Just imagine voices piping up, opponents of Christ, the most militant of atheists: ‘But, but, but …’. All their objections and protests will be drowned by the sound of his voice, not just the volume but the truth of his words. They will be silenced. When Christ comes and when Christ speaks all opposition falls silent. Everyone who has ever opposed him knows in that moment he has been an utter fool, and a guilty and wilful fool. Everybody – the text has already told us earlier in the chapter – will wail because of him, and even those who pierced him will wail, we are told elsewhere. Why will they be wailing and weeping and overwhelmed with grief, and crying out? Because they feel their iniquity and their rebellion, their prejudice and their horrible pride, all their antagonism towards him. They feel the guilt of all their slanderers and blasphemies, and the terrible statements they have made, and their voices shrink to nothing.