Mark 9
Some of the disciples were to see the kingdom of God come in power before any of them would die. Six days later Jesus led Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where they were alone. The Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured-a complete bodily change took place. His raiment was white as snow and shining. Whatever was seen of Christ as man, physically or otherwise, will be true of all of the children of God in the kingdom of God.
Elias (Elijah) and Moses appeared. Elijah was the reformer who taught the people to return and observe the law, and Moses was the giver of the law. They were talking with Jesus.
Peter said, "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." Being afraid, Peter did not know what to say. A cloud overshadowed them, and then came a voice out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son: hear Him." Then all disappeared except Jesus and the disciples.
Coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them to tell no man of the transfiguration until He was raised from the dead. The disciples kept this saying among themselves, wondering what the rising from the dead should mean.
They asked Jesus why the scribes said that Elias must come first to restore all things, and how it was written of the Son of man that He must suffer much and be considered as nothing. Jesus said that Elias had indeed come, and, as it is written, they had done to him whatever they chose. He spoke of John the Baptist, who was beheaded.
Coming to His disciples, He found that a great multitude had gathered about them and the scribes were questioning them. The people were amazed when they saw Jesus, and they ran and saluted Him. He asked the scribes what they had questioned the disciples about. One of the crowd answered, saying that he had brought to Jesus his son who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The spirit tore him and made him gnash his teeth so he pined away. The man said that he told the disciples, but they could not cast him out.
Then Jesus said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto Me." When he was brought, the spirit tore the boy and falling on the ground he wallowed, foaming.
Jesus asked his father when this started, and he answered that it was from childhood, and that the spirit had cast him into fires and into waters to destroy him. The father implored Jesus, "If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." Jesus said, "All things are possible to him that believeth." The Father cried, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief."
As the people came running, the Lord rebuked the foul spirit, saying, 'Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him." Crying out, the spirit tore him and came out of him, and he appeared as one dead. Jesus took him by the hand and caused him to rise.
Coming into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could not we cast him out?" Jesus answered, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." How often we put service before communion. The Lord had called the disciples to be with Him, and then sent them out to preach and heal. Had the disciples prayed as each new opportunity arose, they would have been able by divine intelligence to enter into what Jesus said. What a valuable Jewel communion is for the believer!
Passing through Galilee, the Lord did not want any of the people to know that He would be delivered up to men who would kill him and that He would rise the third day. The disciples did not understand about His death and resurrection, though they had been told more than once.
Jesus, being with them in the house at Capernaum (probably His house), asked what they disputed about in the way. Since it was about who should be greatest, they didn't want to answer and kept silent. He called the twelve together and told them that one who desired to be first would be last of all and servant of all.
How strange that the disciples could not see that the essence of serving was to be nothing themselves and to make Christ everything. They had followed Jesus in His service, seeing Him hide Himself when He could, watching Him heal and ask nothing in return, and witnessed Him allowing Himself to be humbled before the elders of Israel.
Setting a child in the midst of them, after taking him in His arms, Jesus said that one who would receive such a child in His name received the Father who had sent Him.
He Followed Not With Us
John told Jesus that they forbad one who was casting out demons, because he did not follow the disciples. Jesus said not to forbid him, because one who would do a miracle in Christ's name would not speak evil of Christ. "For he that is not against us is on our part."
If a cup of cold water was given in Christ's name to one of Christ's, the giver would not lose his reward. It would be better for one to be cast into the sea with a millstone around his neck than to have offended a little one who believed in Jesus. If one's own hand, foot or eye offends, cut them off. How much better to enter into life maimed than to have one's members and be cast into hell-"where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Three times this verse is quoted in this chapter. How solemn. It should exercise all of us, saved or unsaved.
The worm is the conscience. A soul in the torment of hell will be constantly and forever reminded of their past life and of all their willful deeds which put them in that place because they did not repent. The fire of hell is constant torment that lasts forever. The term "lake" suggests that whatever enters, remains; there is no outlet. Such is the lake of fire.
Everyone will be tested by fire (God's character). By repentance and receiving Christ we are given God's character as it is seen in Christ. This is pure grace and is true of the weakest believer. There is nothing so positive as grace, and no substitute for it.
"For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt." "Salt is... that energy of God within us which connects everything in us with God, and dedicates the heart to Him, binding it to Him in the sense of obligation and of desire, rejecting all in oneself that is contrary to Him (obligation that flows from grace, but which acts all the more powerfully on that account)."
Everything that we have done as unto the Lord will be tested at the judgment seat of Christ as to its reality. How can you season salt that has lost its savor? Salt can savor all but itself! To have salt in ourselves is to allow the Word of God to test everything that we do. "But the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace." James 3:1818And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:18) JND.