Mark: Shhh!!! Don't tell anyone Jesus is the Messiah!!

[WrittenFromUtopia]

What are some explanations for this 'mindset' found throughout Mark's gospel?

 

[Saiph]

Maybe Christ wanted faith that was more than mere demonic orthodoxy, ie. James 2:19 ?

 

[VictorBravo]

Originally posted by WrittenFromUtopia
What are some explanations for this 'mindset' found throughout Mark's gospel?

I think it also has to do with Jesus not wanting the people to make him King prematurely. The people were yearning for a Messiah, and they thought he would be a strongman to overthrow the Romans.

If Jesus was identified as the Messiah too early, he would have been tried by the Romans for sedition, which was not His Father's work.

I note that Jesus told the demoniac in Gadarenes, after he was healed, to publish the fact throughout all the country. They probably weren't waiting for the Messiah and were not likely to proclaim Him a political ruler.

Vic

 

[Saiph]

Good point Vic,

Matthew Henry mentions Christ's humility as a possible reason as well.

He also appointed him, (1.) To show himself to the priest, that the priest by his own judgment of this leper might be a witness for Christ, that he was the Messiah, Mat_11:5. (2.) Till he had done that, not to say any thing of it to any man: this is an instance of the humility of Christ and his self-denial, that he did not seek his own honour, did not strive or cry, Isa_42:2. And it is an example to us, not to seek our own glory, Pro_25:27. He must not proclaim it, because that would much increase the crowd that followed Christ, which he thought was too great already; not as if he were unwilling to do good to all, to as many as came; but he would do it with as little noise as might be, would have no offence given to the government, no disturbance of the public peace, not any thing done that looked like ostentation, or an affecting of popular applause. What to think of the leper's publishing it, and blazing it abroad, I know not; the concealment of the good characters and good works of good men better become them than their friends; nor are we always bound by the modest commands of humble men. The leper ought to have observed his orders; yet, no doubt, it was with a good design that he proclaimed the cure, and it had no other ill effect than that it increased the multitudes which followed Christ, to that degree, that he could no more openly enter into the city; not upon the account of persecution (there was no danger of that yet,) but because the crowd was so great, that the streets would not hold them, which obliged him to go into desert places, to a mountain (Mar_3:13), to the sea-side, Mar_4:1. This shows how expedient it was for us, that Christ should go away, and send the Comforter, for his bodily presence could be but in one place at a time; and those that came to him from every quarter, could not get near him; but by his spiritual presence he is with his people wherever they are, and comes to them to every quarter.

 

[Devin]

All the said explanations sound reasonable to me, though my first thought was the same as Vic's. The people were always pressing about Him in excitement. Although that was inevitable, Jesus probably didn't want it to happen too quickly. This is where His humility comes in as well.

 

[tdowns]

What is that a picture of?

Who is in your avatar?

 

[Puritan Sailor]

What secret?

 

[kceaster]

Compare the feeding of the 5,000 in Luke 9, and John 6. As has been stated, Jesus knew the fickle crowd would want to make Him their king. He didn't want them to know He was Messiah because they surely would have pressed Him into their service.

In Christ,

KC

 

[Puritan Sailor]

I think more is made of Jesus' "hidden" Messiahship in Mark than is really there. Much of that idea is fueled by liberalism and the desire to explain how the "historical" Jesus became the "Christ of faith."

There are plenty of examples in Mark, where ecrecy was not commanded at all but exactly the opposite. Jesus had no problesm doing miracles in public. He told the Gadarene demoniac to go home and proclaim to all what Jesus did for him. He told teh demons to keep quiet, but He did it in public. He told the leper to keep his healing quiet only until he presented himself at the temple and was cleansed according to the law of Moses. But presenting himself at the temple would certainly not keep Jesus' secret. There was nothing secret about the triumphal entry. He told his disciples to keep some things quiet until after the ressurrection yet He sent them out to preach about His coming. As has already been mentioned, the reasonable explaination why Jesus was keeping it low key was so that he could continue to minister in the cities, rather than hanging out in remote places, and also to prevent any misconception about his Messiahship in the masses. He did not come in glory yet, but in humiliation.

I would encourage you all to read Strimple's "The Modern Search for the Real Jesus." It's a small book, yet packed with great summaries and critiques of Gospel criticism.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Originally posted by puritansailor
I think more is made of Jesus' "hidden" Messiahship in Mark than is really there. Much of that idea is fueled by liberalism and the desire to explain how the "historical" Jesus became the "Christ of faith."

There are plenty of examples in Mark, where ecrecy was not commanded at all but exactly the opposite. Jesus had no problesm doing miracles in public. He told the Gadarene demoniac to go home and proclaim to all what Jesus did for him. He told the demons to keep quiet, but He did it in public. He told the leper to keep his healing quiet only until he presented himself at the temple and was cleansed according to the law of Moses. But presenting himself at the temple would certainly not keep Jesus' secret. There was nothing secret about the triumphal entry. He told his disciples to keep some things quiet until after the ressurrection yet He sent them out to preach about His coming. As has already been mentioned, the reasonable explaination why Jesus was keeping it low key was so that he could continue to minister in the cities, rather than hanging out in remote places, and also to prevent any misconception about his Messiahship in the masses. He did not come in glory yet, but in humiliation.

True, but Mark is unique among the gospels in that it does have plenty of passages in which the messiahship of Jesus is intended to be a secret.
While I tend to agree with what has been said above regarding Jesus not wanting to be crowned king prematurely...

I think that ultimately the answer to the Messianic Secret lies in the purpose, nature, intent of Mark's gospel.