Mark 9

Jesus along the Way

Good evening my friends...

So good to have you join us here for our Wednesday night service.

We appreciate all those who prayed for us and checked on us these last few days as Marci was in the hospital.

We appreciate you and I want to remind you to love one another.

Lets look at our text....

We will begin with verses 1 Mark 9:1

Mark 9:1 ESV

1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Now we understand some of this right here, it is a look at those who who are not only going to accompany Jesus up on the mountain, but a look also on who will be the last one living as the kingdom of God comes in power.

Now when we talk about the kingdom of God coming in power, we think of the second coming of Christ.

But we know that He has not returned yet, so really the kingdom of God in power can refer to two important points.

One important future day is the day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus. There is one disciple who will not be there when that day comes, and that is Judas Iscariot.

But the time also pointing to the gospel spreading over the world, even after the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. We know that AD 70 will send the Jews and Christians across the world. But that will only help to expand His kingdom.

The last living Apostle we know is John, He lives a long time, well over a 100 years and past AD 100. John was the last to taste death.

Now lets look at verses 2-4 Mark 9:2-4

Mark 9:2–4 ESV

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

So after 6 days, we are not sure if Jesus is still in the area of Caesarea Philippi as we saw from last week in chapter 8 or if he has returned to the area of Galilee.

But here Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the mountain.These three will be important leaders in the days to come, but we are not sure as to why these three are the inner circle, James will be the first of them to die after the resurrection as he will be put to death by the sword.

Now the traditional view is they are in lower Galilee around Mount Tabor. It rises some almost 2000 feet above sea level and people traveled there to see its beauty, others think Mount Carmel, as it was a much taller mountain, reaching about 9000 feet.

And as they go with Jesus up on the mountain.

And Jesus was transfigured there on the mountain. This has to be the most spectacular sight they will ever see except for the resurrection itself.

The word “transfigured” is a special world, it means to see a metamorphosis if you will. But this is much grandeur than anything we know of in this life..

There are several animals that go through a metamorphosis, a Caterpillar to a butterfly or a tadpole to a frog...

But this change is unique =, for the change Jesus reveals is the glory of His own divinity itself. He is God and they get to see the glory of God and live.

And verse 3 says His closes became intensely white.. brilliant with glory. The brightness recalls the shekinah glory of God in the OT.

Then we see verse 4, Moses and Elijah appears with Jesus there on the mountain and these three disciples have the joy and pleasure to see it.

Now Moses and Elijah are important, they represent the OT. Moses the law and Elijah, the prophets and literally everything hangs on those two portions of the OT.

Mark 5. The Transfiguration (9:2–10)

Both men underwent transformations, Moses when his face shown with reflected glory (

And both didn’t see death naturally...

Now let’s look at verse 5-8 Mark 9:5-8

Mark 9:5–8 ESV

5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

Now in this account, Peter refers to Jesus as rabbi, which is unique since Matthew 17 refers to Jesus as Lord, and Luke uses the term Master.

The use of the word Rabbi may refer to his lack of understanding in who Jesus is fully, since he speaks looking for permission to complete his desire to build three shelters or booths as in the feast of the Tabernacles.

To erect these shelters we find that Peter is putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah.

And this is not who Jesus is, he is not man that has been allowed to visit back into the plain of the living. Instead Jesus is Lord of all.

The purpose of the transfiguration is to allow them to see his glory and to emphasis his future glory, but that glory is only coming after the cross, for this is the reason he has come.

Verse 6 is unique, He said this cause he didn’t know what to say about the situation. Listen, Jesus does expect us to respond immediately when we do not understand,

But we can stop and ask, Lord what is the meaning of this…

Verses 7 and 8 is one of the most beautiful parts… God the Father shows up again.

This is my beloved Son, listen to him..

Powerful, there are times we need to stop talking and simply listen.

And we find they are alone, just those three and Jesus. Wow.

This is a momentary stop, a little period for them to see the glory of God revealed in the Son, but now Jesus needs to continue to make his way to the cross and die for the sins of humanity.

Now, verses 11-13 Mark 9:11-13

Mark 9:11–13 ESV

11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Many of the 1st century Jews believed that Elijah would precede the coming of the Messiah into the world. And we find a look at that in the Old Testament...

But they have failed to see who came as Elijah.. Remember one has already come in the spirit and power of Elijah… that is John the Baptist.

John is the forerunner to his suffering, but only the death of Jesus on the cross will make Elijah’s role clear.

Jesus affirms that Elijah has come and they did to him what they desired.

That is a look back to Elijah in 1 kings as Elijah dealt with Jezebel who threatened to kill him like she had done the others men of God before him.

So lets move forward...

Verses 14-16 Mark 9:14-16

Mark 9:14–16 ESV

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”

So they are coming down from the mountain and in doing so they saw a great crowd around the other disciples. And the Scribes were arguing with the disciples.

And when the crowd saw Jesus, with these three..Peter, James and John and the Bible says they came up to Jesus and greeted him.

And Jesus asked them, what are you arguing about?

Look at verses 17-18 Mark 9:17-18

Mark 9:17–18 ESV

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

So here a man, a father comes up to Jesus and tells him, Teacher I brought my son to you, but literally to the disciples, his workers in the ministry since Jesus was up on the mountain away from them.

And the Father explained to Jesus what had happened, I brought my son to you. He has a unclean spirit, and it has made him mute.

And on top of this, this spirit seizes him and make his foam at the mouth, it makes him grind his teeth and he gets as stiff as a board.

And it throws him down to the ground to hurt him, Jesus..

But the disciples could not help him, they could not liberate him from this unclean spirit.

They could not cast out this unclean spirit. Remember, Jesus has previously had them go and minister in the villages and communities. They preached, cast out demons and healed the sick..

But now, nothing...

Verse 19 Mark 9:19

Mark 9:19 ESV

19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

Jesus is upset, the word generation not only refers to the people, but it also refereed to the disciples here.

They had previously ministered as I said...Jesus has been with them a while now and soon he would be leaving them. And still today, they had failed in their faith.

Literally they didn’t have faith…

Here is a great question, why do we wrestle with our faith, our ability to believe and trust God?

Mark 7. The Exorcising of a Demon from a Deaf and Mute Boy (9:14–29)

Spiritual power is not something which once possessed will always be available. It must be maintained and renewed. Disciples then and now must constantly learn and relearn this lesson

Now Jesus wants them to bring the boy to him.

Now look at verses 20-22 Mark 9:20-22

Mark 9:20–22 ESV

20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

So, as they bring the boy to Jesus, as soon as the unclean spirit sees Jesus, it convulsed the boy, throwing him to the ground, rolling and foaming at the mouth...

The spirit wants to do anything he can to destroy this boy, we know this from the response the father gives Jesus when our Lord asked him how long this had been happening.

And the father said from his childhood.

And here is a word from the father that is really unique. The father in response to Jesus said

“But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us...”

The disciples inability to do anything has shaken the faith of the Father, and later we see the father confess his unbelief.

V23-24 Mark 9:23-24

Mark 9:23–24 ESV

23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Do you see Jesus words here, … if you can? There is a wonderful point here,

All things are possible for the one who believes!

There comes a time when you must make up your mind, and either believe or not believe.. you have to make up your mind what you will believe. All need faith

And the Lord hears the words of the father. The Father cries out, I believe, help my unbelief..

Its neat here that the word immediately is used here, the Father immediately believed but at the same time, he knew his unbelief was problem and needed rid of it.

Now look at verses 25-29

Mark 9:25–29 ESV

25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

As Jesus sees the crowds coming toward him, he quickly works to call out the unclean spirit and cast it out of the boy, and it did

And we see the personal blessings we see is that Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up.

Listen my friends, Jeuss is the one who can lift us up out of the very worst.

Now as they enter the home, the disciples want to know why they could not do this… Jesus answer is unique.

Mark 7. The Exorcising of a Demon from a Deaf and Mute Boy (9:14–29)

Up to this point the account has emphasized the necessity of faith. Here the idea of prayer is injected. The two are closely related. Prayer, especially a whole life of prayer, is the avenue to faith. All except the two earliest and generally regarded best Greek manuscripts, two early versions, and one early Christian writer add “and fasting” (KJV, NKJV), no doubt because of the prevalence of fasting in the early and medieval church (a similar addition is in