On the southern border of the Persian Empire lived a great chief of a tribe, named Cagular, who broke King Cyrus’ army into pieces.

At last, King Cyrus, gathered his entire army, marched down, surrounded and overwhelmed Cagular’s forces, taking him and his wife to the capital for his execution.

On the day scheduled for his execution, he and his wife were brought to the trial chamber. Cagular was a man with a large and strong appearance, measuring more than 2 meters.

So impressed was Cyrus with his appearance that he said to Cagular, “What would you do if I spared your life?”

“Your Majesty, if you spared my life, I would return home and remain your obedient servant for all my life.” Cagular responded

“What would you do if I saved your wife’s life?” Cyrus asked.

“Your Majesty, if you will save my wife’s life, I am willing to give up my life.”

The emperor was so moved by Cagular’s words and attitude that they were both freed and returned to their homeland to rule it.

Upon returning home, Cagular talked with his wife about the trip. “Did you notice the marble at the entrance to the palace? Did you see the tapestries on the walls when we went down the hall to the throne room? And did you see the throne on which the emperor sat? It must have been carved from a lump of pure gold.”

His wife responded, “I don’t really remember any of that.”

“Well,” Cagular said in amazement, “What do you remember?”

His wife looked at him and said, “I only remember the face of the man who said he was ready to die for me.”

Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

This Sunday we are celebrating Palm Sunday, the Sunday that Jesus entered Jerusalem to give his life for his friends. Jesus went on to say in this passage, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Jesus also entered Jerusalem to be king and he was crucified for declaring himself king.

Currently in the US there is a campaign for the next president. Donald Trump is one of those people who needs a lot of attention, he likes to be the center of attention. He has a lot of pride and makes a lot of noise.  He likes to be noticed by people and is like the teachers of the law of whom Jesus said, “They like to walk around in ostentatious clothing and love to be greeted in the squares, or to occupy the first place in the synagogues and in places of honor at banquets. They say long prayers to impress others. But these will receive their punishment.”

Jesus wasn’t like that. He entered the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, on a donkey. Not with a parade, with an army, bands, and posters with his face on them. And when he entered Jerusalem, Matthew 21:10 says that the people asked, “Who is this?” His followers responded, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Many people wonder how Jesus could have entered the city with his followers shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” and in less than a week shout: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The truth is, Jesus spent almost his entire ministry in Galilee, north of Jerusalem. He didn’t want attention; He didn’t campaign to be a king.

In Matthew 16:20, after Peter exclaimed the identity of Jesus, saying “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus commanded his disciples to “tell no one that he was the Christ.”

Even Jesus’ brothers told him: “You should leave (Galilee) and go to (Jerusalem), because no one who wants to make himself known acts in secret.”

The silence

Silence is golden when it is kept, and it protects us from saying things unnecessarily or hurtful. Silence is uncomfortable when it forces us to reflect on ourselves or when we don’t know the answers. (Counselors know how to use silence)

Noise helps us hide from God, from others and from ourselves. Christianity is not based on noise, scandal, emotions, commotions, shouting, and crying. It is based on tranquility, integrity, understanding, faithfulness, actions and love. God is a God of order, power, and control.

In the book of I Kings 19, God appears to the prophet Elijah. He says, “Come out and stand before me on the mountain, for I am about to pass by there. At that moment came a mighty wind, so violent that it split the mountains and shattered the rocks; but the Lord was not in the wind. An earthquake followed the wind, but the Lord was not in the earthquake either. After the earthquake there came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire either. And after the fire came a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak.” God can speak in silence.

Our Lord Jesus Christ recognized the depth of silence in relation to other people. Although often overlooked, one of the highlights of the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, was his profound silence during his trial and death on the cross.

All of this was prophesied in the book of Isaiah in several passages that speak of the Messiah. Chapter 42:1-3 says, “This is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom I delight; I have put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry or shout, nor will he lift up his voice in the streets. He will faithfully do justice.”

In Jerusalem people were confused about who Jesus was. They thought “how can the Christ come from Galilee? He will come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem.” John 7:43 says, “Because of Jesus the people were divided.” For some reason Jesus did not hand out pamphlets explaining his identity, or show a PowerPoint presentation of who he was. His actions spoke louder than his words. When the disciples of John the Baptist asked him “Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?” Jesus only indicated his actions. He didn’t defend himself. That’s how it should be with us. Our actions must speak louder than our words.

Isaiah continues talking about the silence of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  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.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us 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. By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?”

Often the Catholic church, especially in Latin America, focus on this image of Christ. It provokes people to think how they can help Jesus. They think that he has no power to save his life. However, Jesus is the Great Power, he is not the frail, powerless icon that can’t help himself. The truth is, at that moment Jesus said, “You think I cannot go to my Father, and he would instantly put at my disposal more than twelve battalions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) To Pilot Jesus said, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.” Who was in control, who had the authority? But Jesus remained silent. A safe silence.

All four gospels say that Jesus remained silent during his trial, as well as during his crucifixion. On three occasions our Lord remained silent before his enemies: before the council of the Pharisees and priests, before Pilate and before Herod. In each case, his silence was more eloquent than any spoken word. There are times and occasions when our silence is better than a thousand words; when our character is attacked, when we are involved in profane conversations or as Proverbs 23:9 says when “we are with fools.”

The chief priests said to Jesus, (Matthew 22:67,68) “If you are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered them, “If I told you, you would not believe me.” Jesus taught his disciples, “Do not cast your pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6).

Matthew writes that when Jesus was harmfully accused by the priests and elders, and they brought in their false witnesses, “He gave no answer” (Matthew 27:12).

The book of Mark teaches us that when the high priest stood before the religious leaders and false witnesses and asked Jesus why He did not respond to his accusers, “Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.” (Mark 4:61)

When Pilate asked him, “Do you not hear what they declare against you?”   Jesus did not respond to a single accusation, so the governor was filled with astonishment.” and that made Pilate uncomfortable and insecure.

Then Jesus was brought before Herod. Herod wanted to see Jesus for a long time. Luke 13:31 says that Herod “wanted to kill him.” He heard of his miracles and teachings and that Jesus called him a “fox.” Luke 23:8 says, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad; He had wanted to see him for a long time because of what he heard about him, and he hoped to witness some miracle that Jesus would perform. He pestered him with many questions, but Jesus said nothing to him.

Why did Jesus say so little during his suffering and crucifixion? His trial would have been the best time to give a testament to who he was and his reason for coming. It would have been the perfect location for another Sermon on the Mount! Before arriving in Jerusalem Jesus openly said that he needed to go to Jerusalem to die. Why didn’t he explain at this time his reason for coming into the world? Why the lack of words, the silence?

1. Integrity

Integrity can allow silence. In the rules of debate, those who present an argument are told that when their arguments are weak in content and substance, they should resort to rhetoric in order to distract attention from the power of logic, from the opponent’s argument.

The silence spoke of the integrity of Jesus. There was no need to hit the pulpit. No matter how great the provocation, Jesus never descended into abuse or revenge, even when punched in the face by a representative of the religious elite, simply because He was right! He offered the other cheek. Jesus responded with dignity and restraint.

In the prophecy written in Isaiah 50 he says in verse 6, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”

2. The Judgment

Why silence? Jesus simply had nothing more to say to some people. In Matthew 10, for example, when Jesus sent his disciples to preach the gospel in the countryside, he warned them that they would encounter unbelief. In such cases, the disciples had to stop talking and start walking and as they left, they needed to shake off the dust from their feet as a silent symbol of judgment against the people’s unbelief. In a sense, Jesus by his silence was shaking the dust from his feet.

3. The Will of God

The last reason for his silence is because it was God’s will. Isaiah 53:10 says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin he will see his offspring and prolong his days.” It was all God’s plan. Jesus said in John 12:9, “I have not spoken on my own authority, the Father who sent me ordered me what to say and how to say it.” Jesus only said what his Father commanded him to say. Nothing more, nothing less.

Reviewing the few words Jesus said before being crucified in his defense, he affirmed his identity as king. Pilate said, “So you are king!” Jesus responded “It is you who say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world.” Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If I were, my own guards would fight to prevent the Jews from arresting me. But my kingdom is not from this world.” Jesus said in Luke 17:21 that “the kingdom of God is within you.”

Jesus wants to be the king of your heart, not of a country or a kingdom of the world as Satan offered him in his temptations. He wants to dwell in your being, in your soul, in your life. When he predicted his death Jesus said in John 12:32 “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth (when they lifted up the cross from the earth), will draw everyone to myself.”

Jesus’ mission was not to defend his identity, or his integrity. Jesus’ mission was to draw us to him, so that we might have life, abundant life. To have eternal life with him. In Isaiah 49:7, speaking of Christ, God said, “I now make you a light to the nations, so that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

All of that, the silence, the abuse, the death, was for your salvation and mine as a gift from God. You just need to receive it. Jesus had a mission. He fulfilled it. Like Cagular, he had the self-confidence to do anything, even give his life.