Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!” [Mark 14.60-64]
Why did Jesus not answer the first accusation but then answer the next question?
The first accusation was about Jesus' prediction concerning the Temple. It was about religion and, I can imagine, if Jesus had given an answer, it would have been like every other response Jesus ever gave to the religious leaders' questions and it would have shut them up because they couldn't have refuted His perfect answer. This is the very thing Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane: getting spiritual control of His perfect humanity so that He might still get to His cross.
Jesus however knew exactly what response would not silence the religious leaders but secure their death sentence upon Him: it was regarding His deity - His being the Son of God - God in the flesh - Immanuel, the Messiah.
In His superior human perfection, Jesus could silence every objection the religious leaders could ever launch at Him. Every single answer Jesus ever gave these religious leaders shut them up except the one answer above: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Why?
Why indeed!
What Jesus said to one, He said to all:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
When Jesus answered in the affirmative that He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, He blatantly disclosed their idolatry. They were religious alright, but their religion had become an idol in lieu of (or in addition to) relationship with God. This age-old idol-induced spiritual blindness prevented them from recognizing the very Messiah of God they claimed to know and serve. So in love were they with their idol of religion that instead of giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Him, they condemned and murdered Jesus in fulfillment of the very Scriptures they claimed to revere.
Now, before we shake our heads in proud disbelief at what took place in Mark 14.60-64, we should understand that we participate in the exact same rejection of the Messiah. We do so when, rather than giving up our own way - the self-preserving ways of man manifest in the plethora of self-preserving idols (finance, insurance, medicine and technology), we instead faithfully and dutifully pay homage to them. Instead of taking up our cross - fearlessly embracing the very 'death and destruction' allegedly postponed or avoided by the self-preserving idols of finance, insurance, medicine and technology, we unashamedly embrace these idols (as if God never said that He ALONE was our Healer, Provider, and Protector). In this way, we do not follow Jesus. In this way, we are not followers of Christ - we are not saved.
Dear reader, there is no scriptural rebuttal to Matthew 16.24 that allows us even a moment of self-preservation. If this upsets you, you are the problem. Ours is the duty of following Jesus in preaching the Good News (there is forgiveness of sins), miraculously healing the sick, raising the dead, and living without fear - all the while rejecting every fear-mongering idol that calls us away from trusting God ALONE. The decision to do this is our Gethsemane. It is our 'hour of prayer' to overcome the temptation to trust in ourselves and our idols and instead, to trust only in God - to follow Jesus.
Unironically, religion today offers to 'soften' Matthew 16.24 giving all sorts of alternate understandings and interpretations of it. In doing so, religion continues to do what Jesus accused it of:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! [Matthew 23.15]
The only remedy to this condition is Matthew 16.24. Matthew 16.24 allows no idol in the life of a "believer." Matthew 16.24 qualifies that degree of disallowance for idols to the extent of death - our own cross. That is following Jesus (regardless what modern religion looks like and promotes). And, just like Jesus' rejection of the then-current idol of religion, claiming to be the one-and-only Messiah of God, got Him sentenced to death, so His true followers today who identify and reject idols in following Christ will experience the same hatred from the world, led by religion.
The way to upset an idol-ridden religious system is to literally follow Jesus ALONE.
Father, as Jesus destined Himself to the cross in professing to be Messiah, the One Sent From God, may I be found giving up every way of my own - every idolatrous identity other than Christ in me, taking up my cross in solidarity with Jesus, and following Him. So be it.
