He Didn't Fight Back

Ever since I was a kid, just barely old enough to actually understand what was going on in the Passion narrative, I get a bit frustrated whenever I read it. Presumably, at any time, Jesus could have shown off his divine power. Whether it is when he is before Caiaphas and the Council and they spit on him, or when he is on trial before Pilate, or when he is whipped, or when he is mocked on the cross, he could have shown everyone who he truly was. Instead, “he opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter.”

It is almost impossible for us to fathom an innocent man not fighting back. It seems wrong that someone who could give absolute proof of his innocence would allow his enemies to carry on with their sham trial, yet that is exactly what Jesus did. Why would God himself do such a thing? The answer, while simple is also difficult. Jesus allowed his government to torture him and put him to death because of us. As the prophet Isaiah says, “All we like sheep have gone astray” and what is required when God’s people go astray? A sacrifice. So, out of love for his people, for you, our Heavenly Father sent his lamb, a perfect sacrifice to cover for the sins of all people for all time.

Jesus could have proven his innocence. He could have saved himself, but that was not his mission. The sacrificial lamb is slain for the sins of God’s people and Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, the true Lamb of God. So rather than fighting back Jesus took on himself “the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.”

We Pray: Heavenly Father, you love your people so deeply that you sent your only son to be our perfect sacrificial lamb. We thank you that Jesus humbled himself to take our sins with him to the cross. Though he could have saved himself, he chose to save us instead. Amen.