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Mark 9:14-16: The valley of need.

^“14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵ As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.  ¹⁶ ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.” NIV UK

As I read this story today, my heart prayed, ‘Don’t let us be a powerless church down in the valley of need.’ God has not placed us here to show off our impotence.  We are located in the valley of need. It’s a dark valley – afflicted by demons. It has people in it who are Satan’s victims; they are damaged by him. The situation is desperate. It calls for prayer, faith and fasting, as we will see. ‘’The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…’ (John 10:10), and this is his patch.

There is a form of religion that doesn’t really care about people (14). It finds fault and picks fights. It is miserable and grumpy and mean-spirited. It loves an argument much more than loving fellow needy humans. The teachers of the law weren’t getting on with healing the boy; they were just criticising and talking. There is a form of churchianity that does just the same in the valley of need. It is useless, and I want no part in it.

But real Christianity shows people Jesus (15), and when he is seen things happen. Jesus divides of course. He disturbs some (20-22; see also 17, 18); deeply disturbs them, and destructive forces are unleashed at the sight of Jesus. This is demonstrated by the worldwide persecution of the church. It’s never gone away. The demons hate Jesus; they fear Him. They are disturbed by His presence. They loathe the sight of Him and they fight like mad. They hiss like snakes and bark like dogs. So you can see a fiercely negative response to Christ. But for many others, when they see Him, they run to Him (15). They are ‘’overwhelmed with wonder’’ (15).

May the beauty of Jesus be seen in His church. Jesus magnetises. Just let Him be seen.

‘There is a new surge of interest in the impact of an attractive Christian life these days, as a major instrument in evangelism…Sheer friendship is at the heart of it, friendship for people whether they come to faith or not. And we take into that friendship a vibrant, though unvocalised, friendship with Christ. In due course it is bound to show…We have got to be living close to him ourselves, and that simply has to show in the way we behave.’ Michael Green: ‘Evangelism through the local church,’p.405.

Mark 9:9-13: Ordinary days.

Christians do not live on the mountaintop. Although we may have mountaintop experiences, sooner or later we have to come back down. We return to ordinary days and mundane realities; to wet Monday mornings, to mysteries, to unanswered questions, to hostility. (Consider what happened to ‘’Elijah’’ – John the Baptist in other words: the forerunner of the Messiah. He was a good man and he got treated very badly. This is the kind of thing that awaits us in the valley). We have to come down from the mountain of glory to the valley of knotty problems, as we will see (14-29). But when we do come down, may we carry something from the mountaintop with us, and bring it to bear on the desperate needs in the valley below. If we have seen something of Jesus’ glory, we know just where we need to reflect it.

PRAYER: Help me, Lord Jesus, Light of the world, to shine for you in earth’s darkest valleys.

Mark 9: 2-8: If you know what’s good for you

^“2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’ ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. NIV

‘’Rabbi, it is good for us to be here’’ (5).

For obvious reasons, this must go down as one of the greatest understatements of all times!  Only three living men (plus two already dead) got the opportunity to be on the mount of Transfiguration. Nevertheless, every time we are able to meet in fellowship with other believers, and with the Lord Himself, we can say in faith: ‘’…it is good for us to be here.’’ We may feel nothing, of course, but chances are we will catch a glimpse of Jesus’ glory, and hear the Father’s voice (7). We will become re-focussed on Jesus (8) and His cross. Luke’s account tells us that Moses and Elijah ‘’appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem’’ (Luke 9:31). They were literally talking about ‘’his exodus’’ – the deliverance He would enact by His death.

So, when we gather together, around Jesus, centred in His cross, we can truly say, it is ‘’good for us to be here.’’

 PRAYER: Thank you Lord for worship, prayer, fellowship and teaching, down at the feet of Jesus.

Mark 9:1-4: Go with Jesus

“9 And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power”. 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

The transfiguration of Jesus was the divine confirmation of Peter’s affirmation (8:29). It made an indelible impression on the apostle. Years later he was to write:

‘’We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘’This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain’’ (2 Peter 1;16-18).

Are you ready to go with Jesus wherever He wants to take you? (2). Why would we fear to travel anywhere He might lead us? You may find He takes you right into His glory cloud. But not all Christians have the same experiences of Jesus. All are saved; all are equally loved by God and find themselves the recipients of His grace. Yet in the sovereign purposes of God, some people see things others do not. God has His reasons. Ours is to trust Him. Not all the twelve got to experience the mount of transfiguration, just these three. Do you envy Paul’s ‘’visions and revelations from the Lord’’ (2 Corinthians 12:1)? Well, would you also like to share his sufferings (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)? Some believers are given unusually vivid and ecstatic encounters with Christ in His glory. God knows why He chooses to bestow these on some and not on others. Our task is to fix our eyes and ears on Jesus, and go with Him when He indicates it’s time to move.

I have to lead and speak at a Christian funeral tomorrow, and I’m heartened by what I read here (4). From this verse we see that believers who have left the earth do not die (1 Thessalonians 4:13,14). Also, as the disciples recognised Moses and Elijah, men they had never met, so we will know one another in heaven. This thought transfigured my heart with glory today, even as I considered it. What a hope we have with which to ‘’encourage each other’’ (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

In verse 1 of this chapter, Jesus may well have been referring to His transfiguration. Or it may be about His resurrection, ascension and outpouring of the Spirit. But it can’t be a reference to His second coming, because the people who heard Jesus’ words that day have long since died.

PRAYER: Lord, I want to go with you wherever you want to take me. May I see more and more of your glory.

Mark 8:34-38: The price tag.

^“34-37 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?  ³⁸ “If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.” The Message

There is a cost to following Jesus. Finger the price tag. Jesus did not give us any ‘small print’ in His ‘terms and conditions’.

‘All Christians are called to be disciples. Let us never suppose that there are two kinds of Christians; one kind that follows Jesus and suffers with Him, and a second kind that can lead an easy life. There is only one kind of true Christian; that is, a disciple.’ Tom Hale: ‘The applied New Testament Commentary’,p.245.                                                                    There is a call to:

• Denial (34a): self-denial. It must no longer be ‘me first’ but ‘Jesus first.’ At least a part of this self-denial is letting go of the kind of Messiah we imagine (32,33), for the One we actually have. Being a genuine Christian is difficult. This is why some people who appear to come to Christ, turn away after a while;
• Death (34b): ‘’and take up his cross…’’ This is the first time Mark mentions the ‘’cross.’’ Not only were criminals crucified; they also had to carry their own cross to the place of execution. For Jesus’ listeners this could only mean one thing. They had to be prepared to suffer and die for Him. Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lost his life because of his opposition to Hitler and the Nazis, said, ‘When Jesus bids a man come and follow Him, He bids him come and die.’
• Direction (34b): ‘’and follow me.’’ The call is to follow Jesus all through life, and on into eternity;
• Decision (35-37): Choose Jesus over the world – over worldly advantages and blessings. However, Tom Hale helpfully (and correctly, in my view) balances this up by saying: ‘Usually…once we have given up worldly advantage for Christ, Christ blesses us in worldly things (see Matthew 6:33; Mark 10:29-31…) The abundant life that Jesus promised to his followers (John 10:10) begins here in this world.’ But, he goes on: ‘…let us not fool ourselves: We cannot seek after Christ and worldly blessings at the same time; we must choose (see Matthew 6:24…).’’ ‘The applied New Testament Commentary’,p.245;
• Declaration (35-37): We are to declare our allegiance to Jesus publicly. Let us not be ashamed of Jesus. He does not encourage secret discipleship.

 Mark 8:31-33: That sounds tempting.

^“30-32 Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone. He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it.  ^32-33 But Peter grabbed him in protest. Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. “Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works.” The Message

We can so identify with Peter, can’t we? One minute flying, soaring; the next taking a dive. We can be so ‘up and down’ in our experience. Just when you think you’re getting somewhere, you trip over the step yet again.

It is remarkable to see how frequently and ‘’plainly’’ Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection. But the disciples just couldn’t get it. They had no thought category into which they could fit a suffering Messiah. No doubt the others were thinking similarly, but as so often, Peter acted as spokesperson for the entire group. In his words Jesus discerned Satan’s accent. This was the voice that had tried, unsuccessfully, to dissuade Him from the way of the cross in the wilderness. He would again face this temptation in the garden of Gethsemane. Here and now Jesus dealt ruthlessly with the devil. He would not turn aside from His God-given mission. There was a ‘’must’’ (2x in v.31) about the death and resurrection of Jesus. The will of God made it necessary. He would not be deflected.

Tom Hale points out that when you seek to do God’s will, there will be friends, family, colleagues, and so on, who will want to prevent you. They may well be acting out of concern for you, but people are often not on the same page as God (see Acts 21:10-14; Matthew 16:23; Colossians 3:2 and Isaiah 55:8,9).

Mark 8:27-30 ‘’But what about you?’’

^“27 Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”  ²⁸ “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’”  ²⁹ He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”                                                                                 Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.” ” NIV UK

‘’But what about you?’’ I’m sure that many who read this will know what it feels like to be caught in Jesus’ searchlight. In one way or another you feel like a contestant in the ‘Mastermind’ chair. The focus is on you. The question is asked. What will your response be? ‘’But what about you?’’

 Where are you feeling the challenge of Jesus most powerfully and personally at the moment? What is He talking to you about? How will you respond? The question has been put. Heaven awaits your reply. In fact, heaven sees the response already taking shape inside your heart.

At this moment, no-one else’s response really matters. Well, it does, but it’s of no concern to you. ‘’But what about you?’’ It’s you He wants to hear from.

The most important issues of life centre around who Jesus is. Will you face up to this question? A Christian author said that, in his experience, it is rare for an adult to take a serious look at Jesus and remain unconverted.

You have been warned!

PRAYER: Help me Lord, to give you what you are asking, to obey what you are commanding, to go where you are sending. Give me grace to respond to your challenge.

Jilly (my wife) has been uploading some of my talks which you can hear by going to my talks page or by clicking here. She says there will be more to follow! You can also hear a wider selection if you visit the King’s Church web site. I do hope these may be of some help.