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He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to be slaughtered, and as a sheep before it’s shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7

This is not about the popular Hollywood movie, “The Silence of the Lambs.” On the contrary, it is far greater and glorious.

Many interesting events unfolded during the trial of Jesus Christ before He was condemned to die on the cross. One incident that captures my attention is when the chief priests and the Sanhedrin (supreme council) fabricated false witnesses to accuse Jesus of blasphemy, lying and sedition. Despite the false accusations, the sinless Lamb of God chose to remain silent and never uttered a word.

Let’s take a moment to ponder on the silence of the Lamb and how it differs from our typical response when accused.

• Response # 1: When we have done something wrong and know we’re in the wrong, the first words that come out of our mouths are utterances of excuse and self-defense.
• Response # 2: When we are right, but falsely accused, we are quick to speak-up and protect our innocence.

It’s human nature to want to justify ourselves when we’re guilty, and even more so when we are innocent. The silence of the Lamb of God has an important blessing and lesson for the followers of Christ.

Blessing: Why was Jesus silent? Isaiah 53:4 answers this question, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crucified for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." In other words, Jesus was silent in order to fully bear our sins. Had he defended or protested his innocence, Jesus would have won, but we would have lost our salvation. What a blessing the silence of the Lamb has brought unto us!

Lesson: Since Jesus was silent for our sake, we should never be silent when it comes to our witness for Him by sharing the gospel. How can we be ashamed of sharing the gospel of the Lamb who silently bore our sin and shame?

Let us learn from the silence of the Lamb by:

• Praising God and singing, "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." (Psalm 34:1)
• Asking God to help you not to be silent when opportunities come your way to share the gospel.