One of the surprising features of the trial of Jesus, as described in Luke chapter 23, is the way Jesus kept silent before his accusers. The only words which Jesus is recorded by Luke as saying during his trial are: “You have said it,” spoken in response to a question asked by Pilate. Herod is reported to have questioned Jesus at length, but Jesus gave him no answers. What reason would Jesus have had for keeping silent?
In most democratic countries, a person has a right to remain silent when accused of a crime. It is up to the police to find evidence sufficient to convict the person; a person cannot be compelled to testify against himself or herself. But Jesus was not exercising this type of “right to remain silent”, because there was no crime for him to confess. Surely he could have used his extraordinary powers of oratory to get himself out of an awkward situation.
The silence of Jesus can really only be understood in the context of submission. The sovereign plan of God had now reached its pivotal point, and now was the time for the only sinless one to be sacrificed to pay the penalty for the sins of many, as the only way that God’s wayward sons and daughters could be reconciled to him. Jesus voluntarily submitted to death so that through him many could find life.