Why Did Jesus Command Some to Not Tell of His Miracles?
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When reading the gospels, do you ever find yourself perplexed by Jesus’ actions? Thankfully, He delivered the most important truths – like how to receive salvation – clearly, and repeatedly. But there are also numerous times when He did and said things I find confusing, such as His seemingly contradictory instructions to those experiencing or witnessing miracles.
One might expect Him to use every awe-inspiring event to demonstrate His divinity. After all, wasn’t that a big reason He came? And yes, some instances show Him advancing His mission not merely through teaching, but through supernatural displays of power as well. Yet, we read other occasions in which He strongly urged the newly liberated and healed to remain silent regarding these life-changing events.
Considering Jesus lived each moment with strategic intentionality, we know He had reasons behind everything He said. Although this isn’t specifically revealed in Scripture, we can draw possible, potentially even plausible, conclusions based on cultural context and His heart and ways. What’s more, as God often uses questions to draw us closer to Himself, our prayerful investigation can lead to deeper faith and intimacy with Christ.
Silencing Evil
The Bible records several times when it seemed as if Jesus didn’t want people to know about His supernatural acts. Scripture records the first instance in Mark 1. This occurred at the beginning of His Galilean ministry, and shortly after He called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him. Directly after, He and His disciples traveled to Capernaum where He wowed the Jews with His authoritative teaching.
While there, a man possessed by an impure spirit cried out “at the top of his voice,” saying, “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!” (Mark 1:24).
Jesus responded by commanding the demon to be quiet and come out of the man. In his account, Luke added additional details:
“At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah (Luke 4:40-41).
It might appear like the Lord wanted to keep His identity hidden. Yet, He didn’t chastise John the Baptist for proclaiming:
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel” (John 1:30-31).
Notice how the prophet added weight to His words in the verses that follow:
“Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One” (John 1:32-34).
His statement left no room for ambiguity or debate! He told everyone plainly, not just who Jesus was, but that the Father Himself had revealed this truth.
Notice also the Lord’s interactions with a man so spiritually enslaved, he lived among the dead. This occurred later in Jesus’ earthly ministry. After telling a series of parables, He and His disciples left Capernaum and crossed the Sea of Galilee to an area known as the region of the Gerasenes.
“When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones” (Mark 5:2-5).
Reading further, we learn that Jesus cast out numerous demons and sent them into a herd of pigs. Then, as He was leaving, the newly freed man begged to go with Him. According to verse 19:
“Jesus did not let him, but said, ‘Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’”
That would’ve been a powerful proclamation!
Considering both events, it seems unlikely that the Lord rebuked the demons for what they said. Rather, His concern lay with the speakers. John Gill, an 18th century Bible scholar, suggested this was to prevent, or hinder, the religious leaders from claiming, as they later did, that He associated with devils and exorcised them by their power.
In a similar vein, the authors of the Geneva Study Bible stated, “Satan, who is a continual enemy of the truth, ought not to be heard, not even when he speaks the truth.”
Focused on Passover
Throughout the gospels, we read numerous verses indicating that Jesus’ time “had not yet come.” He and the Father had already determined the precise number of years God the Son would walk the earth, preach in synagogues, and heal mankind. They also decided the precise Passover for the Christ’s crucifixion.
According to the gospels, Jesus spent three years teaching and healing the masses and training His disciples. While this might seem like a short period, His methods and message proved effective. By the time He died and rose again, He’d revealed Himself as the way, truth, and life.
The global movement that followed verifies that, once He ascended, the disciples were ready, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20) and launch the global church.
Protective Command
My favorite example of Christ’s perplexing admonitions also comes from Mark 1. By this point in His ministry, His popularity gathered quite a crowd, among whom Jesus healed many with various diseases (Mark 1:32-34a).
Later, He and His disciples “traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons” (v. 39). At some point, He encountered a man with leprosy who begged Him for cleansing. Jesus did so and sent him off with a stern 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” (Mark 1:44).
In the original Greek, Christ’s statement conveyed strong emotion. The Amplified Bible phrases the first half of the verse this way:
“And Jesus [deeply moved] admonished him sternly and sent him away immediately” (Mark 1:43, AMP).
Does this intrigue you? The text provides no indication the man did or said anything wrong, therefore it seems unlikely the Lord was frustrated or upset with him. Instead, it appears His intense reaction revealed His protective heart.
Albert Barnes suggests Jesus’ words demonstrate His desire that the man visit the local synagogue immediately. “It was possible that, if he did not go at once, evil-minded men would go before him and prejudice the priest, and prevent his declaring the healing to be thorough because it was done by Jesus.”
While such a scenario wouldn’t have negated the man’s healing, it would’ve prevented him from re-entering society. It seems, then, that the Lord wanted the man to once again receive the blessings of community. God is not content with our physical healing alone. He understands the ache of loneliness and rejection and wants us to thrive mentally, emotionally, and relationally as well.
Preserving Human Dignity
Another wonderful instance of Christ’s “healed-don’t-tell” interaction comes from Matthew 15. This occurred in a predominantly Greek area known as the Decapolis. Verses 32-36 state:
There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it” (emphasis added).
This passage becomes even more intriguing considering all the miracles the Lord previously performed. In John 6, He’d fed five thousand men and an unknown number of women and children by miraculously multiplying one boy’s lunch. Further, Scripture tells us that, wherever He went, people recognized Him and His power.
In Mark 6:55-56, we read:
“They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went — into villages, towns or countryside — they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
He clearly wasn’t concealing His actions, nor do we see Him ask these people to keep their experience confidential.
Why, then, did say those words to the deaf man and those with him? What’s more, why did He remove the man from the crowd prior to healing him? Could it be Jesus wanted to preserve the man’s dignity and protect him from the sensory overload he might otherwise have experienced, when he could suddenly hear — amid a large and likely loud crowd?
Although this is speculation, this explanation remains consistent with His heart. Our Savior knows us intimately: our hurts, fears, shame, and struggles. He knows what we most need, and He moves toward us as our gentle, ever-present, and faithful Provider.
Jesus’ different interactions with various people remind us of some important truths. First, while God’s heart to heal and transform remains the same in all encounters and circumstances, His methods often change. Second, He knows the results of every word spoken or withheld, and works all things according to His glorious, life-giving plans (Ephesians 1:11).
Third, and finally, He guides us individually and uniquely according to His perfect wisdom and inexhaustible love (Psalm 147:5). Therefore, when we land in confusing circumstances, we can trust that we’re held and cared for by the One able to bring sight to the blind, strength to the weak, and transformation to those who once felt stuck.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Aaron Amat
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who co-hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast and, along with a team of 6, the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and taught at writers conferences across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.