One of the puzzling things about Jesus's teaching and ministry is the fact that, on more than a few occasions, he commanded his followers not to reveal what they had witnessed or heard from Him. Probably the most famous of these occasion was the Transfiguration recorded in Mk 9; "As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant" (9:9-10 NIV). Or his command to the demon to be quiet just as the demon was about to reveal what it kneww about Him(Mk 1:25; see also v34; 3:11-12). Why did Jesus command such revelation of His true identity? What purpose did/do they serve? The "Messianic Secret" is the short-hand term theologians and biblical scholars have given to this act of Jesus.
Resources:
J. D. G. Dunn, "The Messianic Secret in Mark," Tyndale Bulletin 21 (1970): 92-117.
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