Jesus, Lamb of God

Like a sheep before the shearers . . .

Photo by David Bumgardner on Unsplash

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. ~ Isaiah 53:7

Jesus was outspoken—unafraid to confront the elite crowd, unafraid to speak truth to power. Why then was He silent at his trial?

Our natural response as humans is to defend ourselves, to prove our innocence, to argue passionately for our cause. Jesus’ silence surprised, baffled, and frustrated His enemies because He did not react like most other defendants they’d prosecuted.

The Wisdom of Silence

The wisdom of Jesus’ comportment becomes clear as we consider the psychological ramifications of such a response. Silence shifts the burden of communication. Research shows that liars tend to "fill the silence," which can lead to over-explaining or mentioning inconsistent details.

This happened during the trial. The Jewish leaders produced witnesses that contradicted each other, which undermined their case. Frustrated, the high priest asked Jesus to defend himself, but “Jesus held his peace, and answered nothing” (Mark 14:60-61), placing the “burden of proof” on them, forcing them to face their own consciences and the evidence of his innocence. As a result, they were unable to convict him of a sham crime.

The Perception of Silence

Both silence and defensive outbursts can be misconstrued by observers as admissions of guilt. Research has found that trying too hard to persuade someone of your innocence can make you come off looking guiltier. Jesus’ silence was a dignified response that allowed him to remain in control.

Interestingly, silence can be a protective or reflective state, a boundary useful in dealing with toxic people. It protects against manipulation, particularly when interacting with personality-disordered individuals who try to provoke a reaction. Since the false charges against Jesus were politically motivated, a defense was pointless. “If you’re being persecuted for speaking nothing but truth, the Word of God, how could speaking more truth ever aid in your defense?” a Reddit user commented.

Jesus’ Sovereign Control

By remaining silent during his trial, Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53:7, embracing his purpose to die for humanity’s sins as the Lamb of God. Completely surrendered to His Father’s will, he did not need to defend himself—he trusted his Father’s heart, mind, and purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 says there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” I have trouble knowing when to talk and when to be quiet, but Jesus modeled perfect discernment during his trial. Even though He maintained a silent comportment overall, He spoke at key points, and His own words sent Him to the cross, not the manipulations of His enemies, because He uttered the only legitimate reason for which He was willing to die—His identity as the Son of God, “I Am.”

The Passover Lamb

As the Passover Lamb, Jesus was “like a sheep that before its shearers is silent . . .” (Isaiah 53:7). And yet, what did the crowd unknowingly behold as they gazed upon the silent form hanging on the cross? Here hung 'The Word'—the very voice that spoke creation into existence and upholds the universe (Hebrews 1:3). Here hung the Bridegroom dying for His Bride, the Lion of Judah stifling His roar, and the King of kings permitting His own subjects to put Him to death.

How beautiful that The Good Shepherd became the Lamb of God to atone for his sheep—you and me!—and lead us home. To paraphrase Charles Haddan Spurgeon, “He became like one of us in order that we might become like him.”

The Glorified Lamb

Though Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:8), someday He will roar as the glorified Lamb of God. Joel 3:16 states, “The LORD will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will tremble . . .” In that day, Jesus, who is called Faithful and True and whose name is the Word of God, will speak “with a sharp sword coming from his mouth that will strike down the nations” as “He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” (Revelation 19:15-16). Praise God that someday the Lamb who was slain will judge evil and bring peace to the world.

And yet, our powerful, commanding Rescuer will also reign as the gentle Lamb. Revelation 7:17 states: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Doesn’t such a bright future inspire you to worship?

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 
All praise, honor, and glory 
be unto the Lamb of God, 
be unto the Word of God, 
be unto the King of Kings,
the Alpha and the Omega, 
the First and the Last, 
Beginning and End.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 

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