I have a great group of guys that I meet with every Wednesday morning. We are currently walking through the New Testament one book per week, using Mark Dever’s book, The Message of the New Testament, as our guide. An interesting question was mentioned today – why did Jesus tell some not to reveal His identity, while He told others to go and tell everyone (the possesed man whose demons ran into the pigs was told to tell all his friends)? This is very interesting to me and I know there are some common answers. Some say this was his teaching strategy, others say it was to maintain a certain time table heading towards the cross. Are these sufficient answers? Is there something too this that we are missing? I would like to hear if anyone thinks that this was a leadership tactic.
The Leadership of Jesus: Why did he tell many not to reveal who He was?
August 23, 2006 by Tad Thompson
11 Responses
Leave a Reply
-
Recent Posts
-
Top Posts
Archives
Categories
-
Recent Comments
-
Blog Stats
- 25,155 hits
Stat Counter
This happens to be one of them things I’m interested in. In fact, I’ve used the question on my class, several times.
Why do we want to know? I can only think of (a) curiosity, and (b) so if we’re ever in that position, we’ll know what to do.
His decisions can probably be explained by logic, but I don’t want to. If we really believe what we profess about the Holy Ghost living in us, then we don’t need to know what He’d do, if that happened to us. He’d tell us.
Ah, but we want to know. Just like Adam and Eve. For that reason, I decided I don’t want to know. I’ll leave that ball in His court.
Perhaps it is what Bob is referring to. That there is no single answer to such questions. The only answer is to ask God what to do and then do accordingly. Thus, the answer is that we must, as ministers, seek God in every area of our ministry and allow Him to lead. What He tells us to do in one circumstance shouldn’t then be what we do for all time; instead, we must seek Him the next time, and the next, and the next…
I have always looked at this as an issue of timliness. It seems to be an example of how knowing the people, and the situation leads one to select the correct course of action for that specific time.
Have you ever wondered how your life would be different had you made some simple alternative choices along the way.
Very simple changes in course can send us down a very different path.
God grant us wisdome to think God’s thoughts after him so that we can understand the times, and the people in order to speak and act with wisdom.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Just came across your site.
God bless
Maria
http://www.inhishands.co.uk
PERSEVERE
my opinion being of no mor worth than anyone elses, I believe the reason Jesus did this was because he didn’t want people simply professing that he was the messiah, he wanted people to be living proof that he unleashed the power of God for the good of humanity. When I was talking with a Jew who lives in the same area as I, she was saying that the reason why they don’t believe Joshua of Nazareth was the Messiah is because everyone should have been getting healed miraculously, diseases and hunger disappear, etc……this was her representative belief other than that he wasn’t the king / ruler, etc. But, apart from that, I believe that that’s the reason why he told some of the people he healed to tell others……so that they are living proof.
But, anywho…..
I have a great group of women that I meet with every Thursday night and we are also walking through the gospels. Interestingly, we were struck by this very question as well. We each take one of the unresolved questions from that week and do research to see if we can find answers. I found this blog because I was researching this same question. And, as are most of our questions, this one remains unsolved – a mystery of the Son of Man who walked the earth over 2,000 years ago, who died and was resurrected and is our Savior.
Hillary thanks for the post – I think he was simply playing to the reality that the Jews were blind to His Messiahship and it was in God’s plan for them to remain blind to this, or else there would be no cross. This is the conclusion I have come too.
i think jesus said not to tell because he knew the would, it is hard to contain something great you have seen or that was done for you to yourself, you want to share your joy.
I think there was a timing for most people to see or hear that he was the Messiah, however without great study into the topic, I think he revealed who he was only by the Father’s leading and also to the lowly in heart, the humble who admitted they were sinners and could truly testify by the Spirit of God that he was the Messiah. Like the Samaritan woman she admitted her sin first before Jesus tells her who he was. Not having done too much study on teh topic, I think this may be part of it.
wow…i love the internet! i have been reading in the book of Mark lately, and have asked this same question several times. finally, i pulled out the laptop and typed it in google, and then i found this blog. the answers and explanations have some great insight! thanks guys! i pretty much agree with all of them!