Within days of Jesus' appointment with death, His accusers still had no way to bring Him to a legal trial.  Although they had decided that He must die, under Roman occupation, they had no authority to execute Him: and He never did anything to offend the authorities.  So, the Jewish lawyers hoped that He could be provoked into incriminating Himself in some way, perhaps by speaking against Caesar - which would be treason, a capital offence (John 19:12-16).

But Jesus saw through it all.  Even the spies were as obvious as if they had been labelled.  Mingling with the crowd, rather like press reporters around a modern-day celebrity, they waited for Him to say something they could twist into an admission of error.  Of course, He didn't; everything He did was full of righteousness and every word He spoke was wise and true.  Nevertheless, they believed that Jesus would condemn Himself out of His own mouth ... and waited for Him to say it.  They were applying the best principles of legal evidence: whatever is in the heart will come out of the mouth (Luke 6:45), if pressed hard enough.  

That is also how every sinner will be judged before Christ's throne: our mouths are both the vehicle for confessing that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9-10), and the way we shall account to God for every wasted breath.  Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37, "But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  And those who teach will be judged even more strictly (James 3:1).  Romans 14:11-12 says, "It is written: ‘As surely as I live, says the Lord.  Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’  So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."
 
How perverse that Jesus was being subjected to the same legal scrutiny that His accusers and all people will face when He returns.  However, He displayed no fault, because every word was full of grace and truth. However hard they tried to trap Him, they were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips (Luke 4:22).  If only that was also true for those of us who follow Him.  But surely it must be one of our ambitions even though we may fail.  Inevitably when people want to ridicule Jesus, they will try to trap His people through what they say.  That is why Jesus said that His disciples must be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  He has certainly set a high standard for us, but with His help our words can confirm the validity of the gospel rather than defame it.  Perhaps it is a good challenge for today, ‘How can I speak truthfully and graciously like Jesus?’