And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. (Mark 15:1-5 ESV).
During his trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus remained silent when asked to answer the accusations brought against him. He was questioned about His claim to kingship when Pilate asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews, Jesus replied evasively, saying “You have said so.” Jesus was accused by the chief priests, and he said nothing in response. Pilate asked Him a second time if he would answer, but Jesus remained silent. We can learn a great deal from this example of Jesus.
When someone challenges us, we usually try to defend ourselves with a lot of defensive talk. We attempt to establish our innocence with elaborate excuses. That’s why Pilate expected Jesus to deny the false accusations made by the chief priests. But Jesus said nothing—and Pilate was amazed. The word “amazed” is used most often in the gospels at the close of a miracle story to describe the reaction of people who saw what Jesus had done. Jesus’ silence in this story also needs to be seen as a miracle. And Pilate responded with awe.
Jesus’ silence fulfilled a prophecy in Isaiah 53:7: “He was op-pressed and afflicted, yet … as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Sometimes silence is cowardly. There are times when we need to voice our convictions. But often silence is golden. Silence is always better than truth spoken without love. Silence calls attention to the value of the words we do say. When Jesus finally spoke, his words were intensely powerful.
If silence is golden, most of us are paupers. Often, we talk a lot without saying much. The discipline of silence, however, guides us to reflect on what we do say. We become better listeners, both to God and to those around us. We choose our words carefully and build people up rather than tearing them down. It is a lesson to be learned!