There is one particular facet of Jesus’ mission that was a complete failure. At least in Mark’s gospel, time and again Jesus instructed those he healed to keep quiet about their experience (see Mark 1:25, 34, 44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:56). Yet those who experienced healing or witnessed Jesus’ miraculous works blabbed the news to everybody they met.

The result, according to Mark’s gospel, is that Jesus ended up surrounded by great crowds of the curious (1:45; 6:35-34; 7:24-25; 10:1). What has been tagged as “the Messianic secret” was the worst kept secret in Galilee. All of Jesus’ attempts to stay under the radar were thwarted by the excited testimonies of those whose lives he touched so dramatically.

Jesus was so extraordinary in his works and words that it was impossible for people to keep quie…