Mark 9:14-29 A Nasty Fight

Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church

From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”

House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text

Jesus’ Ministry Travels

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Review

Mark is one of the Gospels - it tells us how we can be reconciled to God and gain eternal life

Preceded by John, Jesus came from Galilee

Signs and wonders demonstrated His lessons

Jesus was alienating Israel’s religious and political leadership - they were plotting to kill Him

Knew He was going to the cross to finish His work - prepared His disciiples

Recently: A turning point in Jesus mission -

Peter confesses Jesus as Christ

Jesus focuses on His mission to Jerusalem

Jesus teaches on the cost of following Him

Jesus gives His disciples a foretaste of Heaven

He has taken the edge off the hard sayings and promises a sight of the glory to come

Pray

Mark 9:14-29

This week - Satan’s Massive Confusion

Contrasts - the difference between these verses and those from last week are strikiing

Pass from a vision of heaven on the mount of transfiguration to a history of the work of the devil

Go from Moses and Elijah, to the nasty arguments of the Scribes

Go from a taste of the glory of heaven, and the voice of God testifying of His Son, to a return to pain, weakness, misery - a boy in extreme pain, a father in deep worry, a small group of disciples completely baffled by Satan’s power - unable to help - the contrast is great

This is just a faint vision of Jesus witnessed, when He came down from glory, into the world

A picture of life for all true Christians - just like Jesus; work, conflict, weakness, sorrow, are the rule

Scenes of glory, of heaven, on the mount, will be rare

Mark 9:14–16 ESV

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

Christ’s disciples must depend completely on the help of their master

We see this truth in dramatic manner in the scene that meets Jesus eyes, when He comes down from the mount

Like Moses at Sinai - He finds His flock in confusion

Apostles are being harassed by Scribes - baffled in their attempt to heal a boy possessed

The same apostles who had before done many miracles/cast out many devils, now have a case too hard for them

A great lesson: John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

A useful lesson that they will remember

What we learn by hard experience, we remember, while often the truth we hear is often forgotten

A tough lesson at the time - not easy to learn that we are literally helpless without Christ

Many illustrations of this in history:

Many preachers who are weak - corrupted by money, sex, power

Men and women in history, who under pressure, publicly rejected Christ - to their shame

Lack of faith caused men and women to lose resolve - Peter

Without Him, anything can overcome us

Let our cry be: don’t leave us alone - we do not know what the day may bring, if your presence is not with us, we cannot go forward

Mark 9:17–22 ESV

And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 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.” 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.” 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. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 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.”

We can be attacked by Satan very early in life

This is a scary description of the miseries that Satan inflicted on this young man - started in infancy

Important Lesson: We must work hard to do good for our children, even from their earliest years

If Satan starts so early to harm them, we must stay ahead of him

When is a child accountable? hard to say - possibly sooner than we think

One thing is sure - never too soon to strive and pray for the salvation of our children - never too soon to teach them to be moral, be Godly, to love Christ, to love right

The devil loses no time in trying to corrupt young people - we must work to stop him

Young hearts that can be filled by Satan, can be filled by the Holy Spirit

Mark 9:23–24 ESV

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

Faith and unbelief can be mixed together in the same person

This is the case with many true Christians

Most believers have both trust and doubt, hope and fear, existing side by side

All our knowledge, love, humility, are defective and mingled with corruption

This man like many others, has faith, but there remains a bit of unbelief

We must use our faith- as weak, doubting, feeble as it may be, we must use it

We must not wait for it to be strong to use it, but like this man lean into it and look forward to its growing - Lord - I believe

What about unbelief? Resist it and pray against it!

Not let it keep us away from Christ

Take it to Christ, like all other sins, and ask Him to deliver us - Lord, help my unbelief!

Experience with faith, grows faith

Those who exercise faith, know its power

The world around us is ignorant of them - talk of faith and unbelief, doubts and fears, are foolishness to them

Study this well - a true believer is known by his inward warfare, as well as his inward peace

Jesus has complete power over Satan and his demons

The spirit who was too strong for the disciples is immediately cast out by the Master

Mark 9:25 “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.””

Bringing it home

We can leave this passage with comfort

Greater is He that is for us, than all that are against us

Satan is very strong, busy, active and mean

Jesus is able to completely save all that come to Him, not only from the devil, but from sin and the world

Let us keep our souls with patience

Jesus still lives, and will not let Satan pluck us out of His hand

He will soon come again to rescue us from the fiery darts of the wicked one

Romans 16:20 ESV

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Prayers and prayer requests

Questions