Don't Tell Anyone Who I Am

And he saith to them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith to him, Thou art the Christ.
Mar 8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. (Mark 8:29-30)

Peter had accurately piped up, "You are the Messiah" when Jesus had asked his disciples who they thought he was. Jesus' response shocks us as he prohibited them from divulging the wonderful news. Might Jesus also forbid us from telling others that he is the Savior?

Jesus' response to Peter seems strange, especially in light of his command to preach the good news everywhere. Yet, perhaps Jesus had good reason to forbid them from revealing who he was. What would they be proclaiming? For as Jesus began to teach that Messiahship entailed rejection, suffering, death and resurrection, Peter rebuked him. Peter had the right answer, but the wrong understanding.

Similarly, today Jesus is commonly known as the Savior. But what message is understood? Someone might respond, "We trust in Jesus to save us and one day we go to heaven." Might Jesus turn to us and say, "don't tell anyone who I am," since such a Savior could be little more than an eternal life insurance policy? Insurance policies provide security against danger. They do not change how people live. As the Savior, however, Jesus was focused on transforming who we are and how we live.

Whatever our understanding of Jesus, it will shape how we live as his followers. Jesus explained his Messiahship because his disciples were supposed to figure out how they were to live as his disciples. In case fog encased their minds, Jesus proceeded to outline discipleship./2 Self must die in order that Christ might pilot his follower's life.

And when he had called the people to him with his disciples also, he said to them, Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mathew 8:34)

Jesus is the Savior. As Savior, he releases us from enslavement to darkness in order that we might serve God as he did. As Savior, Jesus rescues us from our ruined lives calling us to holy and righteous living. And yes, this Savior frees us from the consequences of sin making it possible for us to inherit eternal life.

Would Jesus give us the green light to announce that he is the Savior?

Author: Barry Newton

I believe that the author got it all wrong and misunderstood Jesus when He rebuked Peter on Peter proclaiming Him to be the Christ (Messiah). Jesus did not want the main objective to be lost. The next verse makes it very clear that why Jesus rebuked Peter

And he saith to them, But who say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith to him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:29-31)

Jesus did not want any hindrances in His mission to save our souls from Hell, destroy the works of satan and bring us back in to the presence of Heavenly Father. To do so (Mark 8:31) He had to suffer, be rejected by the elders, the Chief Priests and scribes. He had to die buried and raised up from the dead on the third day. This was the mission of Jesus Christ and that is why He stopped Peter so that all the prophicies might take place in their order.

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