“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7 NASB’95)
When Jesus was arrested for a crime he did not commit, and
when he was given a mock trial, and he was beaten beyond recognition, and he
was hung on a cross to die as though he was a common criminal, there were a few
times when he did not open his mouth, but he spoke plenty, as well. So, this
could be referring to the few times when he was silent, and/or it could be
referring to the fact that he did not resist his enemies, which he could have.
But he submitted himself to dying on that cross for the sins of the world.
When Judas came with a large crowd of men with swords and
clubs to arrest Jesus, Jesus said to Judas, “Friend, do what you have come for.”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And when Peter cut off
the ear of one of the men, Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its
place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you
think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal
more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled,
which say that it must happen this way?” (see Matthew 26:47-54)
So, Jesus was not silent the whole time, and he did not
resist those who came against him, but he accepted that this was the will of
God the Father, and that this was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the
Scriptures about himself, and he did mention that he could have, indeed,
stopped it from happening, but he did not, because it had to happen that way.
And then he said to the crowds who came to arrest him, “Have
you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber?
Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. But
all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all
the disciples left Him and fled. (see Matthew 26:55-56)
Now, when false witnesses came forward with an accusation
against Jesus, quoting something that he had said, out of context, and when the
high priest said to Jesus, “Do you now answer?” Then Jesus kept silent. But
when the high priest asked Jesus to tell them whether he was the Christ, the
Son of God, then Jesus spoke again and said to him, “You have said it yourself;
nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the
right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (see Matthew 26:59-64)
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed. (Matthew 27:11-14)
So, you see, sometimes Jesus spoke, and sometimes he was
silent. He chose when to speak and when to be silent, but he was not always
silent. And he had his reasons for why sometimes he spoke and sometimes he did
not. And a good reason for his silence, I believe, is because he was not
resisting them and what he knew had to be fulfilled, but he was letting it
happen, because he had to die on that cross. He had to give his life up for us
on that cross so that we, by faith in him, could be delivered from our slavery
to sin.
But Jesus did not stay dead. He rose victorious over sin,
Satan, hell, and death for you and for me so that we could now live for him in
walks of obedience to his commands free from slavery to sin. And after he went
back to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell all those who are of genuine
faith in him. And the Spirit helps us to do the will of God. He counsels and
encourages and urges us to obey our Lord and to die to sin, and to follow our
Lord wherever he leads us in doing his will and purpose for our lives.
[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt
7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn
8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1
Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php
2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2
Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]
Lead Me Gently Home, Father
By Will L. Thompson, 1879
Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
When life’s toils are ended,
And parting days have come,
Sin no more shall tempt me,
Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,
If Thou’ll only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently home.
Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home, Father,
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.
Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
In life’s darkest hours, Father,
When life’s troubles come,
Keep my feet from wand’ring,
Lest from Thee I roam,
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Y9cb0f76A
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Like a Lamb Led to Slaughter
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