A Stillness That Lets God Work

—some thoughts by Pastor Charles P. Schmitt

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth….As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth…” (Isaiah 53:7).

Reflecting on this very messianic prophecy in Isaiah, Peter writes concerning our Lord Jesus: “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23). The amazing stillness of Jesus in the face of painful opposition and insult and accusation is an awesome testimony to the “stillness that lets God work.”

All of us have been called to bear insults; we have undoubtedly all suffered at the hands of often well-meaning but none-the-less unrighteous people. We have been evil spoken of, maligned, and accused; even our sins have been misrepresented—and in this way we have shared in the sufferings of Jesus. Paul calls this “the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). But the Father desires us to share in His stillness as well—a stillness that lets God work.

Both Matthew and Mark make a very interesting observation. When Jesus was asked concerning the truth about Himself (“Are you the king of the Jews?”), He answered clearly and firmly, “Yes, it is as you say” (see Matthew 27:11 and Mark 15:2) But when Jesus was accused, He said nothing. “When He was accused by the chief priests and the elders, He gave no answer….Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the amazement of the governor (Matthew 27:12–14 and Mark 15:3–5). His was a stillness that lets God work.

And God did work—on Resurrection Sunday morning! In the face of all that His adversaries sought to do to keep Jesus down (Secure the tomb! Seal the stone! Post a guard!), God, nonetheless, delivered His beloved Son from the jaws of the lion!

Death cannot keep its prey—
Jesus, my Savior!
He tore the bars away—
Jesus, my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose, a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign;

He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose! —Robert Lowry

And God’s vindication went even further—He exalted Jesus above the heavens, and seated Him at His right hand, waiting till all His enemies will be made His footstool!
There is a stillness that lets God work. May that stillness be ours today!

“Have I, for far much less,
With rage, which I called righteousness,
Resented slights with great distress?
My dear Savior ‘held His peace.’”