Mark 9

The Transfiguration

1 And Jesus was saying to them, "¹Truly 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 ²Six days later, Jesus took with Him ³Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves *. And He was transfigured before them;

3 and ⁴His 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, "⁵Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; ⁶let us make three 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 formed, overshadowing them, and ⁷a voice came out of the cloud, "⁸This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!"

8 All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.

9 ⁹As they were coming down from the mountain, He ¹⁰gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until * * the Son of Man rose from the dead.

10 They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant.

11 They asked Him, saying, "Why is it that the scribes say that ¹¹Elijah must come first?"

12 And He said to them, "Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of ¹²the Son of Man that ¹³He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

13 "But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him."

All Things Possible

14 ¹⁴When 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 ¹⁵amazed 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 whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and 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 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?' ¹⁶All 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 ¹⁷a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him 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 ¹⁸into 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."

Death and Resurrection Foretold

30 ¹⁹From 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, "²⁰The Son of Man is to be 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 ²¹they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

33 ²²They came to Capernaum; and when He was in ²³the house, He began to question them, "What were you discussing on the way?"

34 But they kept silent, for on the way ²⁴they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "²⁵If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

36 Taking a child, He set him before * them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

37 "²⁶Whoever * receives 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 ²⁷John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and ²⁸we 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 "²⁹For he who is not against us is for us.

41 "For ³⁰whoever * gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

42 "³¹Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better * for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.

43 "³²If 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 ³³hell, into the ³⁴unquenchable fire,

44 [ 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 ³⁵hell,

46 [ where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.]

47 "³⁶If 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 ³⁷hell,

48 ³⁸where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND ³⁹THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.

49 "For everyone will be salted with fire.

50 "Salt is good; but ⁴⁰if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? ⁴¹Have salt in yourselves, and ⁴²be at peace with one another."

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Images for Mark 9

Mark 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The transfiguration. (1-13) An evil spirit cast out. (14-29) The apostles reproved. (30-40) Pain to be preferred to sin. (41-50)

Verses 1-13 Here is a prediction of the near approach Christ's kingdom. A glimpse of that kingdom was given in the transfiguration of Christ. It is good to be away from the world, and alone with Christ: and how good to be with Christ glorified in heaven with all the saints! But when it is well with us, we are apt not to care for others, and in the fulness of our enjoyments, we forget the many wants of our brethren. God owns Jesus, and accepts him as his beloved Son, and is ready to accept us in him. Therefore we must own and accept him as our beloved Saviour, and must give up ourselves to be ruled by him. Christ does not leave the soul, when joys and comforts leave it. Jesus explained to the disciples the prophecy about Elias. This was very suitable to the ill usage of John Baptist.

Verses 14-29 The father of the suffering youth reflected on the want of power in the disciples; but Christ will have him reckon the disappointment to the want of faith. Very much is promised to our believing. If thou canst believe, it is possible that thy hard heart may be softened, thy spiritual diseases may be cured; and, weak as thou art, thou mayest be able to hold out to the end. Those that complain of unbelief, must look up to Christ for grace to help them against it, and his grace will be sufficient for them. Whom Christ cures, he cures effectually. But Satan is unwilling to be driven from those that have been long his slaves, and, when he cannot deceive or destroy the sinner, he will cause him all the terror that he can. The disciples must not think to do their work always with the same ease; some services call for more than ordinary pains.

Verses 30-40 The time of Christ's suffering drew nigh. Had he been delivered into the hands of devils, and they had done this, it had not been so strange; but that men should thus shamefully treat the Son of man, who came to redeem and save them, is wonderful. Still observe that when Christ spake of his death, he always spake of his resurrection, which took the reproach of it from himself, and should have taken the grief of it from his disciples. Many remain ignorant because they are ashamed to inquire. Alas! that while the Saviour teaches so plainly the things which belong to his love and grace, men are so blinded that they understand not his sayings. We shall be called to account about our discourses, and to account for our disputes, especially about being greater than others. Those who are most humble and self-denying, most resemble Christ, and shall be most tenderly owned by him. This Jesus taught them by a sign; whoever shall receive one like this child, receives me. Many have been like the disciples, ready to silence men who have success in preaching to sinners repentance in Christ's name, because they follow not with them. Our Lord blamed the apostles, reminding them that he who wrought miracles in his name would not be likely to hurt his cause. If sinners are brought to repent, to believe in the Saviour, and to live sober, righteous, and godly lives, we then see that the Lord works by the preacher.

Verses 41-50 It is repeatedly said of the wicked, Their worm dieth not, as well as, The fire is never quenched. Doubtless, remorse of conscience and keen self-reflection are this never-dying worm. Surely it is beyond compare better to undergo all possible pain, hardship, and self-denial here, and to be happy for ever hereafter, than to enjoy all kinds of worldly pleasure for a season, and to be miserable for ever. Like the sacrifices, we must be salted with salt; our corrupt affections must be subdued and mortified by the Holy Spirit. Those that have the salt of grace, must show they have a living principle of grace in their hearts, which works out corrupt dispositions in the soul that would offend God, or our own consciences.