Why did Jesus repeatedly tell men not to tell others who He was (Matt. 16:20; Mark 1:24-25, 34, 43-45; 3:12; 8:30; 9:9)? Dispensationalists tell us that the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, but that is not exactly true. In John 6:14-15, we are told, "Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone." Earlier, in John 2:23b-24, we were told, "during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men." Why?
Later, in John 12:37-40, it is revealed that this has been a key part of God's redemptive plan all along: "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.""
Paul echoed this in Acts 28:25-27 when he testifies, "And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'"
Why could they not believe? Was it because they were rejected by their Maker before the foundations of the world? Was it because of their being born guilty of Adam's sin and thus incapable of responding willingly to God's own appeals for reconciliation? God forbid! They are temporarily blinded in their already calloused condition in order for God to accomplish redemption for the world. There is no logical or coherent reason why God would put a blindfold on and hide the truth from those who were supposedly already born totally and completely blind from birth. Jesus and Paul were extremely clear; God blinded them temporarily because otherwise they would turn and be converted.
Why did Jesus speak in riddles (Matt. 13; Mark 4; John 6:26-71)? Paul tells us exactly why in Romans 11:8: "just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."" Jesus spoke in riddles because He knew that by revealing Himself too soon could jeopardize why He came in the first place, as seen in John 6:14-15. He wanted them to come to repentance after His crucifixion and resurrection, when He could draw all men to Himself (John 12:32).