Day #294

Sermon - Audio
Matt 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62 - Reading
Matt 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62 - Audio

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Mark 9

9.2: Jesus deals with amazing ministry highs and lows. From hanging out with Moses and
Elijah to hanging on a cross. They are all part of ministry.
• 9.2: Elijah represents the Old Testament prophets. Moses represents the Torah (Law).
Both the Law and the Prophets testify to the fact that Peter is right--Jesus is the Messiah.
• 9.5-6: Peter’s “tents” recall the journey through the wilderness where the people lived in
tents. The feast of Sukkot recalls this. It celebrates God’s wonderful provision for the
people while in the desert. It is possible that Peter wants to celebrate God’s provision
of a Messiah by building tents and hanging out in them with these great men of history
for a while.
• 9.7: “Listen to him” comes from the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 18 says, 15 “The Lord
your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it
is to him you shall listen— The words of God also recall Jesus words a few verses before
where he tells us we are not to be ashamed of him (he is God’s beloved son) or his
words.
• 9.8: Elijah was seen by the Jewish people as a man who could come and go at will.
• 9.10: The Jews of that day believed that all the righteous people would rise at once. Jesus’
words proved confusing in that context.
• 9.11: The scribes/teachers of the Law are not always wrong. They understand from the
Scriptures that Elijah must come first (see Malachi 4.5; 3.1). Jesus, as he has done
continually throughout this section, gives a different understanding of the text. He
holds that John the Baptist is the Elijah who was to come. The Jewish people were
waiting for the literal Elijah.
• 9.12: The passage of Malachi this comes from is filled with Messianic pictures. Malachi 4 2
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when tall the arrogant and all evildoers
will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of
hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name,
the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like
calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under
the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember
the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for
all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome
day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the
hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter
destruction.” The idea that Elijah will restore all things refers to Elijah inaugurating Israel’s
new age. In this age families will be reconciled together as they follow the Torah
and live for God. Jesus says that John the Baptist has begun this process--perhaps by
calling the people to repentance and by certainly by announcing the coming of the
Messiah. (In the Malachi passage it is interesting to see the close connection between
Moses and Elijah.)
• 9.14: What are the disciples and scribes/teachers of the Law arguing about? Are they arguing
about how one is supposed to do an exorcism?
• 9.15: Another question: Why does Jesus’ appearance case the people to be greatly astounded?
Is there some residual effect of the transfiguration (like Moses’ face that
glowed after his time with God) or is it simply the presence of Jesus that causes people
to be astounded?
• 9.18: The demon is a particularly nasty one.
• 9.19: The picture of Jesus coming down to a faithless generation calls to mind Moses coming
down from the mountain and finding the people worshipping the golden calf (Exodus
32).
• 9.19: Disciples, if they were mature, were supposed to be able to take over for their rabbi
when he was absent. We again see disciples who see only half of Jesus’ reality.
• 9.21: One wonders why Jesus finds this question necessary. Could this question be a
question the reflects the deep compassion of Jesus? The tone of the question
would be one of deep concern for a suffering parent and child.
• 9.23: Jesus is able to do all things, it is part of the good news of Jesus Christ.
• 9.25: In keeping with his theme of keeping his Messiahship secret Jesus heals when the
crowd starts getting too big.
• 9.29: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” These words may be a word
of discipline. His disciples, by relying on God and following the example of their Rabbi
should have been able to cast out the demon. However, because they can only see
half of the reality of Jesus they need to rely on prayer to cast out the demon.
• 9.30: Mark keeps telling us that Jesus wants times of quiet. He is not seeking large
crowds, he wants to prepare his disciples for what lies ahead. At the same time, large
crowds constantly seek him out simply because of what he teaches and what he does.
• 9.32: This chapter continues to raise questions. Why are they afraid to ask Jesus? Are
they afraid they will look stupid--like they did in the matter of the leaven of the Pharisees
or is there some other reason?