Christ’s Silent Reversal and Yours (Matthew 27:11-14).

Class Outline:

Wednesday April 1, 2026

 

Intro: Background. 

 

The Sanhedrin show their hand: “innocent blood” … “what is that to us?” 

And they alter their charge when bringing Him to Pilate, making it political, something that Pilate will have to act on. 

 

LUK 23:2

And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

 

Main idea: Because it is the will of the Father that Christ stand trial before unjust authorities, He will be silent to all accusations, allowing the Father to defend Him and we have the privilege of following in His footsteps. 

 

MAT 27:1-2

Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; 2 and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor. 

 

MAT 27:11-14

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said to him, "It is as you say."  12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed. 

 

1. Reversal: The first thing that strikes us is the King of the Universe on trial before the small Roman governor. 

 

Jesus the King stands before Pilate’s bema seat. 

 

DAN 7:14

"And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

 

PSA 110:1-2

The Lord says to my Lord:

"Sit at My right hand

Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." 

2 The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,

"Rule in the midst of Your enemies." 

 

Pilate is able to question Him and from His throne Jesus will question everyone. 

 

REV 20:12

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 

 

The Jews were able to accuse Him, and from His throne Jesus will accuse the “goats”. 

 

MAT 25:31-33

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.  32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;  33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 

 

In every case, His trial is a reversal of the reality to come.

 

God’s will is that sin is allowed to show itself so that He can show His power.

 

ROM 9:22

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? [Pharaoh and all the other hardhearted people]

 

If He defends Himself against their accusations, He is interrupting the Father demonstrating His power. You are not to demonstrate your power but to wait for God to demonstrate His.

 

2. Silence: He knows that it is God’s will. 

 

When asked about His identity, He answers. When accused, He is silent. 

 

He must go to the cross and He understands and has accepted that. He has to be handed over to the cross by sinners and He understands and has accepted that. All involved in handing Him over are going to play their part and He understands and has accepted that. 

 

Trial of the innocent is the will of God.

 

When your trial is the will of God, it is out of His will for you to defend yourself from persecution or insult. 

 

MAT 5:10-12

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

 

This amazed Pilate. 

 

All other uses of thaumazo (amaze) denote being favorably impressed.

 

Jesus knows what must happen because of the Scriptures, therefore He is not going to take any accusations seriously. 

 

Imagine Jesus bringing to mind various Psalms, for instance, Psa 37-39, which are so applicable to His situation. 

 

PSA 37:7

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 

 

PSA 37:32-34

The wicked spies upon the righteous

And seeks to kill him. 

33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged. 

34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 

 

PSA 38:13-15 [though this is a repentance psalm from David]

 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 

14 Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,

And in whose mouth are no arguments. 

15 For I hope in You, O Lord;

You will answer, O Lord my God. 

 

PSA 39:1-2

I said, "I will guard my ways

That I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle

While the wicked are in my presence." 

2 I was mute and silent,

I refrained even from good,

And my sorrow grew worse. 

 

PSA 39:5

"Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;

Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. 

 

ISA 53:7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth. 

 

Would that we remember Scriptures like these during our own trials.

 

3. His reversal and silence is to be yours also: 

 

Now it is time for you to participate with Him in the same way. 

 

PHI 3:8-11

that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

 

The conclusion to Peter’s exposition on our priesthood in Christ says it all.

 

Every believer in Christ is made a priest of God (1PE 2:4-10).

 

1PE 2:13-25

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 

 

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor [charis - win a favorable response from God; blessing], if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 

 

21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

 

God’s will is that sin is allowed to show itself so that He can show His power. Not only is this true for Christ, but it is true for you.

 

In all things we get to imitate Christ. This is the greatest privilege of life - a life of Christ, not things, wealth and earthly power (all of which is passing away). 

 

Trial is the will of God for your life at the proper time (vs. 21).

 

So, why remain silent? Remaining allows God to reveal power. Never are you to reveal your own.

 

The vindication to Christ is going to come at His resurrection and eventually at His second coming. We also wait for our vindication, and we are patient, it may not come for a long time; we may not see it in our lifetime.