The Messianic Secret Essay

Hripsime Martirosyan A fascinating secret was first noticed by William Wrede in 1901 in which Jesus is observed to have desired his role as the Messiah, or chosen son of God to not be told to anyone (Oxford University Press, 2016). It is often noted that though it is written that Jesus told people that he did not want them to know speak anything of his works, the people to whom he told this immediately went and professed what Jesus had done, regardless. In this essay, the Messianic secret of Mark will be discussed.

The Narrative of the Messianic Secret Marks interpretative record of Jesus Christ begins to be secret starting at Mark first chapter with the prophecy of John the Baptist, who heralds the coming of Jesus and baptizes him, although the actual event is not told and seems to be incomplete without even the words of

As soon as chapter two of the Gospel of Mark begins, it records Jesus’ visit, by saying that there was not enough room to hold the people who sought him, that even the roof was broken in so that an invalid could be brought in for healing from the ceiling (Bible Gateway, 2016). By the third chapter of Mark, verse six, a group of the leaders of the Hebrews, namely the Pharisees already want to conspire to have Jesus killed, and it is written in Mark 2:7 that Jesus has to withdraw himself from the city, and go away to the sea, more than likely to avoid their plans (Bible Gateway, 2016). In this I note that not only does Jesus need to hide his Messianic status, but that had he not gotten away from them, they would have sought him out to kill him before the time. There are many other verses that detail Mark’s Messianic Secret, such as Mark chapter 8:26, after healing a blind man, Jesus tells the man not to tell anyone, not even in the