Mark 9
The Kingdom Promised (Mark 9:1)
Jesus' glory (Mark 8:38) would not occur in the distant future. Some in that crowd would live to see his kingdom. Premillennialists ignore this passage, claiming that Jesus’ kingdom would not be established until his second coming. Obviously, Jesus’ words imply that the kingdom now exists. Such is confirmed by the apostles' words, who speak of the kingdom as presently existing (Colossians 1:13).
The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-13)
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain where Jesus prayed. Luke 9:28 states that it happened after eight days. This is not a conflict but a different way of measuring time. Luke includes the day of Jesus’ talk and the day they climbed the mountain. Mark only speaks of the days separating the two events. The mountain they climbed is not stated, but being in the region of Caesarea Philippi, there are many tall mountains, including Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in Palestine. On the mountain, Jesus' appearance was altered. He began to glow, and his clothing turned white – whiter than it was possible to scrub cloth. The wording is such that the light originated from within Jesus and was not a reflection.
The disciples then saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus. How they came to realize who these two were is not stated. But they are significant men because Moses represented the Law and Elijah the Prophets, of which the two composed the Old Testament.
Peter approached Jesus with a proposal. He offered to build three tabernacles on the mountain. One for each person the disciples saw: Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But Peter did not realize the implications of what he was proposing. He spoke from fear, knowing that something wondrous had taken place and knowing it should be remembered.
Jesus did not answer. Instead, a cloud came and overshadowed them. A voice said, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” Thus, God, the Father, gave His authority to His Son and testified on His Son’s behalf. Peter recalled the event years later in II Peter 1:15-18 when speaking of his own departure from the world. Jesus is not on the same level as the prophets of the Old Testament. He is superior (Hebrews 1:1-3; 3:3-6).
After this, they saw no one but Jesus. Jesus commanded them to keep quiet about what they had witnessed until after Jesus' death and resurrection. Still, they puzzled over what "rising from the dead" meant. They saw two people who had died long ago rise from the dead to speak with Jesus. Jesus had spoken of resurrections before, but it was one thing to speak about the theory of something and quite another matter to see it personally.
Knowing that they had seen the spirit of Elijah, they could not figure out why Elijah would have left. They remembered being told that Elijah would appear before Jesus (Malachi 4:5-6), but here he came after Jesus had already been on the scene.
Jesus explained that Elijah had already come, and people did as they pleased with him. By this, Jesus was referring to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah, though he was not Elijah himself (Matthew 11:12-15; Luke 1:17). Just as John was mistreated, Jesus would suffer.
An Epileptic Son Healed (Mark 9:14-29)
Returning from the mountain, Jesus rejoins the rest of his disciples. He finds them surrounded by a crowd in a dispute with Jewish scribes. When the crowd spotted Jesus, they were amazed that the very person they wanted had suddenly appeared, and they rushed toward him to greet him.
Jesus asked the scribes what their dispute was about, and a man from the crowd stepped forward with a complaint. His son would have fits that would make him rigid, fall to the ground, and foam at the mouth. He was also unable to hear or speak because of the spirit in him. He asked the disciples to heal the boy, but they could not.
“O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me,” Jesus said. The accusation was not just to the disciples who could not cast out the demon, it was also toward the scribes who disputed with the disciples about the healing, and the people in general. If there had been enough faith, they would not have needed to stand around and argue about why they couldn’t heal the boy.
The boy was brought and immediately had another seizure in front of Jesus and the crowd. Jesus doesn’t heal the boy immediately but continues to talk with the father. The small delay focuses the crowd’s attention on what Jesus is about to do, and it also allows time for more people to gather. Jesus wants people to see him heal someone many have witnessed that no one else could heal. Jesus asked how long this had been going on, and the man confirmed it had happened since his son’s childhood. The convulsions have been a danger to the boy, throwing him into the fire or water. The father then pleads for Jesus to have compassion on them. The problem is not just the boy’s or the father’s. This is a family problem that they both suffer from. However, notice the subtle flaw in the father’s statement: “If you can do anything ...” This is not a request made from confidence in Jesus’ ability.
There are two readings to Jesus’ initial response. Older manuscripts do not have the first “to believe” that appears in the King James and New King James Version. In addition, the “If you are able” in Greek is written in the neuter form, indicating it is a quote. Therefore, most English versions have Jesus quoting the part of the father’s request that is flawed to emphasize what is wrong with the man – his lack of belief.
Jesus tells him that with belief, all things are possible. But he tells the father, “If you can believe.” There was, evidently, still lingering doubt in the man over whether Jesus could heal his son. Jesus is saying he can, but he asks first whether the boy's father believes that Jesus can do this. The father cried out that he did believe, but fearing that even that belief was not enough, he pleaded for Jesus to help him in his unbelief. Seeing the crowd swell, Jesus told the spirit to leave the boy and no longer enter him.
The spirit cried out, causing the boy to convulse so greatly that on leaving the boy, the people thought the boy had died. The spirit apparently left as ordered, but he wouldn’t leave nicely. He intended to leave the boy severely damaged, if not dead. But Jesus took him by his hand and lifted him up alive.
Later, privately at a house, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out the demon. After all, Jesus had given them the authority to do so, and they had in the past. All Jesus told them was that they didn’t sufficiently believe. They were told that this kind of demon required prayer to be cast out. The implication is that there are demons of different levels of strength. Some require greater faith and prayer to remove than others. However, notice that Jesus did not pray. He was God and had the power to cast out strong demons.
A Warning About His Betrayal and Death (Mark 9:30-32)
Jesus did not linger. As they left, Jesus told his disciples that he would be betrayed. The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, but they were afraid to ask him to explain. Even the plainest statements cannot be grasped if what is said contradicts what a person expects.
Who Is the Greatest in the Kingdom? (Mark 9:33-37)
As Jesus and his disciples journeyed to Capernaum from Caesarea, a dispute broke out between the disciples. Jesus didn’t intervene immediately but waited until they arrived at the house where they would stay. He asked them what they were arguing about on the road, but none were willing to tell Jesus that they were arguing about who would be the greatest in Jesus’ kingdom. Of course, Jesus already knew what the argument was about.
Calling a child to his side, Jesus told his disciples that they couldn’t even enter the kingdom of heaven unless they were willing to receive a child. The disciples were jockeying for position in the kingdom, but Jesus values humility. If a disciple wants to be pleasing to the Lord, he must put himself last and act as the servant of all. It is not enough to be humble. Jesus points out that his people must be willing to accept humble people. To receive a humble follower of Jesus is to receive Jesus himself.
Receiving Others (Mark 9:38-41)
Jesus' point disturbed John because he remembered that they had seen a man casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and the disciples had told him to stop because he wasn’t one of the disciples who followed Jesus.
Jesus told them they were wrong for doing so. If they had considered a moment, they would have realized that a person who was able to do a miracle in Jesus’ name would not quickly turn around a work against Jesus (I Corinthians 12:3). A person who wasn’t working against them was working for them (Numbers 11:27-29). The opposite is also true (Matthew 12:30). Thus, there is no middle ground.
When a person treats a follower of Jesus with kindness, even a small kindness such as offering him a cup of water to drink, Jesus would take note, and that person would be rewarded.
People tend toward exclusiveness. If a person is not a part of the “in” crowd, he is rejected regardless of who he is or what he believes and practices. Such a practice is forbidden.
Stumbling Blocks (Mark 9:42-50)
Whoever causes a little one to stumble will be in so much trouble that it would be better for the person to have a millstone tied around his neck and be tossed into the sea. We haven’t changed subjects. The little one under consideration is still the humble disciple of Christ. Just as a small deed of kindness to one who appears insignificant will be rewarded, an act of evil toward a humble disciple will be severely punished. The millstone is a large grinding stone an animal turns to grind the flour.
Offenses, things that cause a person to fall away, will happen. However, this doesn’t excuse the person who causes another person to fall away (I Corinthians 11:19).
The seriousness of Hell is illustrated in hyperbole fashion. A person is better off maimed than spending an eternity in Hell. It is better to prevent being able to sin, even if it causes hardship, than to end up in Hell. Hell is pictured as a place of eternal decay and eternal burning (Isaiah 66:24). The two images are incompatible, but they represent the two ways a dead body is disposed of. Hell is the place of the second death (Revelation 20:14).
Mark 9:49-50 is the subject of considerable debate regarding its meaning. In addition, not all manuscripts have the second half of the verse found in the King James and New King James versions (“and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt”). The idea of salting a sacrifice alludes back to Leviticus 2:13.
Mark 9:49 states that everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a preservative to keep things from spoiling. Fire is a means of removing what is not wanted. A frequent allegory in the Bible is refining a child of God through the fires of trials (Isaiah 48:9-10; Ezekiel 22:17-22; Zechariah 13:7-9; I Peter 1:6-9). Such trials aim to remove the unwanted and leave the desired behind. Thus, everyone is passed through the fires of trials to preserve their lives. Though something is lost, it is better gone than to keep it and end up in hell. By such trials, we are then preserved.
Salt, as a preservative, is good if it is effective. Instead of being a cause for stumbling and falling away in others, we should seek the preservation of ourselves and those around us (Galatians 6:1; I Timothy 4:16).
