(2) And Pilate asked him, Art thou the king of the Jews? and he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. (3) And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.' (4) And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold, how many things they witness against thee. (5) But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
We have here the LORD of life and glory arraigned at Pilate's bar, and witnessing, as the HOLY GHOST testifieth, a good confession. 1 Timothy 6:13. And in this instance, as in the former, we behold strong mystical representations, in what JESUS suffered, to the circumstances of his people. The silence of CHRIST, to the many accusations of the Chief Priests, is strikingly descriptive of the sinner's state of guilt, whom JESUS then represented as their surety. It was said of Him, ages before his incarnation, that he should be led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Isaiah 53:7. In this, CHRIST represented the sinner; silent and abashed, under the sense of sin. For though in himself he knew no sin, yet was he made sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Pause Reader, over this view of thy Redeemer! Here is that Great Prophet, which so many ages before had been promised, as coming into the world, whom the LORD said they should hear; and that every one which would not hear that Prophet, should be destroyed from among the people: here he now stands, silent and accused, as a delinquent and malefactor, before Pontius Pilate and the Elders! Mark well, the striking difference, and then ask, in what sense are we to be hold him, but as the surety of his people? Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22, and Acts 7:37.