The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story Silver Blaze centers around a clue of silence. In this mystery, detective Sherlock Holmes investigates the theft of a prized racehorse, which had been guarded by an excellent watchdog.

In gathering evidence, Holmes learns that the dog did not bark during the intrusion. The great detective deduces that the dog knew the culprit, and this leads to solving the crime.

For anyone investigating the identity of Jesus Christ, the Bible holds many clues. One piece of evidence is His silence. Speaking of Him centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah offered this clue: “As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (53:7). The significance of this remained obscure until Jesus was brought before His accusers and “He answered nothing” (Mark 15:3).

It’s a small but important piece of evidence, especially when combined with other clues, such as His birth in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; Luke 2:4), His Davidic lineage (Is. 11:10; Luke 3:31), the casting of lots for His clothing by the soldiers (Ps. 22:18; John 19:23-24). These and more than 300 other fulfilled prophecies present us with overwhelming evidence of the identity of Jesus. He is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of all who put their faith in Him.

  — David C. Egner