One final aspect about our story has long caught the attention of Mark’s readers. When the demon blurts out who Jesus is (1:24), Jesus’s response is unexpected. Rather than embracing this public confession, Jesus does not want his true identity to be revealed and instead commands the demon to keep silent. “Be silent, and come out of him!” (1:25). The sentiment is again repeated a few verses later. That same evening, when Jesus casts out many demons, “he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him” (1:34).
