In multiple passages, Jesus explicitly commands people not to speak about the miracles He performed. For example: - Mark 1:44 – "See that you say nothing to anyone..." (healing of the leper) - Matthew 9:30 – "Jesus sternly warned them, ‘See that no one knows about this.’” (healing of the blind men) - Luke 8:56 – "He charged them to tell no one what had happened." (raising of Jairus’s daughter) Yet these very events were recorded and widely circulated in the Gospels. Why did Jesus initially discourage publicity around His miracles, but the Gospel authors — writing years later — chose to publish them for all to read?

Why is Jesus very implicit in sharing his identity? In the synoptic gospels Jesus speaks in parables and metaphors and at the end of many of these encounters it is mentioned that the people did not understand what Jesus meant (**Luke 2:49-50, Luke 9:45, Luke 18:34**). Jesus uses various titles and refers to himself as the Son of Man, and calls God his Father. In **Luke 9:20** Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is, they say the Messiah of God, and he leaves it at that, and does not give them further information. Demons he cast out would tell of his identity yet he would silence them (**Luke 4:35, Luke 4:41**) After some of his miracles he tells people not to share what they've seen (**Luke 5:14, Luke 8:56**). People are stumped at his authority to cast out demons, forgive sins, and control the weather, yet he does not explain this to them and leaves them befuddled (**Luke 4:36, Luke 5:21, Luke 7:49, Luke 8:25**) And whenever he does share or speak of his identity, he also does so implicitly, never clearly (**Luke 17:18**). During his temptation he alludes to himself being God when he recites biblical verses. (**Luke 4:12**) There are also confusing verses which might lead us to believe that Jesus is not claiming to be God (**Luke 18:19**). Jesus has no issue exhibiting his supernatural powers either to crowds or to individuals, but in some instances requests that they be kept secret in order to conceal his identity. Jesus tends to be very mystical in his speech -- he speaks in parables and does not expand upon them even if his audience does not understand. Jesus does not correct his followers regarding his identity or directly explain to them who he is. Even if Jesus alludes to his divinity it is always muddy and never a clear-cut and definitive "I am God" or "I am the Messiah". Why is Jesus very vague about his identity and sometimes outright tries to conceal it?

The passage I am referring to is [Mark 3.11-12](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3%3A7-19&version=NRSV) : > 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. I'm confused because why would Jesus not want the multitude of people present with him to not know he is the Son of God? Isn't that what Jesus wanted?

In a number of places in the Gospel accounts, Jesus performs a miracle and then tells the healed person and others who witnessed it not to spread the word. For example, * After healing a leper, > And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” (Mark 1:43-44, ESV) * After curing a deaf and dumb man, > And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. (Mark 7:36) * After curing two blind men, > And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it. (Matthew 9:30) Likewise, in several places Jesus tells people, especially his disciples, not the share that he is the Messiah. For example, * After Peter's declaration, > Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:20) * After the transfiguration, > And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:9) And in addition, Jesus also told demons not to reveal his identity: >“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ... and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. (Mark 1:24-25, 34, NIV) What is an overview of explanations offered for these passages? That is, why does Jesus make these commands according to notable scholars and Biblical commentators?

In the synoptic gospels, Peter acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah. > Matthew 16:15-17 (NASB) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. > > Mark 8:27–30 (NASB) Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter *answered and *said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him. > > Luke 9:18–21 And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, It was apparently a secret, and Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell anyone. According to the chronology given by the synoptic gospels, other than those present at that moment, who was in on the secret?

In Mark 8 and Matthew 16 after the feeding of the four thousand Peter declares Jesus as the messiah. Immediately after this Jesus tells his disciples not to reveal his identity. How does this reconcile with how in John 6:40 Jesus reveals himself to Jews in the feeding of the five thousand which **occurs before** the feeding of the four thousand? Even more problematic is how Jesus tells the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem that they search the scriptures for eternal life, when in actuality they speak of Jesus. **This event occurs even before the feeding of the five thousand in John 5:39.**

I once heard someone say that parables are the best way to teach, because Jesus used them.  Of course this makes no sense because parables are very difficult to understand unless explained. Jesus said this when the disciples asked why he was speaking in riddles through so many metaphors: >The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. (Matthew 13:10-13) So the question is why would Jesus purposefully keep much of his teaching secret through parables? Why would he want some not to see and not to hear?

After Jesus cast out demons from possessed people, he made sure that these demons didn't reveal his true identity. Why? Example from [Mar 1:24-25,34 (NIV)](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201:24-34&version=NIV) : > 24“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
> 25“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”
> ...
> 34and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak. Mark 1:34 NLT > So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and > he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he > did not allow them to speak Mark 3:12 NLT But Jesus strictly warned them not to say who he was.

Jesus, when talking to his disciples in [Matthew 16](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016&version=NIV) specifically instructed them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. [Matthew 16:20 (NIV)](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016:20&version=NIV) >Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Why did he do this? Do we know his purpose in hiding this fact from everyone? Is there any doctrinal relevancy or importance to this request of Jesus? Additional passages similar to this include [Mark 1:43-44](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+1%3A43-44&version=NIV) , [Mark 7:36](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A36&version=NIV) , and [Matthew 9:30](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+9%3A30&version=NIV) .

There are numerous instances in the gospels of Jesus healing someone, and then Jesus in some form or another instructing them to keep silent about it. One example, in Matthew 9:27-31 >27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” > >28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” > > “Yes, Lord,” they replied. > > 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “**See that no one knows about this.**” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. (*emphasis mine*) Why did Jesus not want them to proclaim their healing? It doesn't make sense to me, as anyone who was healed of a lifelong malady would *naturally want to tell all their friends & family*. Was this just him making a point about how silly it would be not to share what God has done for us (e.g. the gospel) with others? Or is it something else?

We know Jesus is not afraid of anybody or anything, but let us consider these scenarios during His ministry. 1. Jesus healing a leper- Mark 1:43-44 >"Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: **“See that you don’t tell this to anyone.** But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 2. Jesus Heals a deaf and mute man"- Mark 7:36 >**"And He gave them orders not to tell anyone**; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. " 3. Jesus warns disciples- Mark 8:29-30 >“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” **Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.** So here is my question - To whom or what Jesus was hiding/afraid of in these cases?