Few things get me as riled up as lies and injustice. So, when a pastor sat in our living room accusing my husband and I of fomenting rebellion, I mentally devised our defense, ready to unleash it at the right moment. I quivered with righteous indignation. My husband gently put his hand on my knee, signaling that he was going to handle the situation. I needed to wait and let him handle it. My husband asked a few questions. Who? What? When? There were no answers forthcoming. Finally, my husband said, “We are tendering our resignation as of this moment.”
After the pastor left; I asked my husband why he did not put up a defense. Why did he not refute the lies and correct the misconceptions? He explained that there was no point; truth was not being sought. God knew the truth and that was enough. We stood right and justified before the Lord. All would come out in time. No defense was our best defense.
In John 18:28-19:16, the chief priests presented Jesus to Pilate to have Him crucified. This was a kangaroo court. There was no search for truth or presenting of evidence. The religious leaders had already determined Jesus’ guilt.
When Pilate asks probing questions, trying to elicit a response that will serve as damning evidence, Jesus responds with truth. He does not cower when Pilate says that he has the power of life and death over Jesus. Pilate does not realize that there is a divine plan that God laid out from the beginning.
In this passage, there are two points that stand out to me.
- Jesus exercised self-control. (John 19:1-4) He does not seek revenge after the false allegations and the unimaginably brutal beating. He remains under the will of the Father, exercising self-control.
Romans 12:17-19 says not to repay evil with evil. The Lord will work on your behalf. Proverbs 29:11 says fools give full vent to their anger. Seeking revenge or lashing out is a loss of self-control. I am guilty of this. How many times have I lashed out because of my own pain; not leaving room for the Lord to work because I took matters into my own hands?
- Jesus spoke truth (John 18:37) The words that came out the Lord’s mouth were measured and to the point. There were no angry, defensive responses. Jesus tells Pilate that His purpose was to bring the Truth to the world. He did not need to defend Himself because He knew the truth. HE IS THE TRUTH. (John 14:1-6) Jesus spoke truth to point people to Him.
I have used truth as “gotcha” moments; not to bring peace and reconciliation; but rather to prove my point as being right. I have spoken truth; but not in love. Ephesians 4:15 reminds me to speak the truth in love. Proverbs 15:1 says that calm answers can bring peace but harsh words stir up anger. I have often been brutally honest, no gentleness or grace in my tone.
Precious friend, I know it is difficult to not defend yourself; especially when wrongly accused. We want to set the record straight. When we stand on God’s truth; we can rest assured that Jesus sees us, and He will work on our behalf. He will defend us. We can exercise self-control with the power of the Holy Spirit. We can speak with love and truth, pointing toward Christ.
Life In The Valley 