And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” Matthew 26:62
Jesus was given all power and authority, but He chose to restrain himself by doing “nothing” as the above scripture states. Doing “Nothing” is significant because it goes against our cultural norm where there should always be a solution to a problem or a rebuttal to an argument.
When Jesus was accused of wrongdoing, He chose to do “nothing”. He knew that not answering the high priest would be a kiss of death for Him, but he chose not to defend Himself. Jesus was secure in who He was and didn’t need to prove it to anyone. He also was well acquainted with the condition of man’s heart towards Him. If a man/woman was hungry and thirsty for truth, Jesus chose to reveal HImself to them, but for others He offered them no self-disclosure!
If Jesus chose to do “nothing” at times, then we should be prepared for it as well. Jesus wasn’t concerned about His reputation neither was He worried about losing followers. Jesus was not even compelled to do something out of the fear of being punished wrongfully, so He remained quiet.
If Jesus had responded, they could have reacted with a mocking rebuttal or an angry reaction. However, there is nothing better than one hearing own’s voice spewing hateful accusations at an innocent man!
Saying “nothing” is different than silence treatment. Silence treatment is a form of manipulation and control in a relationship, and the flesh gets great gratification out of it. However, doing “nothing” as directed by the Lord will require the flesh dying to self and not defending itself.
Next time you are tempted to react or rebuttal quickly, stop and ask the Lord if the answer to this one is doing “nothing”!