0127 SILENT JESUS

SILENT JESUS

The action really speeds up in these last few chapters of Matthew. Chapter 27 contains all of the action from Jesus taken before Pilate, all the way through his crucifixion and burial. So much to talk about! But let me follow this theme through the narrative.

It is the day we know as Good Friday, and a man named jesus is languishing in prison, awaiting his execution at the hand of pontius pilate. He is to be crucified between two criminals. The day before, the guards had taken him out and forced him to hew the crosspiece for his own cross. He has his last meal and awaits the footsteps to come down the hall to his cell, to lead him away to be crucified. Outside, he hears the noise of a crowd yelling something. What was it?

“crucify him! crucify him! we have no king but caesar!”

this is going to be worse than he had imagined. The crowd has been stirred into some sort of patriotic frenzy over something. Perhaps he will be pulled apart by the crowd before he ever gets to the place of the skull.

here are the footsteps. Guards burst in and roughly pull jesus to his feet, still in chains, and out to the portico. There, for the first time, the man named jesus barabbas sees the Man Jesus of Nazareth, the One they call the Christ. He has been so badly beaten that He is hardly recognizable, but barabbas knows of His reputation. He has been a bold, yet soft-spoken itinerate preacher from up in the north country, but has lately offended the jewish leaders. How the roman government got involved in this is anyone’s guess.

pilate is asking the crowd a question: “which of these do you want me to release to you?" at first, there is little unity, but soon a group of pharisees are leading a chant that clearly takes over: “release barabbas!”

pilate turns to the Nazarene. He is speaking quietly, but animatedly. At first, Jesus never speaks, and after that only two short sentences. And pilate washes his hands and the guards unchain the other jesus, and that is it. Barabbas is a free man!

why had the Nazarene not spoken? if the silent Jesus had spoken but one word, he could have been set free, and barabbas would be hanging on that same cross right now. instead, Silent Jesus is mocked, beaten, dragging the cross, nailed to it, and hanging there. The jesus who was set free is there to watch every moment of it, and Silent Jesus never speaks. When He finally opens His mouth, He says, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

they don’t know what they do? they don’t know what they do!? well, i know what they do! they crucify the wrong man! i led in an insurrection against the romans, and committed murder in  the process, and so i was to die for it. But this Man (if he is a man) has done nothing worthy of death!

“hey! Silent Jesus! why not speak? Why not answer Pilate when he questions you? Why not defend yourself? All you have to do is speak a sentence of truth, and you would turn the tables on the Jewish leaders. And you know it. And now, why do you not curse the mocking crowd? why not spit back the venom they are spitting at you?”

two men named Jesus. One had led a rebellion; the Other stood silent. One killed a man; the Other forgave all men. One went free; the Other set all free.

why would God do this?”

“i don’t know . But what happened to him also happened to me. i sinned; He didn’t. He died; i didn’t. i can’t explain it. But i can receive it. it is called grace.”

you and i were set free by the silence of God one good friday. May we rest in His silence today.