John 19:6-10: a reflection

As Jesus stands before Pilate, accused and threatened, Pilate presses him with questions and even with the reminder of his power over life and death: Aren't you speaking to me? Don't you know that I have power to release you and have power to crucify you? But to Pilate's question, Where are you from? Jesus gave him no answer. In the face of accusation and threat, Jesus is composed, silent, not scrambling to defend himself or answer every charge. His silence is not weakness but a settled composure, a dignity that does not need to justify itself before the threats and questions of men, entrusting himself instead to the Father.

Notice Christ's composed silence before threats and accusation. Pilate pressed him, threatened him, questioned him; and Jesus, at points, gave no answer. His silence was not helplessness; it was composure, a dignified refusal to scramble in self-defense before the threats and questions of men. He did not need to justify himself, to answer every charge, to defend himself against Pilate's power; he stood composed, entrusting himself to the Father rather than to his own self-defense. His silence bespoke a settled trust, a dignity that did not depend on winning the argument or defending himself before those who threatened him. He was composed where we would be anxious, silent where we would scramble to defend ourselves.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ's composed silence teaches us not to scramble anxiously in self-defense before accusation and threat. When we are accused, threatened, pressed to defend ourselves, we can scramble anxiously, answering every charge, desperate to justify ourselves; but Christ stood composed, silent, entrusting himself to the Father rather than to his own self-defense. There is a composure that does not need to justify itself before every threat, that entrusts itself to God. When you are accused or threatened, do not scramble anxiously to defend yourself; learn from Christ's composure, entrusting yourself to God. Learn from Christ's composed silence before accusation and threat, entrusting yourself to God rather than scrambling anxiously in self-defense, as Jesus stood composed and gave Pilate no answer; for there is a dignity and composure that does not need to justify itself before every threat, and Christ, entrusting himself to the Father, teaches us to commit our cause to God rather than to our own anxious self-defense.