Jesus Didn't Reply

Mindy Simmons

I was one of those kids who grew up going to church all the time, and we would rarely miss a church service. Each year as Easter approached, we would of course read in the Gospels the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s an amazing story, a hugely foundational piece of our faith, and a story many of us know well and have heard over and over.

Recently I was reading this passage, and verse 5 practically jumped off the page at me:

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 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 15:1-5

There is a lot we could learn from this passage, including how this was a fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 53:7 describes the lamb that does not open its mouth). But, what stood out to me was the fact that Jesus, in His obedience to the Father and on mission to be the perfect Sacrifice that brought salvation to humanity, did not defend himself against false accusations. Pilate was amazed, as the Sanhedrin’s case against Jesus was weak, and Jesus could probably have avoided the death penalty if he had defended Himself. But He didn’t. He kept His mouth shut.

As I read this, I felt prompted by the Lord to examine my own heart. How often do I feel the need to gain the approval of others? How much do I worry about what others think about me? How much does it bother me when someone believes something about me that isn’t true, and I quickly jump to correct their error? When confronted with a hurt I have caused, how often do I immediately jump to defend my actions and my intentions?

I’m not trying to rewrite the story or add to the Scripture, but I would venture a guess that in that moment, standing before Pilate, with hateful people spewing lies about Him, Jesus had to fight the urge to spare Himself the suffering that was taking place. Maybe not, but knowing Jesus was fully human and that he faced every temptation known to man, it might not have been the easiest choice in that moment to keep His mouth shut.

Let’s strive to follow Jesus’ example, to choose the loving and kind response, to not justify our mistakes or defend our actions, but rather to humbly follow God’s direction and fulfill the mission God has placed on each of us: to love God with all of our hearts, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as we love ourselves.