Mark 9:14

Mark 9:14 says, And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.  When Jesus returned to His disciples, there was a great multitude around them.  It would be nice if great multitudes came to us as His disciples today when they are seeking answers or having problems.  Verse fifteen adds, And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.  When the people saw Jesus, they were greatly amazed and ran and saluted Him.  It would also be wonderful if people did the same thing today when Jesus reveals Himself to them.  Verse sixteen states, And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?  Jesus asked the scribes why they were questioning His disciples.  We really don't need to question those who are Jesus's disciples today, even if we believe that they are failing in doing something for Him.  Instead, I believe we need to lift them up in prayer.   Verse seventeen adds, And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; Verse eighteen continues, And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.  One of the multitude told Jesus that he had brought his son who was very badly demon possessed to the disciples, and they were unable to cast the demon out.  This is a problem that Jesus Himself never had, and He told us we will be able to do even greater things.  Verse nineteen declares, He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.  Jesus called them, His disciples included, a faithless generation and asked how long would He be with them.  If we are having problems overcoming the evil in the world today, I believe it is because we haven't truly put our faith in God's power.  Jesus then told them to bring the boy to Him, and this is our task in the world today, to bring the lost to Jesus.  Verse twenty continues, And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. The father who had come to the disciples to have them cast a demon out of his son and they had failed now brought his son to Jesus.  We as parents need to be concerned about the spiritual life of our children, and even though bringing them to church is a good thing, it cannot save them. Neither can any particular preacher or teacher.  If we want them to be made whole spiritually, we must bring them to Jesus.  Of course, they then have to accept Him themself, because we cannot do that for them.  Jesus saw quickly that the demon was harming the boy, just as He will quickly see our spiritual condition today.  Verse twenty-one says, And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.  Jesus asked the father how long his son had been this way, and he said since he was a child.  As soon as our children are old enough to know right from wrong, they are guilty of sinning if they chose to do wrong.  Verse twenty-two adds, And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.  The father also said the demon caused his son to do things that would harm him. Though in most cases our children may not harm themselves physically, though some do, spiritually they are harming themselves if they do not come to Jesus for forgiveness of their sins.  They might even be high performing, productive individuals, but they are spiritually no better off than this demon possessed boy.  Verse twenty-three continues, Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Jesus told the man if he could believe, that all things are possible.  In order to bring our children to Jesus, we must first believe that He can save them.  This is all that we can do, and then it is up to them and Jesus whether they will be saved.  Though Jesus has already died for their sins and rose again to keep death from being the victor, it is still up to every person, even our children, to accept by faith that Jesus is the only way to everlasting life.  Verse twenty-four concludes, And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.  The father, through tears, cried out that he believed and then asked Jesus to heal his unbelief.  Verse twenty-five declares, When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.  Jesus had yet to cast them demon out of the boy when He saw the people running toward Him.  They were coming out of curiosity as to whether or not Jesus would be more powerful than His disciples, who had failed in casting out the demon.  We may have people running to Christians today, not because they want to be saved, but to see if we are going to fail in doing what God has called us to do.  Jesus then commanded the dumb and deaf spirit to come out of the boy.  The spirit had made the boy dumb and deaf, or as we would say today, unable to speak or hear, and now Jesus was making the demon the same way.  We can be made unable to speak God's word and hear His voice today if we allow sinful things to control us, but God will always have the ability to defeat any demon in our life if we come to Him by faith and ask Him for forgiveness.  Verse twenty-six adds, And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. The demon came out but left the boy looking dead.  I have said before that Jesus never had a battle with the demons, and He didn't in this case, though the demon caused the boy a lot of harm.  This demon had possessed the boy all his life and had grown to be a powerful influence over him, and he did not go quietly.  We may have long established habits that keep us away from God, and it may cause us to physically suffer if we give them up, but if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He will always be more powerful than any habit we have, no matter how long it may have controlled us.  Verse twenty-seven continues, But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.  Jesus then took the boy by the hand and had him rise up, and he was completely restored.  When we spiritually take Jesus by the hand, He will completely restore us spiritually.  Verse twenty-eight says, And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?  Verse twenty-nine adds, And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. When the disciples asked why they couldn't cast the demon out, Jesus said that this type demon could only be cast out by prayer and fasting.  We cannot expect to overcome any demon, habit, or simply sin itself by our own power, but must ask God to give us the ability to do so.  Verse thirty continues, And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. Then, the disciples and Jesus passed through Galilee, and once more He told them to not tell anyone about what had happened.  

Mark 9:9

Mark 9:9 says, And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. Can you imagine seeing what the disciples had just seen and then being told by Jesus not to tell anyone about it.  Peter, James and John had been allowed to witness the victory of Jesus before His seeming defeat, but the time was not right to share this news.  After Jesus's death, burial and resurrection this prohibition was removed. Verse ten adds, And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.  These three disciples still did not understand what resurrection from the dead meant, because it had yet to occur.  Until we understand all that Jesus's resurrection from the dead means after His crucifixion, we cannot understand everlasting life through faith in Him.  His crucifixion paid the price for our sins, but His resurrection defeated the death penalty.  It wouldn't be worth a lot if our sins were forgiven, but we were still under the power of death and did not have everlasting life with God.  Verse eleven continues, And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? They then asked Jesus why the scribes said that Elijah must come before the Messiah could.  The scribes were looking for Elijah to physically return, but the scriptures really referred to someone with the same spirit as Elijah.  We need to make sure that we study the Bible looking for a spiritual understanding and not with a physical, or earthly, one. Verse twelve states, And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.  Verse thirteen adds, But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. Jesus told them that Elijah must indeed come first in that spiritual sense, but that he had already come.  Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist, who came calling on the people to prepare for the coming Messiah.  We as Christians today are to call on lost people to come to Jesus and accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord.

Mark 9:1

Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. Jesus told the people that some of them that stood there would see the kingdom of God come in power before they died.  This required faith in Jesus Christ being the Messiah.  Those who did not believe in Jesus would die never seeing His kingdom come.  This was a spiritual kingdom and not a physical one, and it still is today.  Verse two adds, And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.  Jesus took three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, up on a high mountain with Him.  We are not told why these three were chosen, only that Jesus chose them.  At times, other Christians may seem to receive greater honor than we do, but if we are all following God's call, then it shouldn't matter.  Verse three continues, And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.  Jesus was transfigured before them.  This must have been a glorious sight, but it was still leading up to Jesus's death on the cross.  We cannot serve God effectively if all we ever want to see is the transfigured Jesus in His glory and don't want to see Him on the cross.  Some people are willing to follow Jesus as long as it benefits them materially but turn away when it stops doing so and starts requiring them to take up their cross daily.  Jesus's raiment became whiter than anything ever seen before.  We are promised that if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord then He will wash us whiter than snow also, though we will never see this in this lifetime. Verse four concludes, And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.  Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus talking to Him, though they lived in different generations.  They represented the prophets, the Law and the gospel which all represented the same thing, salvation through the Messiah. Everlasting life is everlasting life.  There are no time limits on it.  Verse five states, And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. Peter, as was often the case, was quick to advise Jesus about what they should do.  Since they saw Moses and Elijah there with Jesus, Peter thought it would be good if they built three tabernacles for them.  Sometimes, I think we can get so caught up in a worship experience that we just want to stay where we are and revel in it.  Moses and Elijah could not have stayed if they wanted to, and Jesus had to continue His journey to the cross.  We must always continue to move forth in faith and not get caught up too long in even the most moving worship experience.  We as Christians are called to go into the world and spread the gospel, and we cannot do that if we stay hidden away from the world, as Jesus and Peter, James and John were that day.  Verse six adds, For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.  Though he did speak, Peter was afraid, as all three were, and really did not know what to say.  We cannot allow fear in any situation to lead us to say anything that is not in accordance with God's will if we are to be faithful servants of Christ.  Verse seven continues, And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.  Then, a cloud overshadowed them, and a Voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, hear Him.  When we are afraid, or even when we are caught up in a great worship experience, we need to always hear what Jesus has to say to us.  Verse eight concludes, And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. When Peter, James and John looked around after this, they saw only Jesus with them.  This is the key to salvation. Matthew Henry said that Elijah and Moses were only there to bring attention to the Voice, and after that, they disappeared. We must see Jesus alone and put out faith in Him as our personal Savior and Lord in order to be saved.

Mark 8:34

Mark 8:34 says, And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  After telling Peter that his attitude toward what Jesus knew was His purpose in coming and His commitment to fulfilling it made Peter no better than Satan, Jesus called other people to His disciples and Him.  If we try to claim that Jesus is anyone other than the only begotten Son of God Who died to save everyone who will accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord, we likewise are no better than Satan.  Jesus told those that He called that day that if they wanted to follow Him, they had to take up their cross to do so.  The cross was an instrument of death, and they would have to die to self-will in order to follow Him, and so must we.  Verse thirty-five adds, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Jesus said if we value this life more than following Him, we would lose our life, but if we value following Him more than our physical life, then we would save our life.  I believe too often as Christians we put our physical well-being and comfort ahead of following Christ.  Verse thirty-six states, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Verse thirty-seven adds, Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Jesus asked them and asks us today what we would profit if we gained the whole world but lost our soul.  If we begin to focus on the things of this world more than on our relationship with Jesus Christ, what does that say about our relationship with Him?  One day, the richest person in the world will leave everything behind, and if he or she has not put his or her faith in Jesus Christ, all will be lost, and the same is true for the poorest person.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Then, Jesus said if we are ashamed of Him and His word in this sinful and adulterous generation, then Jesus will also be ashamed of us before the Father with His holy angels.  We should never hope that people really won't know that we are Christians because we don't want them to view us as strange.  As Christians, we are strange to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, but we should want them to know this.

Mark 8:31

 Mark 8:31 says, And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Jesus began to teach His disciples about what was going to happen soon.  He was going to suffer many things, be rejected by the elders and chief priests, and scribes, the religious leaders of Israel, God's chosen people, then be crucified and rise again the third day.  All the miracles that Jesus performed in this world were not His reason for being here.  They were temporary, but His death burial and resurrection for the redemption of mankind was His purpose, and it is permanent.  Verse thirty-two adds, And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.  Peter rebuked Jesus for saying this.  As Christians, when God leads us to do something for Him, and we don't do it, we in effect are rebuking Jesus, Who tells us we can do all things through Him.  Verse thirty-three continues, But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.  Jesus then called Peter, who had been named the Rock, Satan and told Peter to get behind, or away, from Him.  Jesus also told Peter that he savored the things of men and not the things of God.  We may be rock solid in our faith at one point, and still let the things of this world pull us away from God at another.  If we are basing our faith in God on how He gives us what we desire in this world, I believe He will tell us to get behind Him.  We must seek His will first, foremost, and always to be His faithful servants.