'As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.’ - Isaiah 53:7

What are Jesus’ most important words? “Love your neighbour,” perhaps? "Love your enemies. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?” Perhaps, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Or maybe, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” There are so many important words that Jesus has said. Each worth contemplating. But this afternoon, I want to reflect on the words of the Irish prophet Ronan Keating, who sings, “You say it best when you say nothing at all.” And in this case, he’s right. For our purposes this afternoon, Jesus said it best when he said nothing at all. Now that’s not because Jesus had nothing important to say. No, Jesus said many important things. Life-changing things.But at the moment of his trial, Jesus said it best when he said nothing at all.

Did we hear that in our Isaiah reading? The prophet Isaiah prophesied that when Jesus faced his crucifixion, he would say it best by saying nothing at all. "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." And that’s what happened. When Jesus was caught, when Jesus stands accused, he stood innocent. And yet, like a child who has been caught with their hand in the biscuit tin, he says nothing. If this were a police interview, Jesus would be answering every question with, “no comment.” And as any police officer will tell you, silence is a sure sign of guilt. And yet, his silence is not a lack of a good defence, but a wilful act to take our place. Christ came not to argue his own case, but to argue our case, and give his life as a ransom for many. That’s what Isaiah prophesied. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." That’s the Christ we see on the Cross on Good Friday. That is the Christ we meditate on this afternoon. The silent Christ who withheld his own justice, who was pierced for our transgressions, who was crushed for our iniquities, so that we would not face the justice we deserve. Jesus did not open his mouth. He was silent in front of those who were going to crucify him. Jesus said it best when he said nothing at all.

Later Ronan Keating sings, “There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me, The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me wherever I fall.” Christ said nothing so that it was possible that he’d never leave us. The touch of his hands, as they were nailed to the cross, said, ‘I will catch you because you fell.’ We all fell in Adam. At the Garden of Eden humanity sinned against God. Fell from our perfect relationship with him. And we have been living in a fallen state ever since. Cut off from his love. His peace, his blessing. But Christ caught us when we fell by having his hands nailed to the Cross. He restored us to a perfect relationship with God. He was accused of the sin we committed, so we will never face the accusation our guilty crimes deserve. And so, because he caught us when we fell, he will never leave us, ever. And this was all made possible because he stood before his accusers, silent. He said it best when he said nothing at all. What crimes have we committed which caused Jesus to be silent before his accusers? How beautiful is Christ to us because he was silent? Isaiah prophesied of Jesus: "By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living;for the transgression of my people he was punished." As the Apostle Peter says: "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

Injustice is a hard thing to swallow. It’s somewhat easier to accept justice. If we have done wrong, we can see why we’re being punished. Even a child gets why they’re being punished when they’ve done wrong. But I cannot stand injustice. If you accuse me of something I haven’t done, you’ll hear about it. And I will give you at least 107 reasons for why you are wrong. And yet Jesus, who is accused of blasphemy no less. Which is the most absurd accusation ever. He’s God. He’s the only person who literally cannot commit blasphemy. Jesus, he stands before his accusers and does not retaliate. Instead he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, and he bore the punishment for our sins upon the Cross. Christ came not to argue his own case, but to argue our case, and give his life as a ransom for many. We who once fell, have been caught, and now stand before God. Not as enemies, but as family. He will never leave us.

They say silence is golden. How sweet is Jesus’ silence to us? How precious is the God who silenced himself in love, so that the accusations we deserve were paid by him? "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Jesus said it best when he said nothing at all. Amen (from Fr Lloyd).