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QUESTION
Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19)
However, again and again throughout His Ministry, He insisted that His followers should tell no one (Matthew 16:20; 17:9; Mark 7:36; 8:30; 9:9; Luke 5:14; 8:56; 9:21)
Does this not contradict His Great Commission?
ANSWER
1. Jesus commanded His disciples to tell no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead (Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9). Therefore, there is no contradiction.
2. Sometimes, Jesus was simply trying to keep down the crowds so that He could continue His ministry.
Jesus commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it (Mark 7:36).
Jesus charged the leper whom He healed to tell no one. However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed (Luke 5:14-16).
3. On one occasion, when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed to the mountain by Himself alone (John 6:15). Since this was not the purpose of His coming to the earth, He withdrew from them, for His purpose was to die on the cross and give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and lay down His life for the sheep (John 10:10,15).
BIBLE REFERENCES
Matthew 16:20
20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 28;18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 17:9
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
Mark 7:36
36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
Mark 8:30
30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
Mark 9:9
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Luke 5:12-16
12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.”
15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 8:56
56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Luke 9:21-22
21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
John 6:14-15
14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
John 10:10-15
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
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