He's asked me to preach, and
I covet your prayers that the Lord will enable me to preach
simply, clearly, and boldly, and that the Lord will bless
that word. A lot of people have expressed
the desire, well, I'd like to be there. Well, I'd like you
to be there, too. But the point is, I don't want these people
to be distracted by a bunch of people who don't believe like
them coming. They're thinking, what's going on here? I want
it to be just them listening to the message without any kind
of distraction. In Isaiah chapter 53 verse 7,
let's read that again. He was oppressed and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth. He didn't try to defend himself.
He opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as sheep before her shears is done, so opened
he not his mouth. I want to attempt to preach to
you this morning on this subject, the silence of Christ. The silence of Christ. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse
7 says there's a time to keep silence and there's a time to
speak. Now the Lord Jesus is the only
one who has ever obeyed this precept. How many times have you spoken
when you should have kept silent? And how many times have you been
silent when you should have been speaking? that can never be said of the
Lord. His response to being oppressed
and afflicted was silence. Now, if I'm getting ready to
be tormented for something that I didn't do, you know what I'm
going to do? I'm going to defend myself. I'm going to do everything
I can to defend myself and justify myself and vindicate myself. But the Lord kept silent. He had nothing to say. Turn to Matthew chapter 26. Verse 61. These false witnesses came and
said, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of
God and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose
and said unto him, answerest thou nothing? What is it which
these witnesses against thee? But Jesus. held his peace. Matthew 27, verse 12. He said nothing to the high priest,
and now he's brought before Pilate. Verse 12. And when he was accused
of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, hearst
thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he
answered him, never a word, insomuch as the governor marveled greatly. Turn to Luke 23. This is after
he's already been before the high priest, he's already been
before Pilate, and Pilate sends him to Herod. Luke 23. This is the same Herod that had
John the Baptist beheaded. He's the son of the Herod who
had all the children under two years old put to death at the
birth of Christ. Now this was a very wicked man.
And we read in Luke chapter 23, beginning verse eight after that
Pilate had sent him to Herod. And when Pilate saw Jesus, he
was exceeding glad for he was desirous to see him of a long
season because he'd heard many things of him. I mean, this was,
this was noise abroad. This was what everybody was hearing
of this man, Jesus and his miracles and the things he did. He hoped
to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with
him in many words, but he answered him nothing. No defense, not
a word. Now Herod sends him back to Pilate,
turn with me to John 19. Verse one, then Pilate therefore
took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers planted a crown
of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple
robe and said, hail, king of the Jews. And they smote him
with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again
and saith unto them, behold, I bring him forth to you that
you may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, behold
the man. When the chief priests therefore
and officers saw him, they cried out saying, crucify him, crucify
him. Pilate saith unto them, take ye him and crucify him,
for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, we have
a law and by our law he ought to die because he made himself
the son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he was the more afraid. And he went in again to the judgment
hall and saith unto Jesus, whence art thou? But Jesus gave him
no answer. Then said Pilate unto him, speakest
thou not to me? Knowest thou not that I have
power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee? You know,
the Lord had to answer that, didn't he? He had to answer that. He said, thou couldst have no
power at all over me. except it were given thee from
above, therefore he that hath delivered me unto thee hath the
greater sin. Now before the priests, Annas and Caiaphas, before Pilate,
before Herod, and back to Pilate, he answered not a word. And how majestic he was in his
silence. How deafening was the roar of
his silence. What does this mean? Sometimes silence is the most
powerful answer of all. What does the silence of the
Lord Jesus Christ mean? Now, I have seven reasons as
to why he remained silent. Now, here's the first reason,
because the scripture said he would remain silent. That's simple
enough, isn't it? I just read from Isaiah chapter
three, 53 verse seven, where he opened not his mouth. The Bible said he would be silent.
Therefore, he was silent. You see, everything he did, he
did that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And when he did
something that the scriptures might be fulfilled, that's another
way of saying he did something so God's will would be fulfilled. Same thing. Herod and Pontius Pilate with
the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done. He was silent because it was
determined by God Almighty that he would remain silent. Now this is a reminder to us
of the sovereign control of Christ. I love it. I know I may mention
this quite often in the last couple of months when we've been
dealing with the events surrounding the cross, but when they came
to arrest him, he said, whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. I am. And as soon as he said
that, omnipotent force knocked them backwards. You reckon they
were scared to death? What's our Lord doing by that?
He's letting them know. I'm in control of this, not you. You're in mine. I'm not in yours. I'm no victim. I'm the Lord. And when he kept silent, he was
exercising his lordship. You see, it was determined before
that he would be silent. So silent he is. Why was he silent? Secondly,
why didn't he defend himself against these accusations? Here's my second reason. Because
he was showing his own willingness to go through everything he was
going through. By his silence, he was demonstrating
his complete willingness. You remember when Peter cut the
ear off the high priest servant, Malchus, and the Lord said, put
up your sword into your sheath. Don't you know that if I willed
it, I could pray to my heavenly father and he'd send 12 legions
of angels and wipe this place out. But this is my will. Everything I'm doing, I'm doing
because I want to. You know, some years ago, there
was a book written entitled, When Bad Things Happen to Good
People. only happened one time. And the only reason it happened
is because he willed it. Turn with me for a moment to
John chapter 10. Verse 14, I am the good shepherd
and know my sheep and have known of mine. As the father knoweth
me, even so know I the father, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore does my Father love
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. this commandment
have I received of my father. Now his silence says everything
that I'm getting ready to experience it's because I will for this
to happen. I am willingly laying my life
down and I love the way he says I have the power to lay it down
and I have the power to take it up. I don't understand how
this is, but Jesus Christ had the power to raise himself from
the dead. He really was dead, and he raised himself from the
dead. Why was he silent? Here's my
third reason. He was silent before Annas and
Caiaphas, the high priest. He didn't have anything to say
to him. He was silent before Pilate. Speakest thou not to
me? He was silent before Herod as the Herod and his men of war
made fun of him and mocked him after his silence. He wouldn't
speak. He's brought back to Pilate. Still doesn't speak to Pilate.
Why was he silent? Because he was not pleased to
make himself known to these people. He didn't make himself known
savingly to Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests. He didn't speak
to them. Pilate died in his sins. He didn't speak to him. Herod,
as he lived, so he died. in utter darkness because he
didn't speak to him. He was not pleased to make himself
known to these people. Somebody says, I don't hear the
Lord saying anything. He's not talking to you. That's
why. I don't hear him speaking. Well,
there's a reason you don't hear him speaking. He's not speaking
to you. And my dear friend, if he doesn't
speak to you, you're toast. It's over for you. If he's not
pleased to speak in power to your heart, you won't be saved. Those corrupt high priests, they're
in hell right now. And Christ didn't speak to them.
Pontius Pilate, who so wrongly said, don't you know I have power
to release you, and I have power to let you go? He didn't speak
to him. That man's in hell right now, and he remembers exactly
what he did. Harry, making fun of Christ after Christ refused
to speak to him. He's in hell. And if Christ doesn't
speak to you in power, you'll die on your sins. You know what that makes me say? Lord, speak to me. Don't leave
me to myself. Don't leave me to my own understanding. in power to my heart. As the
Father raises the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickeneth
whom He will. The hour is coming and now is
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they
that hear shall live. Lord, May I hear the voice of the Son
of God. Don't leave me to myself like
you did these men. Speak to me. Why did Jesus remain silent? Here's my fourth reason. Because
of his utter submission to his Father's will. Shortly before this. He was in
the garden of Gethsemane praying, Father. If it be possible. Let this cup pass from me. And he knew exactly what that
cup was. He saw into it at that time.
And the scripture says he sweat great drops of blood. It was
the cup of our sins that he was getting ready to drink. And he
knew he would be separated from his father and would have nothing
but the silence of his father. And he couldn't bear the thought.
He said, if it'd be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And then he gets up and says,
the cup which my father had given me to drink, shall I not drink
it? He remained silent. because he
knew he came to do the Father's will. And he was utterly submissive
to that will. He said, I came down from heaven
not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And
this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which
He had given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again
at the last day. He knew he'd come for this purpose,
to suffer and die as the sin-bearing substitute He didn't open his
mouth because he was demonstrating his utter and complete and perfect
submission to the will of his father. Here's my fifth reason. Why didn't
he open his mouth? Now, like I said, If I'm getting
ready to be thrown into jail for a sin that I didn't commit,
I'm gonna do everything I can to defend myself, aren't you?
I'm gonna do everything within my power to defend myself if
I'm not guilty. Here's the catch. He was guilty. That is why he did not defend
himself. He knew every accusation against
him was true. Now, how could that be? The scripture says, now we know
that what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are
under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
become guilty before God. Now, God said, I will by no means
clear the guilty. Didn't he say that? Exodus chapter
34, when he was making himself known to Moses, he said, I'll
by no means clear the guilty. When Christ took my sin, it wasn't
Todd's sin imputed to him, his sin that he was guilty of. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them his very own. He bore the burden of Calvary
and suffered and died alone. That's why I say, when with the
ransomed in glory his face I at last shall see, it will be my
joy through the ages to sing of his love for me. My sin literally
became his sin. He didn't say, this is Todd's
sin imputed to me. He said, my sins have gone over
my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for me. He didn't defend himself because
he was guilty. His mouth was stopped before
the law of God, and he stood guilty as charged. And God's
justice is such that he will not even spare his own son if
there's sin. My sin became his sin. He became guilty of that sin. Therefore, he could not say to
the Lord, I didn't do this. He couldn't say, this is Todd's
sin, imputed to me, but I didn't do it. No he became guilty of
that sin. And just as truly as he became
guilty of that sin, every believer becomes guilty of being perfectly
righteous. He hath made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the very righteousness
of God in him. I repeat, his silence before
his accusers speaks of his guilt. Here's my sixth reason. His silence
before his accusers speaks of his substitutionary death. Now, you remember that scripture
that we opened this service with? All we like sheep. defenseless, silly sheep. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. Every one of us. We've gone in
a particular way that aggravates our guilt and our wickedness. Oh, we like sheep have gone astray. We turned everyone to his own
way. Amen. Is that true regarding you? You
know what he had to do? He had to become a sheep. Like a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so opened he not his mouth. Do you know he had to
be sheared of everything? He lost all sense of acceptance
with God, all the prayer. He was, you know, the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich yet for your sakes,
he became what? Poverty, poor. He lost everything. He was sheared of everything. And he was led as a lamb to the
slaughter as my substitute. So opened he not his mouth. You see, if he would have opened
his mouth, guess who'd be slaughtered? Me. But so opened he not his
mouth, he became that sheep who was sheared and slaughtered as
the great sin-bearing substitute of all of God's elect. Here's my seventh reason. He opened not his mouth out of love for his people. If he would have opened his mouth
in self-defense, I would be slaughtered. You see, the church is his bride.
his beloved wife. And he wasn't gonna open his
mouth so they would be saved. He said, as the father hath loved
me. Now how does the father love
the son? I can't describe it, nor can
any other man. As the father hath loved me,
even so have I loved you. I stand amazed in the presence. of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder
how he could love me, that he was willing to be forsaken by
his father and deal with the silence of his father. My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from me?
And the words of my roaring, I cry unto thee in the daytime
and thou hearest not. Why did he do this? because of
his love for his bride. Now let's go to another scene.
Would you turn with me to Acts chapter eight? Verse 26, Acts chapter 8. And the angel of the Lord spake
unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south, and to the
way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is a desert. Now, if you read what happened
previously in this chapter, a revival had taken place in Samaria. And
God had revealed himself to many people. And I'm sure Philip wanted
to stay there. And the Lord said, go down to
the desert. I'm sure Philip was thinking,
why? Well, I know why. One of God's
elect was in the desert. And the Lord's always going to
go after his people. Always. So let's go on reading.
Verse 27. And he arose and went, behold,
a man of Ethiopia and eunuch of great authority under Candace,
queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure.
He'd come to Jerusalem for to worship. And this man was a heathen. He was a Gentile, but somehow
he knew that true worship was found only among the Jews. He
knew his gods were false gods. And he went to Jerusalem for
this purpose. I want to worship God. I want
to know who he is. I want to bow before him. I want
to worship God. And he was there for the Passover
and all the ceremonies. And he was returning, verse 28, He was just as blind as he was
when he got there. Just as empty as he was when
he got there. But he was doing something that
I would highly recommend. He was reading the Bible. That's
a good thing to do. Read the Bible. He was reading
the Bible. He was returning and sitting
in his chariot and he read Isaiah the prophet. Then the spirit
said unto Philip, go near and join thyself to this chariot.
And Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet
Isaiah. Now, before we go on, you know
what part of Isaiah he was reading? Isaiah chapter 53 verses six
and seven. Same passage we've already read.
He was reading Isaiah chapter 53. You know, I like to call
Isaiah the gospel of Isaiah, don't you? Talk about the gospel
of Matthew and Mark and Luke and John. Well, this is the gospel
of Isaiah. He preached the gospel as clearly
as any of the New Testament writers ever began to. Isaiah 53, where
would we be without Isaiah 53? And Philip ran to the other verse
30 to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said,
understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, how can I? No, I don't. How can I? Except some man should
guide me. Now, I love that answer. You
understand what you're reading? Well, here's what I think. I
think it means this. That's a bad place to be. Whatever you think, you can bet
it's wrong. It's wrong. How can I, except
some man should guide me? And he desired, Philip, that
he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture
which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shears, so opened
he not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment
was taken away and who shall declare his generation for his
life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip
and said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of
himself or some other man. Some other man. I can tell you
that right now. Some other man. Then Philip opened
his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached unto him,
Jesus. He's the Lamb of God. It pleased
the Lord to bruise him. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. He was wounded for our transgressions,
bruised. Can you imagine that exposition
he gave at that time of Isaiah chapter 53? He preached unto
him, Jesus. Somebody was asking me, what's
the difference between what you preach and what other quote Christians preach? We preach
Christ. That's the difference. He preached
unto him, Jesus. And they went on their way, they
came into a certain water, and the eunuch said, see, here's
water, what does hinder me to be baptized? Obviously, in his
message, he talked about baptism and what it represents. When
Christ lived, I lived. When he died, I died. When he
was raised from the dead, I was raised from the dead. He did
all those things. Here's water, what hinders me
from being baptized? And Philip said, if you believe
with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Now, let me remind you
something. True saving faith doesn't have
anything to do with what you believe about yourself. Well, I believe I'm saved. Doesn't
mean you're not. I'm afraid I'm not saved. It
doesn't necessarily mean you're not. I believe Christ died for me.
You know, just that hymn, I wish we could change the words. Just
as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me.
We don't come to Christ, we come pleading his blood. May I be
washed in the blood, but we don't come with the assurance that
his blood was shed for me. Faith is not believing Christ
died for your sins. Faith is believing that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.
Whatever he does must be successful. You can't believe on Christ and
think anything else. And Philip said with you, if
you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And he commanded
the chariot to stand still. And they went down both into
the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. Now one other scripture. It's where Christ could not remain
silent. Now we've talked about the silence
of Christ, but let me show you a scripture where he just could
not remain silent. He had to speak. Matthew chapter
15. Verse 21. Matthew chapter 15,
verse 21. Then Jesus went thence and departed
into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously
vexed with the devil. Now, this woman knew who he was. He's the son of David. She knew
what she needed. Mercy. She had a great problem. Her daughter was grievously vexed
with the devil. Now, how did the Lord respond
to her? But, verse 23, he answered her,
not a word. If you come to Jesus Christ with
your great problems? What if he didn't answer you? Would he be just? Would he be wrong? If he just
left you to yourself? He remained silent. Just as he
was silent before the high priest and before Pilate and before
Herod, he was silent before this woman. Let me tell you something. If you need mercy, I mean, if
you need mercy, You're not going to go away. You're going to keep crying.
Because you don't have anywhere else to go. If you need mercy,
you have nowhere else to go. And his disciples, verse 23,
came and besought him saying, send her away. She crieth after
us. She won't leave us alone. But
he answered and said, he wasn't speaking to her, but he knew
she would hear this. He was speaking to his disciples, but he knew
she would hear this. He said, I'm not sinned, but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Let me translate that. I've only
come for the elect. I didn't come to save everybody.
I've only come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. What was her response? Then, verse 25, came she and
worshiped him. Now this is worship. Oh, we had
some kind of worship service. I doubt it. This is worship. She worshipped
him who came only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
She worshipped him for who he was. He had not yet done anything
for her as far as she knew, but she came and worshipped him anyway. True worship is when you worship
him for who he is. She came and worshipped him saying,
Lord, help me. If you don't help me, I won't
be helped. Help me. Can you say that, Lord? Help me. If you don't help me,
it's over for me. I must have your help. But I'm only sent to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel. I still need your help. I got
nowhere else to go. Then came she and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, help me. Verse 26, but he answered and
said, it's not meat to take the children's bread and to cast
it to dogs. How many different ways are there
to take that? I've heard people say, well,
he's talking about little puppies. He's not talking about dogs.
He's not calling this woman a dog. Well, dog or puppy, a dog's a
dog. It's not right to take the children's
bread and to throw it to the dogs. The obvious implication,
you're a dog. You know what she said? If I ever heard the truth, that's
it. That's the truth. That is the truth. You know one
thing I know about God's people? They respond to the truth. Every one of them. Truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. I wouldn't
dare expect a place sitting with the children, but I'll take my
place as a dog under your table and I'll be grateful for any
crumb of mercy that comes my way. And you know what? The Lord couldn't remain silent. He had to speak at this time.
And what's he say? Oh woman, great is thy faith. Now we would send her to a counselor
to bolster up her self-esteem. How could she let someone talk
to her this way? What did the Lord say? O woman, great is thy faith. Now here's the only one who's
able to judge what great faith is. He's a man of great faith. I don't know if he is or not,
but I know here's a woman who is of great faith. And what was
her faith? She knew the only hope she had
was for him to help her, and she would not be stopped. She continued to cry. Now, if
you stop crying, you don't really need mercy. If you need mercy, You'll continue
to cry and he will give it just like he did to this woman because
he was silent. Because he was silent, he could
now not refrain from speaking to this woman. Oh woman, great
is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. Let's pray.