Our Venerable Father Martinian
Read
1 John 4:20-5:21; Mark 15:1-15
Today’s gospel recounts Jesus’ trial before Pilate and has several parallels with the events of Mark 14, read earlier this week. One of these similarities is Jesus’ silence: whether he is in the presence of the High Priests or the Roman governor, Jesus says little to defend himself against his accusers. He speaks only once on each occasion: when the High Priest asks if he is the Christ, Jesus answers “I am.” And when Pilate asks if he is the king of the Jews, Jesus answers, although he appears more guarded: “you say so.”
Why this silence? Jesus’ silence is consistent with his behaviour in the gospels –his actions and teachings, rather than his claims about himself, indicate that he is the Messiah. But during his trial, Jesus’ silence takes on a deeper significance. He is fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant who dies for Israel’s sins: “he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Jesus’ silence points to the meaning of his death: he must die so that we can live, but that death requires submitting to the powers of evil (for a short time). Jesus’ silence is symbolic of his voluntary powerlessness, his self-emptying. The Eternal Word, ironically, has nothing to say. But this silence will be broken when the soul of Christ destroys the gates of Hades and the risen Lord appears to the women.