Isaiah 53:7

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 its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

One of the things I find most remarkable about the behaviour of Jesus during his arrest and trial is the fact that he remains silent when facing unjust accusations. I realise that his physical suffering and the experience of being separated from his Father on the cross, are in many ways worse things to experience. But they feel very far removed from our everyday lives, whereas the experience of being falsely accused, or misrepresented, or wrongly blamed is something that we probably all know a little of. And I know how much I hate it when it happens to me. I might, perhaps, be willing to bear some small consequence for something that wasn’t actually my fault. But when that does happen, I want to make very sure that everyone knows how undeserved it is! I can’t really imagine being able to bear it silently. Letting go of the opportunity to vindicate myself. I want it clearly on the record that I am innocent. If I have to experience unjust suffering, I want the injustice to be publically noted!  The arguments spring easily to mind: “Justice matters. Injustice isn’t OK. It would reflect badly on God if a Christian was thought to have said this or done that.” When really I’m motivated by the desire to vindicate myself. I care much less about justice, or God’s honour, than I care about what people think of me.  And in any case, even if I am largely innocent of the particular thing of which I am accused, I can never claim to be totally blameless. Yet Jesus was. If ever anyone had the right to protest against injustice, it was him. Yet he remains silent.  Why? Doesn’t he care about injustice? Doesn’t he care that God was mocked because of the verdict of ‘guilty’ which his Servant received?  Of course he does. But he was motivated by a deeper concern for justice and God’s honour than I will ever be.  His desire to see justice done, whilst justly forgiving sinners was what kept him quiet. His concern for God to be glorified as the one who defeats sin and evil and death at the cross is what sustained his silence.

Let’s praise him for that today.