Silence

Mark 15:1-5 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.

The priests, at the time of Jesus prosecution, wasted no time at all. They did not want to sit on or wait for anyone to object to their capture and prosecution of Jesus. First thing in the morning after their capture of Jesus, they delivered Him up to the Roman government. They did not handle their problem themselves, but delivered the Church over. They sent aware, by their own choice, and brought about their own destruction.

Jesus only spoke to Pilate. I found this to be quite interesting this morning. He did not give his accusers any response to their false charges, and let their fake witness trip themselves up on their conflicting, false accounts. The only one who actually asked Jesus a question, got a response, and scripture says that Pilate was already convinced that the charges were false.

Pilate did not understand who was standing before him, otherwise he would not have delivered him back to the high priests. Pilate could have squelched any riot with the strength of the Roman army at his disposal, but instead chose to simply turn a blind eye to their demands and let them do whatever they wanted to Jesus.

Both the Jewish priests and the Roman government failed to understand what was before them. Jesus responded to Pilate, saying that he said so, that Jesus was king of the Jews, but not as his accusers thought their King would be. Even after riding into town on a donkey, a symbol of a conquering king in times of peace.

How often do I fail to recognize Jesus as King? Fail to give Him the honor due? But rather accuse Him of letting things happen in my own life, of my own doing. He still remains silent to my false accusations, and speaks only the truth of His word, when asked the real questions of my heart, when I finally acknowledge them.