JESUS DID NOT DEFEND HIMSELF (even if He was right).

JESUS DID NOT DEFEND HIMSELF

(even if He was right)

Mark 15

"WHY DON"T YOU SAY A WORD?" asked Pilate.

Jesus Before Pilate

1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

   “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 

3 The chief priests accused him of many things.
4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

9 “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, 

10 knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

12 “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

13 “Crucify him!” they shouted.

14 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

   But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified."

A crown for the king of the Jews!" And yet he accepted the crown of thorns without a word.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.

18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 

19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 

20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him."

The soldiers insulted Jesus. The crowd insulted Jesus. The convicted thief insulted Jesus. Yet He did not answered back.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 

22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 

23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 

24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 

26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27 They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. [28] [a] 

29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 

31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 

32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him."

Behold, the lamb that was slain. Meek even to its death.

The Death of Jesus

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 

34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b]

35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[d] and Salome.

41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there."

TO DEATH HE SUFFERED SO MUCH YET JESUS DID NOT DEFEND HIMSELF.

If he holds the truth, then why did He not defend himself, though He has all the capacity to do that? In spite of all the gossip and malice the Jews, the chief priests and the Roman soldiers have hurled against Him which yet cannot be proven. And for all what Jesus has done all throughout his ministry: the love, kindness, charity, miracles and more; yet the people have been swayed easily by pleasantry of words that is not founded on an open heart for the truth. Even how painful it was for His close friends to betray Him from Judas who did it passionately with a death kiss, to Peter who denied Him in the cruical moments, to everyone who went into hiding after His death. Yet Jesus did not defend himself.

For today we know why, because there is due time for everything. Where truth will set us free, and every slander and malice will be exposed and judged accordingly. Jesus dosn't want us to fall in this pit, for He have showed the people "the way" but yet in spite of all what He have showed them they killed Him. We on our time are just the same.

In His silence through all persecutuions and sufferingsJesus He was justified in the Spirit, a vindication in faith.

Looking back:

Jesus was wrongly and maliciously accused of the expensive perfume.

(John 12: 1-10)

John 12

The weak soul in faith has accused Jesus of allowing such a big waste. 

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 

2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 

3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 

5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]”

6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 

8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”

9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 

10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 

11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him."

REMEMBERING THE BEATITUDES, Jesus' teachings on the mount.

Matthew 5:8-12

"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

JESUS' WARNING ON SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 7

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 

4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 

5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

"JUDGING A PERSON DOES NOT DEFINE WHO HE IS BUT RATHER DEFINES WHO YOU ARE."

Today, Jesus is justified of all the accusations, but never He was in His time.