Entire chapters of the gospels are devoted to Jesus’s sermons, parables, and private conversations with His disciples. Even among non-Christians, Jesus’s reputation as a teacher is well known, and many of His expressions (e.g., going the extra mile, a house divided against itself, a city on a hill, the good Samaritan) have entered into common language.

Yet in all four gospels, as they approach the climax of the story, the holiday we celebrate today as Easter, Jesus becomes quieter.