Jesus
is not the most talkative prisoner in the dock.
When asked if he was ‘The King of the Jews’ – which was, of course a subversive title that had strings attached, he simply bats it back to Pilate and says: ‘The words are yours’.
This trial is going nowhere and already has the stench of corruption about it.
Now fresh evidence is brought to court by the religious authorities. In their eyes he is blasphemous, yet only the Roman Governor can pronounce the death sentence. So, they connive with their occupying power to do away with this troublesome preacher from Nazareth once and for all.
In the face of all their accusations Jesus says nothing. Pilate is astonished by his reticence to justify himself yet when prompted by the governor to mount a defence we are told by Matthew, ‘Jesus refused to answer a single word’.
Maybe he just knew the time for debate was long gone.
When asked if he was ‘The King of the Jews’ – which was, of course a subversive title that had strings attached, he simply bats it back to Pilate and says: ‘The words are yours’.
This trial is going nowhere and already has the stench of corruption about it.
Now fresh evidence is brought to court by the religious authorities. In their eyes he is blasphemous, yet only the Roman Governor can pronounce the death sentence. So, they connive with their occupying power to do away with this troublesome preacher from Nazareth once and for all.
In the face of all their accusations Jesus says nothing. Pilate is astonished by his reticence to justify himself yet when prompted by the governor to mount a defence we are told by Matthew, ‘Jesus refused to answer a single word’.
Maybe he just knew the time for debate was long gone.
What
words would they put on the tombstone in St Paul’s Cathedral of the great
architect, Sir Christopher Wren? Set
amid the soaring beauty of London’s new baroque House of Prayer, words seemed superfluous. So, his son instructed they wrote this on his
sarcophagus: if you are searching
for his monument, look around.
Maybe there was a similar sentiment running through Jesus’ mind that prompted his silence.
Might he have thought: I don’t have to justify my message of good news. Just look at my life. The life I have lived, stretching out to those on the margins, speaking up for the poor and downtrodden, challenging the comfortable status quo – this is the life I have lived, this is the message I have lived. I don’t have to justify my message of good news just look around you and see my life.
On Good Friday we meet a Jesus who stood before civic and religious leaders, a Jesus who did not shy away from conflict, a Jesus who challenged the way things were done, a Jesus who says faith is not just personal, it’s about the way we live in community – it’s a society thing – it’s a people thing.
Jesus was crucified because he spoke truth unto power. He lived a life where the last became first and his sermons not only comforted the disturbed, they disturbed the comfortable.
This is the Radical Jesus and the Establishment couldn’t cope with him.
Maybe there was a similar sentiment running through Jesus’ mind that prompted his silence.
Might he have thought: I don’t have to justify my message of good news. Just look at my life. The life I have lived, stretching out to those on the margins, speaking up for the poor and downtrodden, challenging the comfortable status quo – this is the life I have lived, this is the message I have lived. I don’t have to justify my message of good news just look around you and see my life.
On Good Friday we meet a Jesus who stood before civic and religious leaders, a Jesus who did not shy away from conflict, a Jesus who challenged the way things were done, a Jesus who says faith is not just personal, it’s about the way we live in community – it’s a society thing – it’s a people thing.
Jesus was crucified because he spoke truth unto power. He lived a life where the last became first and his sermons not only comforted the disturbed, they disturbed the comfortable.
This is the Radical Jesus and the Establishment couldn’t cope with him.
Good Friday speaks into our life and says it’s
always right to work for a just and fairer world – it’s the way of our
Christlike God – it’s the way of the cross.
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