The mystery of Jesus: He sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:20

The Gospel of Matthew relates that after the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus began his preaching in the region of Capernaum. And that is how Jesus taught the people who followed him about the Kingdom of God with the Sermon on the Mount and the parables. But in the face of these teachings, the person of Jesus remained a mystery; Jesus only referred to himself as "Son of Man", a title also used in the Book of Ezekiel to name the prophet.
And this made sense; John the Baptist had been imprisoned, and Jesus knew he could end up the same way before completing his mission on earth. Religious oppression was commonplace in Jesus' time, and the Roman Empire threatened to expand its influence in the region, something that materialized with the destruction of Jerusalem many years after the Lord's death and resurrection.
But the title "Son of Man" had a special meaning. Just as man becomes a "son of God" by seeking God's perfections, Jesus is God who becomes the "son of man." Jesus is the personification of God's perfections. And this was the hidden message the Lord was conveying. Claiming any kind of authority could have meant accusations of heresy from the Pharisees and Sadducees.
But after the second multiplication of the loaves, Jesus asked his disciples who he was. And the disciples answered him: "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets" Matthew 16:14. But Simon Peter took the initiative and replied: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" Matthew 16:16.
And Jesus, with that answer, warned that Peter was the only disciple inspired by the Holy Spirit. And so it was that Jesus prophesied that he would be the cornerstone of the Church and that he would receive the key to the Kingdom of Heaven. One way of saying that Peter would assume leadership of the Church and the authority to bless spiritually. Jesus was about to begin his final journey to Jerusalem and had to prepare the disciples for what would come after his departure from the world, and so he finally asked them to keep the secret: "He sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah" Matthew 16:20.

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