The Gospel of Mark contains no ciphers, no hidden meanings, no sleight of hand: No messianic secret designed to mask a theologically embarrassing absence of messianism from the ministry of the historical Jesus. No messianic secret designed to mask a politically dangerous presence of messianism in his ministry. No freezing of Jesuanic tradition in writing so as to halt oral pronouncements of prophets speaking in Jesus’ name. No Christology of irony that means the reverse of what it says.