Have you ever been falsely accused of saying or doing something that you didn’t do? How did you respond? What effect did it have on you?
Jesus was able to endure and remain silent while being condemned because he was attuned to the voice that really matters. Whose voice did Jesus listen to, and what did that voice say?
In the Gospel, Jesus endures all of God’s judgment our sin deserves so that in Jesus we are fully accepted, approved, and forgiven by God. Our judgment day moved from the future to the past when Jesus’ died on the cross for us. What difference can this truth make for us when we’re the object of someone’s unfair condemnation? How can this truth foster life-giving repentance when we’re fairly accused of something we’ve actually done?