The Messianic Secret and the Enthronement of Christ

I was reading the autobiography of Albert Schweitzer last week, Out of My Life and Thought. In it Schweitzer talks about the historical issue known as the “Messianic Secret”. This refers to the motif in the synoptic Gospels, particular the Gospel of Mark, in which Jesus is portrayed as commanding his disciples to keep silent about his identity as the Messiah, or Christ. The theory originally posited by William Wrede in 1901 was that this theme was an invention of Gospel writers to cover up for the fact that Jesus really never claimed to be the Christ. Wrede’s theory was roundly criticized early on by a variety of scholars (both liberal and conservative) but picked up some popularity in the middle of the 20^th century. Eventually the idea that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah/Christ fell out of favor. There were some scholarly, historical, and logical reasons why this theory does not hold water, and Schweitzer was one of the early critics.

Yet, the synoptic Gospels do have several episodes in which Jesus tells individuals to keep his Messianic identity secret (Matthew 16:20; 12:16; Mark 1:24-25, 34; 3:12; 8:30; Luke 4:41; 9:21). Indeed, Jesus doesn’t openly refer to himself as the Christ, preferring to use the terms prophet (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4) and Son of Man (Matthew 8:20; 9:6; 11:19; Mark 2:10; 8:31; 9:9; Luke 9:44; 11:30; 12:40 13:33).

The most common explanation for the “Messianic Secret” is that Jesus wanted to avoid the contemporary misconception that the Messiah would be a strictly political figure that would fully institute Torah as popularly understood and defeat Israel’s enemies, namely the Romans. In this view, Jesus could establish his own ethic and correct theology without the political baggage that the title brought. I definitely think there is some truth to this. I also think that Jesus feared that any announcement by him of his Messianic identity might invite the people to make him king by a means other than by God’s plan (John 6:15). Again, I think these are both good secondary reasons, but I believe there was a primary reason.

Schweitzer argued that Jesus refrained from publicly identifying himself as the Messiah was because Jesus didn’t officially become King (the Messiah or Christ) until he sat on his throne which was the cross. I had never heard this theory before, but I do think that it is correct based on several other passages within the Gospels. In one story, the mother of James and John requests that her sons sit on either side of Jesus (presumably as he is enthroned) when his kingdom is inaugurated.

“And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’”  (Matthew 20:21-22; cf. Mark 10:33-38)

The cup refers to his crucifixion (Matthew 26:42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). Jesus warns that the means of him coming into his kingdom is through the death of the crucifixion. For them to be on his left and right as he sits on his throne would be to suffer the same death (just like the two thieves).

In the most obvious story, Jesus is “coronated” by the Romans.

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him” (Matthew 27:27-31; cf. Mark 15:16-20; John 19:1-5).

Intended by the Romans to be a macabre, mocking parody of the charge against Jesus, the soldiers dress him up as a king with robe, staff, and crown. They then put him on the cross and hang a sign above his head, “This is the king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19). In the most startling, scandalous, ironic event in human history, Jesus becomes King of the Jews and king of the world by being humiliated and executed on a Roman cross. This is his coronation and enthronement. This is how his kingdom arrives.

Yet, if Jesus did not officially become the Messiah/Christ/King until his crucifixion on the cross, why does he seem to already acknowledge his Messiahship but only ask that it be kept silent? I think the answer comes in another story.

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.’ But He said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath’” (Matthew 12:1-8; cf. Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5).

This episode is followed by another warning by Jesus not to make known who he is (Matthew 12:16; Mark 3:12).

This particular story has been popularly interpreted as Jesus’ denunciation of tradition in the face of human need or even a renunciation of the Law in favor of grace. While there may be some surface truth to the former in terms of some indirect application, as with many of Jesus’ teachings and parables there is a deeper level of meaning that was Jesus’ essential point upon which all principled application must be based.

The story that Jesus cites here about David eating the consecrated bread is from 1 Samuel 21:1-15. This is one of the stories about how God was working through history to bring his anointed one, David, to the throne. David here is on the run from King Saul. He has already been appointed by God and anointed king over Israel (1 Samuel 18:1-14), but, since Saul is still king, it would be a while before he actually became the official king after the death of Saul (2 Samuel 2:1-7). In the meantime, David is the true king, but a king in exile, on the run from a jealous Saul, and he won’t ascend the throne and be officially recognized for a time.

In the same way, at this point in the story, Jesus has already been ordained by God (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22) and is the true King of Israel, yet he has yet to be recognized as such and ascend the throne. The currently recognized king is a Herod who seeks to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16; Luke 13:31). When Jesus was pointing to the example of David in his explanation of why he could break the Sabbath rules he was not simply citing precedent but pointing to his identity: an anointed king waiting to be coronated. It his identity as Messiah which makes him Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5).

Therefore, I think all these passages and stories confirm Schweitzer’s theory that the reason for the Messianic Secret was that Jesus’ Messiaship did not officially begin until he was crucified. But as stated above, this is the shocking and completely unexpected means by which Jesus becomes king. This method is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. Instead of seizing power and bullying his way to the top, Jesus becomes a servant in order to be exalted (Philippians 2:5-11).This is why we read the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). This is why Christian leadership is about servant leadership (Luke 22:25-26). This is why being a pastor is about equipping other believers (Ephesians 4:11-12). While the world may be run by the aggressive use of force and governments have a monopoly on violence (see Romans 13:1-3), the Christian (both laity and minister) must pursue the Kingdom of God through humbleness, selflessness, submission, and sacrifice (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).