“Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.d 22 And he said, “The Son of Mane must suffer many thingsf and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,g and he must be killedh and on the third dayi be raised to life.”j Luke 9.21-22
I’m not sure there is really any such thing as secret keeping. Perhaps with priests in confession or counselors offering therapy. Maybe a lawyer and his client or a doctor and her patient. But on the whole, some secrets are almost rarely never kept while some are kept for a lifetime [See http://www.keepingsecrets.org/.]
According to one source, ”The average woman cannot keep a secret for longer than 47 hours, a new study suggests. Researchers found that women are overcome by a burning desire to share gossip as soon as they hear it. They will typically spill the beans to at least one other person in 47 hours and 15 minutes. [Sep 17, 2009, https://www.telegraph.co.uk › news]
Scientific American says, “The researchers suggest that secrecy is primarily the intention to conceal information, regardless of any active concealment around others. And that hurts us by making us feel inauthentic, even when we are alone.” [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-it-rsquo-s-so-hard-to-keep-a-secret/]
Why are we talking about secrets? Because Jesus did! He told his disciples after Peter’s great proclamation, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” not to tell anyone. In other words Jesus said, “Guys, I am telling you this but I’m strictly warning you, do not tell this to anyone.” (Would they spill the beans in just a matter of hours or days?)
Now this can be a bit confusing. Why wouldn’t Jesus want people to know about him being the Messiah? I think it’s contextual. The secret was not intended to be kept forever, per the Great Commission and his ascension in Acts 1.8. Jesus wanted to slow the spread of this news so that he might continue to accomplish his mission of making disciples, performing miracles, building the Kingdom. Once the Jews and Romans found out, his time on earth and in ministry would be limited.
Was Jesus naive enough to think his followers would tell no one? Not at all. Secrets, especially those which are fantastical in nature can’t be kept long. Even if you just tell a spouse or a close friend, the secret is eventually leaked.
And aren’t we glad this secret was shared? Aren’t we glad the disciples couldn’t keep quiet forever? It was important to keep his identity on the “down low” for a time but soon news of Jesus, who he was and what he was doing could not remain silent. The “news” involved his next instructions to them — “The Son of Mane must suffer many thingsf and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,g and he must be killedh and on the third dayi be raised to life.” This was revolutionary indeed!
As humans, we keep secrets, some which should we told or shared with trusted Christian brothers and sisters for our well being. But the secrets of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God must be communicated to the world. Do not be fearful, do not be reluctant. Allow the Word of Christ to be proclaimed to all you see and all you meet. By his grace and for his glory.
“O Lord God, you know my secrets, you know my heart. You know my brokenness and the areas in which I still need healing. Thank you for revealing to us the secret of your love and the passion of the Cross. Help us to share this “secret” to the world so all might find hope, joy, love and peace in your name. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen
Note: And lastly, receiving Christ as Lord is not complicated. Simply “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and you will be saved,” (Roman 10.9-10. 13). All it takes is a simple prayer to begin to experience the love, grace, forgiveness and assurance of your home in heaven. Won’t you receive Christ today?