Why does mark use the messianic secret

Did you ever wonder why Jesus would perform a miracle and then command the person healed and the bystsanders not to tell anyone? Jesus seemed to do this regularly, and it never worked. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. Numerous speculations are offered to explain this oddity. One explanation is that Jesus did not want to be confused with a political messiah, which was surely the expectation of some. Another explanation is that Jesus was intent on proclaiming the kingdom of God; it was about the kingdom, not about him.

Or perhaps the secret works like a narrative irony that shows the message simply could not be kept down. Mark, in fact, tells his Gospel with a style that suggests great urgency and power. The good news of Jesus and his kingdom was just exploding. A counter explanation is that this secret explains why many Jews did not end up believing in him. I personally lean toward the first explanation, though two or even three of these could be true at the same time.

Skip to main content. The Messianic Secret Mark Amen Exegesis Talk about a sting in the tail! Reflection Have you ever used the right words, but in the wrong way? Discussion Questions 1. What is the most important aspect of Jesus to communicate to your neighbours and friends? Closing Prayer Lord Jesus, I pray that you would reveal yourself to me. Further Reading Duff, J. We will focus on verse 20 where Jesus charges His disciples to tell no one that He is the Christ.

Jesus never denied that He was the Messiah. But Jesus did not want to let very many people know that He was the promised Christ. Throughout His ministry, Jesus was very guarded about who would know that He was the Messiah see Mark ; ; ; Luke ; In order to answer this question, we have to look at the common. Messianic expectations in first-century Palestine.

Most of the nation was looking for a Messiah who would be a political revolutionary. They were looking for a king who would come in and release the nation from Roman domination.

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