Mark 9 NASB
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Mark 9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Transfiguration
9 And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
2 Six days later, Jesus *took with Him Peter and [a]James and John, and *brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter *said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three [b]tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7 Then a cloud [c]formed, overshadowing them, and a voice [d]came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, [e]listen to Him!” 8 All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.
It seems as though the disciples just knew who the men were (Elijah and Moses). Some people think this means that we will automatically recognize each other in the after life, what do you think? No introductions necessary?
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, [f]until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They [g]seized upon [h]that statement, discussing with one another [i]what rising from the dead meant. 11 They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has [j]indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”
All Things Possible
14 When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15 Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16 And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18 and [k]whenever it seizes him, it [l]slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and [m]stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19 And He *answered them and *said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20 They brought [n]the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was [o]rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I [p]command you, come out of him and do not enter him [q]again.” 26 After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28 When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29 And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”
Jesus had given the disciples authority to cast out evil spirits, but apparently they couldn’t get rid of this one. Passages like Ephesians 6:12 seems to suggest there are different ‘rankings’ of demons, perhaps some are stronger than others?
It takes faith to say something like this, to recognize that your belief is lacking. Charles Spurgeon said: “While men have no faith, they are unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief.”
It seems that he believed that Jesus was not only able to heal people physically, but that He could also work in people’s hearts. It seems that he was more aware of Who Jesus was than many others who came to Him seeking healing.
Death and Resurrection Foretold
30 From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. 31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be [r]delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” 32 But they [s]did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.
Here, just after we read about Elijah and Moses appearing, back from the dead, Jesus tells the disciples that he’ll die and rise, but they don’t understand. It’s like it’s all too much for the human brain to comprehend. Have you ever had a “This is too much to comprehend” moment, or a time when you were initially confused but looking back you thought – “Why couldn’t I see it?”
33 They came to Capernaum; and when He [t]was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and *said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, [u]he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Taking a child, He set him [v]before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives [w]one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
Dire Warnings
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is [x]for us. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink [y]because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.
Jesus’ response to the disciples reminds me of Paul’s response when people were proclaiming the Gospel because they wanted to cause distress for Paul while he was in prison. He said, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
Philippians 1:18 NASB
42 “Whoever causes one of these [z]little ones who believe to stumble, it [aa]would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he [ab]had been cast into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into [ac]hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [[ad]where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into [ae]hell, 46 [[af]where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 47 If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into [ag]hell, 48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
A little off topic from Jesus’ main point, but this made me think of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. We tend to feel bad for Lazarus, but actually he was better off. We should choose suffering for Christ and giving up everything rather than an easy life lived for ourselves. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you [ah]make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Footnotes:
- Mark 9:2 Or Jacob
- Mark 9:5 Or sacred tents
- Mark 9:7 Or occurred
- Mark 9:7 Or occurred
- Mark 9:7 Or give constant heed
- Mark 9:9 Lit except when
- Mark 9:10 Or kept to themselves
- Mark 9:10 Lit the statement
- Mark 9:10 Lit what was the rising from the dead
- Mark 9:13 Lit also
- Mark 9:18 Or wherever
- Mark 9:18 Or tears him
- Mark 9:18 Or withers away
- Mark 9:20 Lit him
- Mark 9:25 Or running together
- Mark 9:25 Or I Myself command
- Mark 9:25 Or from now on
- Mark 9:31 Or betrayed
- Mark 9:32 Lit were not knowing
- Mark 9:33 Lit had come
- Mark 9:35 Or let him be
- Mark 9:36 Lit in their midst
- Mark 9:37 Lit one of such children
- Mark 9:40 Or on our side
- Mark 9:41 Lit in a name that you are Christ’s
- Mark 9:42 I.e. humble
- Mark 9:42 Lit is better for him if a millstone turned by a donkey is hung
- Mark 9:42 Lit has been thrown
- Mark 9:43 Gr Gehenna
- Mark 9:44 Vv 44 and 46, which are identical to v 48, are not found in the early mss
- Mark 9:45 Gr Gehenna
- Mark 9:46 See v 44, note
- Mark 9:47 Gr Gehenna
- Mark 9:50 Lit season it
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