Several times in the book of Mark, Jesus commands that knowledge of who is or what he has done, be kept a secret . . . The Messianic Secret. Perhaps the best example of this is when Jesus commands his disciples not to reveal his identity after they see him totally transfigured, so Jesus appears in full glory, and they hear the voice of God say, This is my Son. Jesus instructs the disciples to keep that event under wraps until after his resurrection.
And there are plenty of other times that Jesus forbids others to reveal him as the Christ, the Son of God. Sometimes it’s the demons Jesus casts out, or the different people Jesus heals, like this leper. Now you might ask yourself: Why would Jesus want to keep his identity and his works a secret at this point? Isn’t the whole point for people to know who Jesus is so they can believe in him and submit to him as their King?