Why Jesus’ Silence Was the Ultimate Answer to His Accusers

Jesus’ Silence

When Jesus was arrested, He faced a barrage of accusations from His enemies. They hurled insults at Him, made false claims, and demanded that He defend Himself. But to their surprise, Jesus remained silent. He didn’t try to justify Himself or explain His actions. He simply endured their attacks without defending Himself.

So why didn’t Jesus answer His accusers? Many people have puzzled over this question for centuries. Some have suggested that Jesus’ silence was a sign of weakness or fear. Others have argued that He did this as an example for people to not defend themselves.  But the truth is that Jesus’ silence was the ultimate answer to His accusers.

Jesus’ silence demonstrated His trust in God’s plan.

Jesus knew that His arrest and eventual crucifixion were part of God’s plan for salvation. He had already told His disciples that He would be handed over to the authorities, and that He would suffer and die for the sins of the people of the world. By remaining silent in the face of His accusers, Jesus was showing that He trusted in God’s plan, even if it meant enduring torture and death.

Jesus’ silence exposed the emptiness of His accusers’ accusations.

His enemies wanted to trap Him with their questions and force Him to incriminate Himself. But Jesus’ silence left them with nothing to accuse Him of. They couldn’t find any evidence of wrongdoing, and their accusations rang hollow in the face of His calm and dignified silence.

Jesus’ silence offered His accusers an opportunity for redemption.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus had preached forgiveness and compassion. By remaining silent in the face of their attacks, He was giving His accusers a chance to reflect on their own actions and reconsider their hostility towards Him. His silence was a powerful witness to the transformative power of forgiveness and the possibility of redemption.

Jesus could have blown them away with His words.

.Jesus’ silence in the face of His accusers was even more remarkable when we consider that He had the best legal mind in the universe. As the Creator of the world and all its inhabitants, Jesus had a perfect understanding of the law and the ability to outsmart any human lawyer. He could have easily used legal arguments to defend Himself against His accusers.

Furthermore, Jesus could have exposed the sinful thoughts and actions of each person there, embarrassing each one in front of the others. But He chose not to do so. He remained silent, refusing to defend Himself or retaliate against His enemies.

Jesus accomplished His ultimate mission.

Why did Jesus choose to remain silent, even when He had the power and knowledge to defend Himself? The answer lies in His ultimate mission: to pay for our sins. Jesus knew that the only way to redeem humanity was to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. By remaining silent, He was allowing the process to unfold that would lead Him to the cross.

In the end, Jesus’ silence was not a sign of weakness or fear. It was a deliberate choice that demonstrated His love for us and His willingness to sacrifice Himself for our salvation.

During this Easter season, as we reflect on Jesus’ example, may we also learn to trust in His plan, respond to our enemies with grace and humility, and be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of others.  Let’s also offer others the opportunity for forgiveness and redemption, because of what Jesus’ did for us.

This Good Friday devotional was written by Karen S. Roberts, editor of Daily-devotionals.com

You may also want to read, “The Day Death Went Into the Grave.”