TPC Connections

Sermon Notes

Mark: The Right Now Gospel
Part 14
“Jesus Transfigured, Tough Demons, and Wild Ambition”

Mark 9:1 “And He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.’”
Matthew’s gospel puts it, “till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”–16:28
Luke puts it, “…till they see the kingdom of God.”
Many have taken this passage as proof that Jesus falsely prophesied regarding his return. But…not so fast, because mystery solved in the next 9 verses:
2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— 6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.
9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.”
On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus’s statement about “some not tasting death till they see the kingdom of God, or the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” was dramatically fulfilled.
Right before the eyes of Peter, James, and John, Jesus began to glow with the brilliant light of God’s heavenly glory.
“Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.”–vs 3
He was ‘transfigured’ meaning, “μεταμορφόω (met-am-or-fo’-o), to change into another form. His appearance was changed, resplendent with a divine brightness.
The brightness and the glory were that of the kingdom of God.
And next to Jesus on either side were Elijah and Moses, representing the law and the prophets. The message in all this was both the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Christ Jesus!
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11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”
Jesus intimates that John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah. By his preaching the doctrine of repentance for the remission of sins had endeavored to restore all things, that is, to make a great change in the hearts and lives of the Jews. Even so, they had killed him.
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A Boy Is Healed
14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
After mountaintop experiences we often encounter major challenges. From the glory of the mountaintop to the trials of the valley is typical in our spiritual journey. It says:
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
So the sight of a demon-possessed boy greets Peter, James, John, and Jesus. The demon has caused horrifying manifestations. The father has brought him to the disciples that were left behind while the three were taken up the mountain. They have tried to cast it out and failed. Jesus is again exasperated:
19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.”
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Notice how the father says, “If you can do anything…”
He’s not sure, he’s not fully convinced.
This is why Jesus seeks to encourage his faith, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Jesus wants him moving from “if you can” to “I know you can!”
It says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”–vs 24
This father’s response to Jesus is one of the most honest confessions found in the NT.
“I believe, Lord; but not fully. I have some doubts. My faith is not perfect. I am struggling in my faith!”
Listen: Even when we’re struggling with trembling faith, we have a right to ask and expect that it shall be answered. Weak faith is still faith. The trembling hand does still touch. The connection may be slender as a spider’s web that binds a heart to Jesus, but it does still bind. Don’t wait for perfect faith…USE WHAT YOU HAVE!
It says:
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.”
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As they often did, the disciples questioned Jesus when they could get alone with him:
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
The word “kind” here is interesting. It is the Greek word γένος, and means a type or species. It offers us a glimpse into the world of the demonic and suggests there are types or classes of demons that are particularly stubborn or difficult to cast out.
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Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection
30 “Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.’ 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.”
The disciples never fully understood Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection until he was raised from the dead. Their understanding came incrementally and with a lot of difficulty.
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Who Is the Greatest?
33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.”
They asked this question because they expected that he was about to set up a temporal kingdom, and they were vying for who would have the top offices of honor and profit.
So Jesus told them how his kingdom operated:
35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
In another place the Lord had said, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”–Lk 14:11
So in the kingdom of God, the way up is down–Servanthood and humility come before promotion!
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Jesus Forbids Sectarianism
38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”
Now, we don’t know who it was that was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. It might have been one of the disciples of John, or one of the seventy whom Jesus had sent out. Though this person is not personally traveling with Jesus as were the 12, he still had the power of working miracles and was certainly on the Lord’s side.
The Lord responds with a rebuke against sectarianism:
39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
We are very prone to judge those who aren’t a part of “our” group. If they’re not in our fellowship, our church, our denomination, then they’re somehow not right. But Jesus said, if they’re ministering in his name with sincere hearts, we should cheer on their work for Christ!
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Jesus Warns of Offenses
42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”
The “little one” Jesus refers to is not speaking of chronological age, but of spiritual age. He seems to be addressing the way their reaction against the brother casting out devils could cause him to stumble.
Then the Lord turns to the disciples themselves and the danger of them also suffering offense and being made to stumble:
43 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.”
The hand here is a picture of any person or thing that would play a part in causing you to stray from God. If a wrong relationship or a sinful habit is causing you to sin, remove it from your life! Because…
“It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where
‘Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.’

45 “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.”

Jesus seems to be alluding to the verse in Lev 2:13,

“Every offering must be seasoned with salt, because the salt is a reminder of God’s covenant.”

Fire purifies and salt is a preservative. Every true believer will be purified by fiery trials, and preserved by the salt of total dedication to Christ.

50 “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

The LB puts it, “Good salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness; it can’t season anything. So don’t lose your flavor! Live in peace with each other.”

Maintain your total dedication to the Lord. This will assure your usefulness in the Kingdom of God!