Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah’s greatest messianic prophecy:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:6-7)
Prayer.
Father, thank you that Jesus is both the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, and the conquering Lion who reigns victorious. Thank you that He walked towards the cross with purpose and clarity to die for our sins, once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous. And thank you that He left us an example so that we might follow in His steps. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23). Lord, when we are falsely accused or face injustice, help us to look to Jesus, the Lamb who died and rose again. We trust that He will return and bring perfect justice on earth. Give us wisdom to know when to speak boldly as Christ’s witnesses, and when to stay silent and entrust ourselves to Your justice. Help us to see that we do not need to defend ourselves or the truth against every accusation, as You will have the last word. Amen.
Listen to Andrew Peterson’s beautiful song, Behold the Lamb of God.
