The Hope of Easter: Finding Clarity in Confusing Timesਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 4: Jesus on Trial: Hope in Truth, Amidst Lies

Matthew 27: 11-14 says, Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him.

Jesus replied, "You have said it."

But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

Staying silent when falsely accused of something is one of the hardest things to do. You want to plead your innocence so the truth is revealed. We know God loves it when the truth comes to light. God condemns, throughout scripture, false witnesses and liars. So what is Jesus doing here? Why is he not screaming from the rooftops of his innocence?

As Christ's followers in a broken world, we are going to be name-called, harassed, and persecuted with false narratives being told. So what are we to do?

Jesus is silent because he knows the truth; there is no need for him to get defensive. He also knows who he is and what God ordained him to do. Our purpose is not to be liked but to be a loving, truth-filled child of God. When we know our true purpose, then we are not so easily taken back by a few punches to our character.

Jesus's purpose was to die on that cross for all of us; he was not to get distracted by those questioning his identity. There are so many lies being told every day about God and our faith, but are you able to stay focused on your assignment and not get distracted, proving your innocence? I am guilty of believing there is one true God; I am guilty of believing we all must carry our own cross and follow him, so why would I plead my innocence? We have hope in the truth because the lies carry no weight when thrown against us.