What was the Messianic Secret? What does the Bible say in answer to this question?
On the way He (Jesus) questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”
They (said), “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets….But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
Mark 8:27-30
Origination
The Messianic Secret was initially an attempt by a theologian to explain why, especially in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus didn’t want His identity revealed. The original theologian thought Jesus never claimed He was the Messiah. Instead, he thought, this secret was an attempt by Jesus’ followers to embellish Jesus’ work after Jesus had died (resurrected and ascended). But now, some Christian teachers use the phrase to explain Jesus’ initial reluctance to announce He was the Christ.
But there are better explanations for Jesus’ reserve.
What Jesus Didn’t Want
He didn’t want testimony from demons.
A man…with an unclean spirit…cried out, saying, “… Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us (demons)? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him (Mark 1:23-26).
The demons (unclean spirits) announced Jesus’ identity (see Mark 5:2-10). They already knew Jesus from relations with Him in the spiritual realm. For obvious reasons, Jesus didn’t want their testimony; plus, the Jewish leaders had already accused Jesus of getting His power from Satan and not the Holy Spirit, so He forbade testimony from unclean spirits (Mark 3: 22-30).
He didn’t want His message hindered
Jesus healed a leper, but His reputation for healing drew crowds, and that kept Him from preaching His message to other cities:
“But he (the leper Jesus healed) went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere (Mark 1:45).”
The Gospel writer Mark saw the irony. When Jesus told people to keep quiet they pronounce the message (Mark 1:44), but when they were told to spread the news, they didn’t (Mark 16:8).
He didn’t want people to make Him a political earthly King
After feeding the 5,000 people with meager supplies of bread and fish, He had to send the crowds away.
“So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone (John 6:15).”
“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray (Mark 6:45-46).”
At His trial, Jesus told Pilate that Jesus’ Kingdom was not of this world.
What Jesus Wanted
He wanted His followers, and not outsiders, to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
“And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN (Mark 4:11-12).”
After He raised a girl from the dead, “He gave them strict orders that no one (no outsider) should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat (Mark 5:43).”
This was Jesus’ response to people rejecting His Kingdom offer. And He didn’t want people coming to Him solely for physical healing.
He wanted His disciples to learn who He was from experience
“Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? …When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”…“Do you not yet understand (Mark 8:17-21)?”
Soon after this, Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ: “Peter answered… “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him (Mark 8:29-30).”
He wanted His disciples to understand His mission
By following Jesus, the disciples thought they were getting immediate glory without the cross (John 12:16):
Are you able to drink the cup that I (Jesus) drink?… They (His disciples) said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink…. “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:38-40).”
He wanted to reveal Himself at the right time
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to die, not to receive glory. But when He first arrived there, the crowds hailed Him as the Messiah (Mark 11:1-10). This effectively ended what some refer to as the Messianic Secret. From that time on, He openly declared Himself as the Savior dying for the sins of the world (Mark10:45).
At Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish court), Jesus openly revealed His (secret) identity to the High Priest.
“Again the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven. The high priest (said), You have heard the blasphemy (Mark 14:61-63).”
When Jesus did reveal His identity, He was condemned to death for blasphemy (saying He was equal to God).
Jesus wanted people to understand the Kingdom He offered, and they didn’t
At Jesus’ First Advent, the Jews wanted their Messiah to deliver them from Roman rule. But He wasn’t offering a political kingdom. He offered healing and food, but wanted spiritual understanding. He came to serve and not to be served.
At Jesus’ Second Advent, Jesus will conquer the world’s opposing armies and redeem the earth. There will be healing, food, and justice throughout the world during His reign. And He will receive proper worship while ruling righteously. People will do God’s will on earth as in heaven.
