I. If we try to place ourselves in the position of one of our fellow-creatures placed on trial for his life, and before judges from whom he had little to look for in the way of consideration or mercy, we can understand that the silence of a perfectly innocent man might be natural for more reasons than one. There might be (1) the silence of sheer bewilderment, (2) the silence of terror, (3) the silence of mistaken prudence, (4) the silence of disdain.
II. None of these motives for silence will account for that of our Lord before Pilate. His silence meant (1) rebuke, (2) instruction, (3) charity.
H. P. Liddon, Penny Pulpit,No. 1134.
References: John 19:12. Clergyman's Magazine,vol. iii., p. 216. John 19:13-37. R. S. Candlish, Scripture Characters and Miscellanies,p. 96. John 19:14. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxiii., No. 1353; Ibid., My Sermon Notes: Gospels and Acts,p. 160; Preacher's Monthly,vol. v., p. 340. John 19:15. Contemporary Pulpit,vol. vi., p. 145; Homiletic Magazine,vol. xv., p. 83. Joh 19:16. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. ix., No. 497; Ibid., Morning by Morning,p. 94.John 19:16-18. Homiletic Quarterly,vol. i., p. 361. Joh 19:16-27. T. R. Stevenson, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xxviii., p. 280. John 19:17. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxviii., No. 1683. Joh 19:18. J. Murray, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xiv., p. 394.John 19:19. G. Brooks, Five Hundred Outlines,p. 407. John 19:19; John 19:20. A. P. Peabody, Christian World Pulpit,vol. xii. p. 168.