Luk 8:56 | TNotes | STEP | 8:56 not tell anyone: See thematic note for The Secret of the Messiah at end of chapter. Thematic note: The Secret of the Messiah Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells others—those he healed or raised from the dead, the disciples who recognized him as the Christ, and the demons who had a correct understanding of his true identity—not to reveal his identity (e.g., Mark 1:34 , 44 ; 3:11-12 ; 5:43 ; 7:36 ; 8:29-30 ; 9:9 ; this theme occurs far less frequently in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke—see Matt 8:4 ; 16:20 ; Luke 9:21 ). Why did Jesus command those he healed and those who knew his true identity to keep his healings and identity secret? One possibility relates to how the Roman authorities would have responded to an extremely popular preacher who proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom, performed marvelous healings, and openly allowed his followers to call him Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and King. Roman authorities would not tolerate it—they would immediately seek to suppress such a movement. In the Roman Empire, there was no room for another kingdom or for a messianic rescuer from Roman occupation. Thus, though Jesus acknowledged to his disciples that he was the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30 ), he did not intend to overthrow Rome. Another possible reason for this secrecy has to do with the prolific misunderstanding of Jesus’ identity that we see throughout the Gospel of Mark, even among his closest followers. Jesus makes clear that his identity as Messiah and Son of God is directly tied to his suffering and death, a reality which did not match up with Jewish expectations regarding the Messiah. Thus, immediately after Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus announces that he would suffer and die (Mark 8:27-31 ), which generates a response from Peter that demonstrates his lack of understanding (8:32-33 ). It was not his miracles or his profound teaching that served as the primary attribute of his messiahship, but rather his sacrificial death. For these reasons, it was expedient for Jesus to teach about God’s Kingdom in parables (see Mark 4:1-34 , especially 4:10-12 ), to minimize the excitement created by his miracles (1:44 ; 5:43 ; 7:36 ; 8:26 ), to conceal his presence at times from the people (7:24 ; 9:30-31 ), to conceal his teaching from outsiders (4:10-12 , 33-34 ; 7:17 ), and to command those who knew his true identity not to reveal it (1:23-26 , 34 ; 3:11-12 ; 8:29-30 ; 9:9 ). Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45 ), not to lead the nation of Israel in rebellion against Rome. Nonetheless, Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1 ), could not be hidden. The secret was not and cannot be kept (7:36 ), for Jesus is too great. Those who experienced and witnessed his healing touch could not help but proclaim what he had done. Jesus’ identity broke through, and it became clear that he is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord over nature, disease, and death. And for the readers of the Gospel of Mark, who are made aware of his identity in the very first verse, Jesus was demonstrated to be the Messiah precisely because of—not in spite of—his suffering, death, and resurrection. Passages for Further Study Matt 8:4 ; 16:20 ; Mark 1:34 , 44 ; 3:11-12 ; 5:43 ; 7:36 ; 8:29-30 ; 9:9 , 30-31 ; Luke 9:21

8:56 ^a not tell anyone: See thematic note for The Secret of the Messiah at end of chapter.

Thematic note: The Secret of the Messiah
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells others—those he healed or raised from the dead, the disciples who recognized him as the Christ, and the demons who had a correct understanding of his true identity—not to reveal his identity (e.g., Mark 1:34 ^b, 44 ^c; 3:11-12 ^d; 5:43 ^e; 7:36 ^f; 8:29-30 ^g; 9:9 ^h; this theme occurs far less frequently in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke—see Matt 8:4 ⁱ; 16:20 ^j; Luke 9:21 ^k). Why did Jesus command those he healed and those who knew his true identity to keep his healings and identity secret?
One possibility relates to how the Roman authorities would have responded to an extremely popular preacher who proclaimed the arrival of God’s Kingdom, performed marvelous healings, and openly allowed his followers to call him Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and King. Roman authorities would not tolerate it—they would immediately seek to suppress such a movement. In the Roman Empire, there was no room for another kingdom or for a messianic rescuer from Roman occupation. Thus, though Jesus acknowledged to his disciples that he was the Messiah (Mark 8:27-30 ^l), he did not intend to overthrow Rome.
Another possible reason for this secrecy has to do with the prolific misunderstanding of Jesus’ identity that we see throughout the Gospel of Mark, even among his closest followers. Jesus makes clear that his identity as Messiah and Son of God is directly tied to his suffering and death, a reality which did not match up with Jewish expectations regarding the Messiah. Thus, immediately after Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus announces that he would suffer and die (Mark 8:27-31 ^m), which generates a response from Peter that demonstrates his lack of understanding (8:32-33 ⁿ). It was not his miracles or his profound teaching that served as the primary attribute of his messiahship, but rather his sacrificial death.
For these reasons, it was expedient for Jesus to teach about God’s Kingdom in parables (see Mark 4:1-34 ^o, especially 4:10-12 ^p), to minimize the excitement created by his miracles (1:44 ^q; 5:43 ^r; 7:36 ^s; 8:26 ^t), to conceal his presence at times from the people (7:24 ^u; 9:30-31 ^v), to conceal his teaching from outsiders (4:10-12 ^w, 33-34 ^x; 7:17 ^y), and to command those who knew his true identity not to reveal it (1:23-26 ^z, 34 ^aa; 3:11-12 ^ab; 8:29-30 ^ac; 9:9 ^ad). Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45 ^ae), not to lead the nation of Israel in rebellion against Rome.
Nonetheless, Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1 ^af), could not be hidden. The secret was not and cannot be kept (7:36 ^ag), for Jesus is too great. Those who experienced and witnessed his healing touch could not help but proclaim what he had done. Jesus’ identity broke through, and it became clear that he is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord over nature, disease, and death. And for the readers of the Gospel of Mark, who are made aware of his identity in the very first verse, Jesus was demonstrated to be the Messiah precisely because of—not in spite of—his suffering, death, and resurrection.

Passages for Further Study
Matt 8:4 ^ah; 16:20 ^ai; Mark 1:34 ^aj, 44 ^ak; 3:11-12 ^al; 5:43 ^am; 7:36 ^an; 8:29-30 ^ao; 9:9 ^ap, 30-31 ^aq; Luke 9:21 ^ar