March 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 27:1–14

Devotional

An accused person is silent when he has the opportunity to defend himself? The governor of the case does not understand it. He has never observed such a thing. Does not everyone want to defend himself? Even he who is guilty defends himself. Jesus, the innocent One, stood before Pilate, and spoke not a word. The natural man cannot understand the ways of the Lord.

Pilate did not know that he was facing the Surety. He did not know that the Lamb of God was standing in front of him and that He had to be silent because the transgressions of His people were upon Him. It was necessary that He die.

Christ is silent before His heavenly Judge. In actuality He does not stand before Pilate, but He stands before God with silent lips as the Substitute for His people. You see, when a sinner has to appear before the heavenly Judge, he cannot even answer once to a thousand questions. He has open guilt and a closed mouth, for he has sinned against all God’s commandments. Who has anything to say when his sins are put before him? He has to be silent before the Lord, and being silent shows agreement. Man has to agree that God is holy and just in all His righteousness.

Accused ones cannot speak badly about God’s justice. Our sin is not the serpent’s fault. It is not Eve’s fault. Circumstances are not to blame for our sinfulness. And that’s why Christ was silent under all these accusations. If He would have spoken up to defend Himself, He could not have been our Surety. Concerning Himself, He could have spoken of His innocence and purity. But for the sake of His people, He could not speak. His love towards sinners is so great that He spoke not a word.

What a testimony we find in Christ’s silence. He spoke when appropriate and was silent when it was necessary. When the salvation of His people was at stake He opened His mouth and said, “Let My people go.” But He was silent when His own deliverance was at stake. He did not want to be His own Advocate, so that He could be the Advocate of others. He was silent when speaking would have been in His favor, so that He could speak in favor of a poor sinner who stands accused before God’s judgment throne. He was silent in His humiliation, to be able to plead in His exaltation. He had to be silent to redeem His people.

Are there among our readers any who are accused by God’s law? Is there anyone summoned to appear before the heavenly Judge? When God’s law accuses us of sinning against all God’s commandments, then we must stand silent in agreement.

Yet be encouraged for there is still a speaking Christ for a silent sinner. There is still an intercessory Mediator. And when the sinner is silent before God, Christ starts to speak. Do you place your hope in this, people of God, that there is a speaking Surety for a silent sinner? What a blessing when Another intercedes for you in your court cases before God! What a great benefit is provided when the Lamb of God opens His mouth and starts to defend a man who can only see death in front of him. These people knew that there was a Mediator, but they could not believe that He would be pleading on their behalf, until He was pleased to reveal Himself to them. Then they received courage in Him. But never could He have spoken up for them, if He Himself had not first kept silence. That silence cost Him His life. It ushered Him into the pangs of hell. Therefore meditate much on the Surety in His silence. For it was through this silence that He redeemed His church.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.