Jesus: Silent Before Pilate

Silence is awkward. We don’t really do well with silence, do we? We are so used to talking. We are so used to being around other people. We are so used to having the TV on while we listening to Pandora on our laptops. Silence is just plain awkward. So, I have to say, when I approach the story of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, his silence is awkward. He doesn’t say anything about the false accusations. He’s awkwardly…silent. In fact, in my one red-letter Bible, I noticed that in Mark 15:1-15, only four words are in red. In verse two, Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews, and Jesus says, “You have said so.” Jesus is awkwardly silent before Pilate.

Pilate is concerned that Jesus would claim to be the King of the Jews. After all, that’s Herod’s position. So, Pilate could have Jesus flogged for that, but crucifixion seems a little extreme. So, he asks Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? Give me a reason to let you go, and I will.” “But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.”

So, Pilate, not wanting to give the chief priests what they want, pits Jesus against a rebel Barabbas, thinking surely the people will choose Jesus. That’s like choosing between Osama bin Laden and Mother Teresa. It’s not rocket science. But they choose Barabbas. So, what else is Pilate supposed to do, but have Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified? Jesus is awkwardly silent and now his silence has gotten him killed.

So, then, we are confronted with Jesus’ silence. Why is Jesus silent? Most certainly, he knows that Pilate can’t convict him of death; flogging, yes, but crucifixion? Unlikely.

But the more I look at it…Jesus is more confidently silent than awkwardly. Jesus does not fear death. He knows that he has been given a vocation by God to be the light of the world, as Israel’s King, to be for Israel what they have failed be, to take the judgment for that failure on himself. He is silent because he knows that death cannot stop God’s desire for the world. And he believes that somehow his own death will bring about that desire. Jesus knows that in order for Israel to be what she is supposed to be, in order for God to bring about what he desires for his people and the world, he must die. Resurrection cannot happen without dying first. Or, as Jesus says earlier in Mark, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mk. 8:35).

Jesus is not silent because he doesn’t know what to say. He is silent because he knows his vocation as Israel’s King. He is silent because exile must end and sins must be forgiven. Nothing can get in the way, not even him. Jesus’ silence shows the world that dying is the way to true life. Jesus knows who he is. He knows God’s plan for his life and mission, and that ends with Jesus dying. May we have the same resolve, and may God give you the same clarity in your life.