The Messianic Secret

I’m not very good at keeping a secret. That makes my current job very difficult as it requires a great deal of confidentiality. There is an element of discretion that complicates things. While I must always protect the confidentiality of those on my case load, there are some secrets I cannot keep as a mandated reporter.

Everybody seems to think that they have a handle on who Jesus was. It seems that Jesus has become the vicarious projection of the perfect person. There’s an artist by the name of Kidrock who, a few years ago, released an album entitled “Rock in Roll Jesus”. There are various sects of people who follow Jesus, sometimes claiming to possess exclusive access to him (denominations). The Koran makes claims about who Jesus “really” was. The intellectually endowed will oft times caricature Jesus as nothing more than an enlightened man and a good moral teacher.

We would be wise to acknowledge that through the centuries Jesus has remained at some level a mystery. Of course, I say this as a paradox. I believe and affirm that we may enter into a relationship with him, but that we do not fully understand him. The same is true of all relationships. I love my wife, but I wouldn’t always say that I fully understand her, and I think that she would most certainly state that I am not easily understood as well.

There is nothing unique about this struggle. Even those who interacted with Jesus during the incarnation, during the time that he walked the earth, were thoroughly perplexed by who Jesus was. And there was a reason for this; Jesus was keeping a very good secret. It was a secret that needed to be revealed in its proper time, but it is a secret that leaves those who know it as mandated reporters.

If a man is great, it is his nature to want others to appreciate his greatness. A great man will seldom shy away from the limelight. People were always amazed at Jesus’ teaching; they were amazed at his ability to cast out demons. So then, why is it that in casting out a demon who professes this Jesus as something far more than an average man, as the “Holy one of God”, Jesus would rebuke him to “be quite(Mark 1:21-28)”?

 As Jesus continues to heal the sick who had various diseases, and driving out demons, Mark continually emphasis’ that he silenced these demons because “they knew who he was” (Mark 1:29:34). Jesus touches a leper, and heals him. A practice which would have made people raise their eyebrows at him, because it was unacceptable to touch such a man. Jesus warns the man to tell know one of it, but rather to go to the temple and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for his cleansing “as a testimony.” Of course, rather than adhering to Jesus’ words, the man goes about telling everyone of his experience. As a result of this man’s inability to follow directions, Jesus becomes withdrawn from the people “in lonely places”

Over and over again, the story continues that Jesus’ audiences marvel at his teachings. Over and over again Jesus’ audience marvels at his healing miracles. But over and over again their response is simply inadequate to capture the fullness of Jesus’ purposes. Over and over again their intrigue with Jesus is akin to fascination with a magician, or the excitement that is generated by something new and different having been presented.

We may want to believe that Jesus’ proclamation has the purpose of revealing who he is. Isn’t Jesus trying to get the word out that he is something or someone that needs to be recognized? Isn’t he the one upon whom the Jewish people have pinned their hopes? Why all the secrecy? Why is Jesus withdrawing himself once people hear of his healing power?

 Jesus is keeping a very good secret. It is a secret that can only be revealed in its proper time. It is a secret that can only be understood at the stories conclusion. It is a secret that complicates matters far beyond anyone in Jesus’ day could grasp. As the story continues, the implications of the secret begin to give way to frustration on the part of Jesus’ audience.

Sure, for a while everyone is impressed with the novelty of a miracle, but the message that explained those miracles was a tough pill to swallow. There was one instance in particular that demonstrated to some very powerful people in Jesus’ time, just what this message entailed.

Before healing a paralytic man, Jesus says to him “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Now, there were some people standing there who were “experts” in the ways of God. They understood, as Mark records, that no one can forgive sins “except for God alone.” They accuse Jesus of blasphemy, a very serious accusation.

It is here, in Jesus’ response, that the fullness of who he is and what he is is revealed. Jesus says:

“Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.” Mark 2:8-12

And here it is again, the response of the crowed:

“This amazed everyone they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’.” Once again, the crowed marvels at the novelty of what they have seen to the detriment of understanding what it had meant.

What is sin that the religious leaders would be so offended at Jesus’ claiming to forgive it? Sin holds the power of death. Sin is the source of disease and despair. Sin is the source from which humanity has experienced all of its suffering as a consequence. Sin is rebellion against God, and therefore can only be forgiven by God.

What Jesus has just demonstrated is that he has the power to forgive sin, a power that only God possessed. This means that Jesus is claiming to be far more than just any ordinary man would dare to claim. To demonstrate the validity of his claim, he reverses the repercussions of sins curse. If the sin is forgiven, if the dept has been lifted, than so too will the affects of sin be done away with. The man, who was once crippled, will rise for the first time, take up his mat, and walk.

Jesus continued to offend his audience by being the antithesis of their expectations. He was accused of sharing the table with “tax collectors and ‘sinners’.” To which Jesus responds, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

And it is here in the story that Jesus begins to say peculiar things about “going away”, the meaning of which greatly evades his listeners. (2:19,20)

And I guess that’s the funny thing about expectations. We oft times have expectations of what people will be like, how people will behave and ways in which people around us will meet certain needs that we have. Sometimes, the most strenuous part of a relationship is having or not being able to fulfill someone’s un-communicated expectations. The people in Jesus’ time had an expectation of what the Messiah would be like. When Jesus begins to reveal his secret, most people realize that this isn’t the messiah they had signed up for.

All of this talk about the kingdom (the kingdom of God is like a farmer’s field, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed) suits everyone just fine. The messiah would be a king who would restore the people to their proper standing with God. The novelty of Jesus’ miracles suite everyone just fine. Everyone likes Jesus when he’s feeding thousands of people, healing the blind, deaf, and mute, casting out demons, and raising the dead. When Jesus begins to speak of his own death, his audience is dejected and obstinate.

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples rightly acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, yet Jesus charges his disciples not to tell anyone. What secret is Jesus trying to keep? It seems, as the story progresses, the disciples are having the same dilemma as everyone else. They may have confessed him to be the Christ, the holy one of God, the one upon whom they have pinned all of their hopes and expectations… but he is not the Christ that they or anybody else had wanted.

It is at this time that Jesus begins to teach his disciples “that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him (9:31,32).” So you see, just after having professed Jesus to be the Christ, Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. Why? Because Jesus is not the person, not the messiah, not the holy one of God that Peter, or anyone else for that matter, had wanted. Who wants a dead leader? How can you show the legitimacy of your leadership and the power of your kingdom if you have succumbed to the defeat of death? The question of Jesus, having shared with his followers the contents of his secret is “How can you be the one who will restore all things as our people have anticipated with bated breath if you have been executed?”

As the story continues, we pause to take heed of something very important. We have been looking at the life of Jesus through the eyes of the gospel writer, Mark. In all of the chapters and portions of Jesus’ life that we have rapidly covered, I would like to point out that more than 30% of the contents of the book of Mark chronicles Jesus’ last week on earth.

As you patiently read Mark, as you wonder what all the confusion is about, and you wonder why Jesus will not receive the recognition for all of the works he’s performed, you get to the last third of Marks book, and realize what Jesus’ secret truly is.

Jesus will not receive recognition from any man, woman, child, demon, or otherwise; any recognition of this “holy one of God” apart from his death and resurrection, is no recognition at all. His followers, as many of us still are, remain in oblivion as to the true purposes of the messiah. Jesus reminds them, as they are approaching Jerusalem (the epicenter of all things Jewish) what they are going there for:

“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise (10:32-34).”

Tragically, right after Jesus says this, two of his disciples request that he let one of them sit at his right, and the other at his left in glory. Jesus responds “You don’t know what you are asking.” His disciples, even after hearing Jesus’ words, still think that they are going into Jerusalem to be “victorious”, they believe they are going into Jerusalem with Jesus, and he will fulfill their expectations as they had hoped, and he will sit on the throne and restore Israel from Rome’s clutches, he will restore Israel back to right relationship with their God, and all things will be made right. Their plan did not include crucifixion. Their understanding did not perceive resurrection.

If Jesus enters Jerusalem and simply dies, than his disciples were right. Before Jesus is tried, mocked, flogged, paraded down the streets carrying his own cross-beam, and is crucified, his disciples have left him. Peter has denied him, his disciples have disserted and disowned him, and there on a cross, Jesus is nailed to an implement of capital punishment, left to die in the presence of those who would continue to mock him, and a few of his female followers (which is important to note, being that all of his male disciples were not present. If I had more time, I would explore this further).

As was stated earlier, sin is the plight of us all. Its affects are far reaching, and its grips are impossible to escape. Death, disease, pain, and suffering accompany our experiences as people. It is a debt that we must all pay, that is unless someone is willing to pay that debt for us.

Jesus was not simply a magician who performed tricks and miracles to demonstrate his ability. Jesus is the one who cancels our debt of sin, and thereby reverses its implication.  In his death, this Jesus has acquired a way for our sins to be forgiven. If the debt of sin has been cancelled, then death cannot contain him.

Jesus has risen from the dead, and in so doing begins his reign as king. In rising from the dead we know that the former way of things is passing away. We know that a movement has occurred whereby sins curse is cancelled and through the forgiveness of sin redemption, restoration, and reconciliation become the pattern of this rising kingdom.

Jesus is not the vicarious “everyman”.  Jesus was not simply a good moral teacher. Jesus was not just a prophet. Any recognition of Jesus that does not recognize his accomplishment, his atoning death and victorious resurrection, is no recognition at all. Jesus is the one upon whom all our hopes have been placed for true forgiveness, and for true resurrection.

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear…

I consider the audience for this sermon to be very mixed. Some are familiar with the basic tenants of the Christian faith, and others have never been exposed to it. My theme is the “messianic secret.” I felt that this was important given that the entire narrative of the gospel of Mark is directing the reader to see the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection. My hope was to give an overview of the basic themes in Mark in a rapid, engaging fashion whereby the narrative is made easy enough to follow for those who are unfamiliar with it. Yet, those who have become quite familiar with the story and, dare I say, bored and arrogant about their understanding might see that Mark has offered us a very different picture of Jesus than the one we have synopsized throughout our Christian upbringing. There was much that I wanted to say that I could not, but my purposes for this sermon limited what I could include.

Permit me to note that the only resources I used in the composition of this sermon was my bible. Though we have spent the past five weeks heavily engaged in other resources, I do not know at what point something officially becomes common knowledge. Therefore, as is always the case, flares of what I have read recently are present, but I have quoted no one (with the exception of the New International Version of the Bible) extensively and/or exclusively.