# Why did Jesus tell people to keep quiet?



## Eoghan

This came up in a discussion I had with a friend about the Charismatic movement. The miracles attest to the person, says I, authenticating their message. Now we have the message (NT) the attestation of miracles is not required.

So why did Jesus tell people not to tell that he healed them? This builds a little on the 2005 thread on the "hidden messiah" which appears to have originated in the liberal camp. Sometimes spoken of as being particular to the Gospel of Mark

Key texts are 
Mk 3:12
Mk 7:36
Mk 8:30
Mk 9:9
Lk 8:56
Lk 9:21


The key passage though has to be in Mathew 12
"...warning them not to tell who he was. [17] This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

MT 12:18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

MT 12:19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.

MT 12:20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he leads justice to victory.

MT 12:21 In his name the nations will put their hope."*

If miracles were to authenticate the speaker - why keep them secret? 

What do YOU think?


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## moral necessity

Off the cuff, I would say that "it was not yet his time." He kept his ministry private for certain lengths of time, and in certain areas, so that it would not erupt with lots of attention and focus too early and too radically, as this would work against his plans and perhaps lead his ministry in wrong directions. Also, many would have desired to make him king, I think scripture says. And so, he did not allow or encourage anything that might throw his ministry off course.

That's my thinking for now.

Blessings!


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## Semper Fidelis

Eoghan,

I believe in Matthew 12, what is being fulfilled by the passage is the fact that he was healing the sick primarily. That is to say, _this was to fulfill_ refers to the healing of the sick and not to the fact he was telling them to be quiet per se.

I think there are a couple of reasons. First, He didn't want followers that were simply going to follow Him around for His miracles. In John 6 He pretty much whittles His disciples down quickly because there is a throng of followers wanting to get their bellies filled or see a magic show. So He basically offends everyone who would follow a Benny Hinn type and they didn't follow Him anymore. He desired those who would follow for He "...alone has words of eternal life."

Secondly, Christ purposefully narrowed revelation of who He was to His disciples. It was the reason He spoke in parables as well. His miracles were spoken of throughout history but He desired His apostles to do so and to place them into the context of His work and not attested to improperly.

Thirdly, I think there is evidence that He sometimes says that to some and then some can't contain the joy they have. There is evidence that a real spiritual work has occurred in those cases because some of the others pay attention and don't do anything with the information. I'm thinking specifically of the lepers that Christ heals. He tells them all to go to the priest and only one returns to glorify Him.

I'm not saying my reasoning is exhaustive here but I think those are at least 3 reasons.


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## Marcus

Much in line with what has already been said, I think the key to understanding why he asked them to keep silent is in verses 14 and 15:

14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,

And this avoidance of his opposition by leaving "that place" and his asking those whom he healed to keep his secret fulfills verses 19-20 because he is avoiding being murdered before his time has come and his mission is complete:

19He will not quarrel or cry out; 
no one will hear his voice in the streets. 
20A bruised reed he will not break, 
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, 
till he leads justice to victory.

What he's doing is avoiding opposition/fighting/quarreling. It made me think of John 4:1-3:

1The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

and how John 7:1 explains why he left:

1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.

So I don't think his intent is to keep his miracles a secret per se. After all, he performed his miracles in the full view of those he chose to reveal them to. He was simply seeking to avoid an early confrontation with those who wanted to kill him, In my humble opinion.


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## Contra_Mundum

> Mar 1:44 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."
> Mar 1:45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, *so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town*, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.


It seems to me that Mark gives us, by way of showing the negative result of disobeying Jesus, the reason: _it made his principal work--preaching and teaching--more difficult._


> Mar 1:38 And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, *for that is why I came forth*."


Overemphasis was put on his healings. The pace of his ministry was slowed. But despite being forced into the countryside, where the crowds had room to gather, they still gathered. People continued to make the effort--now a greater effort--to come and listen, to get help, and to gawk.


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