The Precepts Of The Lord Jesus Christ

The Precepts Of God's Servant

"Marriage and Divorce"

Book of Mark Chapter 10:1-16

When The Lord Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, Our Father in Heaven had warned the disciples to listen to the Words of Jesus.

And we know the Word of God will never contradict itself!

Also in our last lesson Jesus confirmed, at least in my mind, that the "Burning Lake of Fire", and Hell are real places.

Eternal torment in a place where the fire is never quenched and eternal damnation means it is a never ending thing.

If we are to believe Jesus, and we are commanded to do so, Jesus will now speak to us on another touchy subject, marriage and divorce.

Let's begin:

*****Mar 10:1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

We should ask ourselves, "why are we so slow to accept the truth"?

Jesus left Capernaum and the home of Andrew and Peter for the last time and He was committed to be in Jerusalem at His appointed time but He would still take the time to teach and show His mercy.

Matthew wrote that Jesus departed from Galilee and had a great following:

Mat 19:1 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
Mat 19:2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.

Luke wrote that Jesus passed through Samaria as he left Galilee.

John wrote that Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews.

Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

Many months had passed while Jesus taught around and about Galilee but not many weeks are left between this time and the appointed time of the cross.

Jesus would begin his last journey to Jerusalem.

In the places He stopped, Jesus had to reteach many of the things He had previously taught and as He taught, the religious world tried their best to hinder the Word of God, as they still do today.

*****Mar 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?
"tempting him".

This seems to be a simple enough question so why does our scripture say "tempting Him"?

In other words, that word "lawful" meant, what are the obstacles or barriers in the Word of God that would prevent a divorce!

During this time period in Israel there were two thoughts on divorce which came from two opposing rabbis.

Each one interpreted the Word of God differently!

One said divorce should be approved for any reason.

The other said that divorce should almost never be granted.

So, is it lawful, in the eyes of God, to get a divorce or not?

We must first realize that the family is a Divine institution!

We are never to look upon the family as a chance arrangement!

The family was the first thing ordained by Our Creator, even before the Church, and even before the Laws of Moses to the Jews!

So Jesus ask these Pharisees what had Moses commanded.

*****Mar 10:3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

So what had Moses written?

Deu 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Deu 24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
Deu 24:3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
Deu 24:4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

What was the intent of Moses with these words?

Divorce was just as common in the days of Moses as it is in our day and it was the same in this day of these Pharisees.

They used Deu 24:1 as their authorization for divorce.

They were "twisting" God's Word to change the intent of God's Word!

And we should believe that Jesus was not condemning anyone as He confronted these Pharisees.

These were supposed religious men and it would have been better for them to have asked "how can we preserve our marriages" but they did not ask this.

Beginning a marriage for the right reasons was not so important to them!

How was a marriage to take place in the eyes of God?

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

God said we must love our future wife enough to leave our family behind for her!

To understand these times better, we should not forget that John the Baptist had lost his life because he took a stand on marriage and divorce.

First law of God for a marriage: A marriage, in the eyes of God, was never to be for convenience between two parties.

A marriage was to be between a man and a woman who loved each other enough to begin there own family by the Word of God!

Second law of God for a marriage: After a marriage, there is not to be a man with his rights, desires or needs, nor a woman with her rights, desires, and needs.

But submitting to each other in the fear of God!

Third law of God for a marriage: After marriage there was to be one family made up of two parts!

The man as the head of the family, by God's Word, and the woman as the heart of the family by God's Word.

Death of a marriage or divorce could only come if either of these three things failed.

The fourth law of marriage: There can be no question, but that the married state, from the beginning of Creation, was intended as a beautiful representation of the union between Christ and His Church!

Eph 5:21 "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God".
Eph 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord".
Eph 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife", even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, "so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing".
Eph 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives", even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Eph 5:28 "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself".

We can be sure that Jesus Christ will never divorce His church, The Bride of Christ!

So what was the interpretation by these Pharisees?

*****Mar 10:4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

FIRST: Moses did not give a command for anyone to divorce their wives!

God will never go against His own word!

SECOND: Moses allowed the divorce to protect the other party.

There will always be consequences in every divorce!

In the Jewish way for a marriage of that day, a man would make a choice of a woman. He would then obtain the consent of her parents. He would then take her to his own home and consummate the marriage. If he then had no delight in her, nor pleasure and therefore no affection for her and could not bear the sight of her, then he wanted the option for divorce and divorce was permitted because of his bad heart toward her.

They used the law of Moses to get that divorce!

If that man could not bear to live with his wife any longer, then that man had to give that woman a "bill of divorcement" which certified that it was not she that had caused any problem, and she was divorced and free to marry again.

She was no longer a virgin and considered defiled to most other men.

This was not any law of Moses nor any law of God but only permission because of the hardness of these men's hearts.

It is easy to see where men could abuse this arrangement and they did!

A wife could be obtained in many other ways than this in those days, but there was to be only one way to dismiss a wife and it was by a "bill of divorcement".

This "bill of divorcement" was to protect that wife from an angry husband who would otherwise just kick her out the door with no resolution to her situation.

So Jesus responded:

*****Mar 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

Why had Moses written this down for them?

1) 2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2) "Hardness of the heart", is being blind to the "intent" of the Word of God!

Compare these words:

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; "that blindness in part is happened to Israel", until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

2Co 3:14 "But their minds were blinded": for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

Hardness of the heart is then not receiving the Word of God the way it was intended!

Sadly, these Pharisees had no intention of changing their ways!

Joh 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
Joh 12:40 "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart"; that they should not see with their eyes, nor "understand with their heart", and be converted, and I should heal them".

Jesus knew all this was true so He explained to all those listening the true intent of the marriage from the Word of God.

*****Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

It is very important for us to understand these words of Jesus for more than one reason.

1) Jesus quotes from the Genesis account of creation.

God had made Adam and Eve right at the beginning!

Not some millions and certainly not some 4.5 billion of years after the beginning as the evolutionist teach of the beginning of mankind.

There is absolutely no room in scripture for any such thing as "Geological Ages"!

Christians who compromise on this issue, for the sake of scientist falsely called, are undermining God's Word!

We can see that Jesus Christ accepted the creation record in the Book of Genesis just as it was written!

2) Marriage and family are the most important of all human institutions!

We should make every effort in picking a wife we can live with forever.

From the Book of Ruth we have these words:

Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Roth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

These are some similar feelings we should have for that special spouse that we accept into our lives!

And Jesus continues to quote from the Book of Genesis.

*****Mar 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mar 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

Too many critics of the Word of God imply that the first two chapters of Genesis are two separate accounts of creation and contradict each other but Jesus does not say that!

What did Jesus say?

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Jesus Christ uses both of these verses in the same sentence!

We can also believe that there is no gap between these two chapters as some try to use a"gap theory" in order to say that God used evolution in creation. All lies!

There should be no doubt that the original intent of God was for one man to have just one woman as wife throughout his entire life time!

That binding to that wife should be more closer and more stronger than that to the father or mother!

That union was to be so close that nothing could separate or break that bond!

That these two, with mutual feelings toward each other, should be united as though they were just one being!

Jesus says when the selection of a wife is made under these guidelines, then it is only God that should be able to break this bond!

*****Mar 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

To know the Lord Jesus Christ is to have eternal life:

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Why would we ever think that while we are living for the Lord, that God would place turmoil in our lives.

If we have followed the guidelines for choosing a wife, someone that is second only to Jesus Christ in our lives, then why would we not be subject to God's Law?

A marriage must be a mutual contract between two people who have placed The Lord first, and then and only then, placed each other above all others including each one's family.

This mutual agreement to wed, must come above the rights of each individual or Satan will begin to tear this marriage down:

1Co 7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

This marriage must be based on affection and not lust!

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (also death of the marriage)

To avoid lust and have affection we must base that love on the things of God!

Col 3:2 "Set your affection on things above", not on things on the earth.

Love is then the marriage of affections!

There can be only one heart between the two bodies!

In a godly marriage there must be a mutual promise to live together "faithfully and according to the Word of God"!

Marriage must be a solemn moment when two immortal beings are traveling together through the storms of this life with the help of God!

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh": she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

It is the creation account in the Book of Genesis that must be the foundation of all marriages!

A marriage is between one man and one woman and should be a life long commitment and it is only under these conditions that God will bless this marriage!

Gen 1:28 "And God blessed them", and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

We know that some of the disciples were married so they still had some questions.

*****Mar 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
Mar 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

According to Matthew, Jesus said it this way.

Mat 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

The Pharisees had twisted the Word of God given to Moses around to make it sound like God had given permission for easy divorce but that had never been the intent of this law!

In the days of Moses, men would just kick a wife out of the house where they would be mocked and ridiculed and left to take care of themselves, being shunned from society.

The bill of divorcement was issued for the protection of the woman. The bill of divorcement not only allowed the woman to remarry but in most cases her needs had to be provided for her remaining days by that husband who had used any excuse to get rid of her.

So then a "bill of divorcement" was intended as a deterrent to divorce rather than to make divorce an easy thing!

The Greek word "pornea" is used for the English word "fornication" in this verse from Matthew.

"Pornea" does not only mean fornication, but also harlotry, adultery, and spiritually idolatry.

"Fornication" in every form was condemned by the Laws of Moses!

"Fornication" then, was not only forsaking the marriage vows but was also forsaking the Word of God!

This is why fornication was considered grounds for divorce!

BUT, on the other hand Jesus did not allow this exception in the Book of Luke when He was teaching the disciples about "things of the heart".

Luk 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

We can only conclude that, though fornication was grounds for divorce and remarriage, it is sometimes still better to salvage the marriage, if there is heartfelt repentance followed by heartfelt forgiveness!

1Co 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

The Apostle Paul added these words.

1Co 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
1Co 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
1Co 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
1Co 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
1Co 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

We should never think that God expects His children to stay in an abusive marriage an live in misery!

God does not expect a godly man to remain married to an ungodly woman if they are unable to do so and the same for the godly woman with an ungodly man, when they are unable to do so.

God does not expect anyone to stay in an abusive situation!

But God will never intend for divorce to be easy and "there will always be consequences"!

But also with a godly divorce there is always permission to remarry and in some cases it is best to remarry!

1Co 7:6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
1Co 7:7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
1Co 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Co 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: "for it is better to marry than to burn".

Burn in this verse is "burn with lust", which in itself is a great sin!

Lustful eyes have already committed "fornication" without performing the act itself!

There are no commandments to remarry or not to remarry!

But if there is a new marriage, God says to marry a believer and then His same laws will apply to the new marriage that were given in the Creation record!

1Co 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; "only in the Lord".

What was the reaction by the disciples to these things that Jesus was saying?

Mat 19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.

A man must be willing to commit to the Word of God!

Marriage must be a lifelong commitment for it to be a joyful experience!

In our world today, divorce is so rampant that most people just shack up or just live with each other, unmarried, refusing to make a commitment but that is not the way of God!

Pro 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: "but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long".
Pro 23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Pro 23:19 "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way".

By this time of Jesus, there were some women who had risen to great authority in the Hebrew society and along with that, some of them would also kick the man out of the house, also for lack of any real reason.

*****Mar 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Jesus said the woman would then be held under the same standards as the man was held!

God does not expect His children to live in misery but God does expect us to be very careful when we are choosing a helpmate because it should be for life!

After all, we are the "Bride of Christ" and The Lord Jesus will never divorce His Bride!

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

The "Bride of Christ" will make it to Heaven to spend eternity with her Husband!

*****Mar 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

Now we can believe that it was just an accident that the topic in this chapter goes from marriage and divorce to children but that cannot be true.

It is a fact that children are involved when it comes to marriage and divorce and those parents have an obligation not only to those children but also to God in behalf of those children.

The family is extremely important in the eyes of God.

If the marriage is blessed, the children will also be blessed.

These children were brought to Jesus for His blessing and prayers and we should notice there is no mention of baptism or salvation.

Luke said these were just children who wanted to see Jesus:

Luk 18:16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

This is why the disciples were rebuked by the Lord and another great lesson for them to learn.

Little children can never be looked on as a disturbance in the eyes of God and Jesus forbade His disciples to stop the children from coming to Him.

Why?

Jesus explains.

*****Mar 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Mar 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

God will never goes against His own will or His own Word!

We are duty bound as parents to bring our children to Christ, also a commandment!

And, Jesus is always watching to see what His disciples are doing!

We displease the Lord Jesus in many of the things we do, especially when it comes to our children!

There is no such thing as an innocent child, but children do provide a picture of innocence.

Small children are usually, teachable, humble, free from prejudice, and obstinate!

Children are never to be discouraged from seeking Christ but should be encouraged at every age!

The disciples had forbidden these parents from bringing their children.

These disciples had already forgotten that the family must be protected at all cost!

Jesus had just been teaching that divorce is the terrible destroyer of children because divorce separates the parents of children in a negative way!

We must all, like babes, approach Jesus with simplicity, sincerity, and eagerness.

This is how a child goes about the things they do daily!

So, those mothers were not sent away empty.

*****Mar 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

One after another the Lord Jesus took each child up into His arms, placing His hands on them and blessed each and every child that came.

Every child, before the age of accountability, are incapable of moral obligation and are there therefore innocent.

Small children are free from personal guilt and have a free conscience.

They are not and cannot be saved because they have nothing to be saved from, that they know about!

Compare:

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Until children reach this point in their lives they are all innocent in the eyes of God.

Every child that dies before they reach the age of accountability will go straight to the arms of Jesus.

This includes those that never reach that mental state and live to be adults!

So as we teach children we must teach the simplicity of Jesus Christ!

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Satan is subtle, but Jesus Christ is simple!

We must not ever make the "Gospel" complex for children!

Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ can be understood at any age!

And we must all come to the Lord Jesus Christ the same way that a child does!

Joh 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Righteousness.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Servant to Our Father in Heaven.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Substitute.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Surety.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Savior of the guilty.

There is nothing here that cannot be understood at any age!

Jesus Christ came into this world as a Babe, to save babes!

We can only be complete in Jesus!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Principles Of God's Servant

The Principles Of God's Servant

"Encouraging Humility"

Book of Mark Chapter 9:30-50

Jesus is making His way through Galilee and toward Jerusalem. We can just imagine that picture of the cross was burning in His humanity but He could not neglect the training of those that would begin the New Testament Church.

We sometimes forget the human side of Jesus and the mental anguish He suffered, know what lay in His future in that body of flesh.

The Lord had made this plan before He had begun His creation and "His hour" was fast approaching!

The timing of Jesus's death on the cross was divinely predestined:

Joh 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, "because his hour was not yet come".

And His hour would soon come:

Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, "when Jesus knew that his hour was come" that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

We will notice that from this time forward, there will be more emphasis on His death and His resurrection.

So, Jesus needs more time alone with His disciples, and away from the multitudes!

*****Mar 9:30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

According to Luke, when Jesus had cast out that demon that had possessed that boy from last week, everyone was amazed at the mighty power of God:

Luk 9:42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
Luk 9:43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

Jesus informed His disciples that it would take this same power of God, to allow mankind to do with Him as they wished!

It would take this same power to allow man to kill Him!

And it would take this same power for Him to rise from that grave!

And Jesus told His disciples this:

Luk 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

The Lord would allow these things to happen in order to fulfill the plan of God for our salvation:

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Remember 3 of these 12 had witnessed the absolute power of God not only in His miracles but also in His "transfiguration" on Mount Hermon.

So His disciples struggled with trying to understand what Jesus was saying.

They could understand this sort of power!

They could not understand the absolute power of God!

*****Mar 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

They did not understand the The Lord Jesus Christ had all the power of a righteous God!.

They were afraid to ask, just how could these things be true!

And Matthew adds that they were exceeding sorry that these things must happen because to them Jesus was still their Friend!

Mat 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

The disciples could not understand how Jesus could be the Messiah and all these things happen to Him.

These disciples could not understand how the death of the Messiah could solve any problem that they or their nation had.

We must clearly understand that when we study the Word of God there are going to many things that we just will not understand.

God has made salvation simple, but in order to understand the Word of God, sometimes we may need to grow for awhile before God will show us everything He means.

God does not want us to be "babes in Christ" all our days!

But, unlike these disciples, we should never be afraid to ask!

Jesus had already place a lot of emphasis on prayer and He says this:

Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, "yet ye have not, because ye ask not".

We must always understand whatever we are thinking about God already knows.

*****Mar 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

We can see that Jesus made a stop back in the house of Peter and Andrew and He ask them all, why they were in such a dispute with each other along the way.

One of the greatest hindrances to the Church is the fact that we are always disputing with each other.

Let's think back to what Jesus had said to Peter:

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

They had all been witnesses to these things Jesus had said to Peter.

It is for sure that none of them understood what "building the church" meant, but they had realized that though Jesus was talking to Peter, Peter was not the foundation of the church.

They were not disputing about this and they had not placed Peter above themselves as some religions have done.. They were not disputing about who would be next behind Peter!

The church was to built upon the Messiah, the Christ.

These disciples still had in their thoughts that the Messiah could not die and Jesus would set up His kingdom on Earth very soon.

What were their thoughts of the Messiah?

Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; "thou art the King of Israel".

If there were to be a Kingdom on this Earth, and Jesus had chosen these 12 men, then surely there would be some sort of ranking for each of them.

This was their concern at this time!

This is what they were in great dispute about!

Jesus was not caught off guard because Jesus already knew all these things:

Joh 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

*****Mar 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Some may have thought that Peter had been singled out.

Others may have thought that Peter, James, and John had been singled out.

Others may have thought that none of these things mattered, as the Lord had chosen all 12 for some purpose.

So, it was time to put an end to this dispute.

And they approached Jesus with these words:

Mat 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

It can be said that this thought has entered the mind of most every child of God.

Pride is a terrible enemy that most of us share!

We need to see these things through the eyes of a child.

And Jesus answered.

*****Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

What is greatness "in the eyes of the world" we live in?

1) There are some people who are just born to become great.

2) There are some people who have greatness thrust upon them by other great people.

3) There are those that achieve greatness by their own actions.

How does God see greatness?

If any man desires to be the greatest, they shall be last of all!

These 12 chosen disciples of the Lord were not so much seeking greatness according to the world, "they were seeking greatness in their own ranks".

Their desire was to know which one of them deserved to be first in the eyes of the Lord.

Jesus could have just told them His answer, but Jesus knew we all needed this lesson!

What is the cure for sinful pride?

What did Jesus do?

*****Mar 9:36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

Jesus picked up a child, probably belonging to one of these 12, a child that they could relate to in their own love as a parents, and sat this child first in the midst of them and then after a period of time, He took this child into His arms.

We can learn many lessons by watching young children!

By setting this child in the midst of these 12 men, Jesus was saying watch this child.

By then taking this child in His arms, Jesus was showing His absolute love for all His children.

Jesus does not rate His believers!

Faith, or the lack of faith can hinder rewards to some more than others as we have just seen.

But God loves all His children the same!

Then Jesus said:

Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

This conversion must be thorough, and it must come from the heart!

We must be converted, away from carnal ambitions, to the freedom from such feelings, as a child, who is not concerned with ambition at an early age.

Children live in the present and have no concern for the future for they know there is some one else watching over them.

Someone else would feed them.

Someone else would bath them.

Someone else would provide all their needs.

All a child has to do is enjoy life and learn from that One that is watching over them.

Jesus had already taught them this lesson:

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

To a child, the pleasures of life are simple, even a cup of cold water brings pleasure enough for a while:

Mat 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Most every child looks forward to growing up into a complete life and we all must learn that a complete life can come only through Jesus Christ:

Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Little children are not puffed up with conceit for others.
Little children do not despise other children, they look on each other as equals.
Little children to not seek vain glory.
Little children do not envy.
Little children are always ready to submit.

Then Jesus begins His lesson on "pride":

Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The humbleness of children must be retained as we grow in Christ Jesus.
The trustfulness of children must be retained as we grow in Christ Jesus.
Those that have the most power must be the best servant.
Those that have the most love will rise most in honor before the Lord.

Jesus Christ must be our example and this lesson is for us all!

Luke wrote it like this:

Luk 9:48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Remember Jesus, the Lamb of God, began this journey to secure our salvation, as a baby born to the Virgin Mary.

We cannot begin our Christian walk unless we begin as a child and grow through the developing stages as children grow!

Then Jesus said:

Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Remember Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, descended to this Earth in the form of a babe "wrapped in swaddling clothes", He was not in His kingly robes!

We must first accept "this Babe" as the truth!

*****Mar 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

We must remember Jesus knew that these 12 men were in a great dispute over greatness.

Jesus rebuked them with this child, showing them that those with childlike faith were the greatest.

But that "faith" had to be in Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah, but more important Savior to all that are lost.

The world's philosophy is that we are only great if we have excelled above others!

The more people you have rule over, the greater you are.

God rates greatness differently from this!

A child knows that he is a child and if he acts like a child, those that love him and care for him will respond to his needs!

God says true greatness comes from "serving others"!

If we begin with Jesus, and with the heart of a child, we will have no difficulty in becoming servants!

When we have received Jesus Christ a Savior, we have then received the Living God of all creation!

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Jesus Christ paid the sin debt for every human that has ever lived and is therefore their Savior also.

Only those that believe are special and gain salvation!

*****Mar 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

There are so many people that become so wrapped up in denominational differences that they forget the key to the power of God and salvation "is knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior".

Salvation is for "whosoever" believes on the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus had just said "whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me".

John realizes that he and the other 11 disciples were wrong in disputing about greatness and may have been wrong about this other thing they had done.

John knew that they had not received this man who had cast out devils in the name of Jesus Christ.

So Jesus says this:

*****Mar 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, "that can lightly speak evil of me".
Mar 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

First, let's look at this scripture:

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This will take place at the White Throne Judgment.

The various denominations have showcased their differences throughout the Church Age and this has not furthered the Church, but actually hindered church growth.

We can see that the Lord wants no part in such things!

The disciples should have left this man alone!

The fact that this man was using the Lord's name in casting out devils did not make him a saint of God.

It did not prove his character nor tell of his spiritual life.

At the same time, only the Lord knew if he was an enemy and there were already plenty of enemies.

John "did not say", we stopped him because he was following the Lord.

John "did say" that they stopped him because he was not following the Lord's disciples!

The Lord has already said it was only He that can tell the difference between the saved and the lost.

Remember the Wheat and the Tares:

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Jesus will never contradict His own teaching!

And loyalty to a denomination "does not mean loyalty to Christ Jesus"!

Then Jesus explains the differences.

*****Mar 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

We cannot know "for sure" who is saved and who is lost of those that say they know Jesus.

But if we cause such a one to stumble, we have caused more harm than good!

There is no middle ground with the Lord!

We either believe the truth or we have rejected the truth!

It is not necessary to be able to perform miracles to prove our love for Jesus Christ!

God has never gave anyone the ability to perform miracles!

God gave people the authority to do things in His name!

The power of every miracle rest in the hands of God!

When we lovingly share the "gospel" the "living waters" of Jesus Christ with any lost soul, we are then giving the evidence that we have the humble heart of a servant!

When we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no higher honor that we can achieve!

Everything else is just going down hill!

Those "little ones" refers to all God's children.

God is not a dead beat dad, God will not allow anyone to offend His children without going unpunished!

The way believers or anyone else treat others is a serious thing in the eyes of God!

Then Jesus goes on to teach that Hell is a place we need to strive hard to avoid.

The pure fact is that there is nothing on this Earth worth going to Hell for!

*****Mar 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Let's see if we can remember this man:

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 [And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments], and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

It was Jesus that said these words and it is the Creator of this world we live in, that will tell us some more about Hell in our lesson today.

How does Jesus describe these torments?

In verse 42 we saw that the word "offend" meant "cause to stumble".

Well Jesus explains that "we can cause our own self to stumble if we cannot rule our own flesh"!

Most of our world today believe that the body is the only part of man that is important.

In fact this is called "Hedonism" and is in fact a false religion and many other religions are based on this thought!

Today, Humanism has a great following!

Hedonism suggest that a person should seek to please his body by doing all the things that he enjoys doing, no matter the consequences.

In fact the Bible teaches that the body is the house for the soul!

There are many living today, who are convinced that the body is material and evil and the soul is non-material and good but the Bible does not teach this.

The Bible actually does teach that there is great value in the human body!

In fact the Song of Solomon, in it's entirety, focuses on the value of the human body, the pure enjoyment of marriage and even sexual expression.

The Bible also teaches that man is a tri-une being, of body, spirit, and soul, somewhat like the Tri-Une God we worship.

This is one of the ways that humans are created in the image of God!

God has the intent of saving our entire being, but that decision must be made before our body comes to that certain time of death and death is certain!

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body "be preserved blameless" unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the body that comes from this Earth we live on, the spirit and soul are from God.

The soul is our living being, or life itself, not the body!

The spirit is the breath of God which distinguishes humans from the animals.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Jesus points out that if our own flesh is causing us to stumble, we have the ability, through the Lord Jesus Christ, to do something about it!

In other words we must be willing to take drastic measures to avoid spending eternity in Hell!

Our hands are our ability to work and function in this life!

If our ambitions lead us to strive for greatness in this life and forsake God then it would be better to forsake our ambitions in this world that will lead us into Hell.

If our hands bring corruption to our soul then it would be better to have no hands.

*****Mar 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Our feet are our means of movement in this world!

If we are continuously running after our own lust into temptation and sin, it would be better to have only one foot and our walk in this life be slow and painful and we could not run at all.

*****Mar 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Mar 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

To lose an eye brings darkness and disfigurement!

The Bible is specific:

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

How did Satan bring down Adam?

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and "that it was pleasant to the eyes", and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Satan used the wife of Adam, Eve, and "her eyes" to bring about the fall of mankind.

Hell is described as being a terrible fire that cannot be put out!
Hell is described as a place that God will not make better!
Hell is described as a place to be cast into, No one will go willingly in the end!

That worm, represents the torments of the damned!

Remember that rich man who was living in torments.

That worm, can also represent our conscience that is continually gnawing at the life or the soul of man, filling one with anguish and misery.

God says it is better to live a life of misery now and make it into Heaven, than to live a life of misery forever in Hell!

Paul wrote these words:

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

*****Mar 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Every believer is required to be a sacrifice unto the Lord!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Our bodies are our sacrifice we are to give to the Lord!

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

It was the custom of the Jew that all sacrifices be salted:

Lev 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

The job of the salt was to preserve the sacrifice until the time is was placed on the altar!

Every human being born on this Earth, whether they believe or not, are looking forward to judgment and that judgment will be by fire when they are cast into Hell.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But everyone that sacrifices themselves and are salted with salt, which are the "Grace and Mercy" of The Lord, will be preserved!

Fire consumes until the fuel is burnt up.

Salt preserves!

This is the choice we must make ourselves when the Holy Spirit knocks on our door and Jesus knocks on our heart!

As one man put it, which section will you choose, the smoking section, or the non-smoking section?

*****Mar 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Who has the power to season our lives?

Remember Jesus is teaching all His disciples.

Matthew wrote these words:

Mat 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

The Church exists for the world's sake, even more than our own personal sakes!

The disciples of Jesus Christ are to be saviors, by spreading the "Gospel of Jesus Christ", to this lost world.

God's people are chosen, not for our own comfort, but to show others the true life offered by Jesus Christ!

It is the "quality" of every child of God and not the "quantity" of believers that is important!

Salt is an article of food intended to nourish those that come in contact with it!

Salt is a preservative!

BUT, Salt, when laid on a wound is painful so the Christian must preach the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that mankind must feel "the pain" of the Gospel before they can feel "the healing" of the Gospel.

But, when the salt of the Church is no longer salty it is worthless to this world!

Our worthiness, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, depends solely on our saltiness!

If we have the preserving power of the Lord within ourselves then we can have peace with one another!

What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

We cannot get saltier than this?

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Prominence Of God's Glory

The Prominence Of God's Servant

"Shining Glory"

Book of Mark Chapter 9:1-29

Jesus and the disciples are still located at the base of Mount Hermon at this time near the city Caesarea Philippi.

The disciples had finally realized that Jesus was truly the Messiah but they did not yet understand that Jesus would fulfill the will of God by being the sacrificial "Lamb of God".

The doctrine of substitution is important in that through Christ's death the righteous demands of a Holy God have been met.

This was a legal transaction by God's own law, in which Christ Jesus dealt with the sin problem for the entire human race.

Jesus Christ became the substitute for humanity's sin!

And, Jesus has something special to show certain disciples before He takes aim at Jerusalem.

To the "Born Again" child of God, Jesus will give us a glimpse of what will take place on the day of the "Rapture" to all that are still living on that day and to those that come forth from the grave.

1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Before we look at our first verse we need to take a look at the previous verse:

Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, [when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels].

When will this take place?

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

There seems to be no doubt that Jesus is referring to His Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation.

So let's begin.

*****Mar 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

Before we look at this verse let's look at what Peter wrote about it later because we know that Mark spent a great deal of time with Peter.

2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, "when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ", but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, [when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased].
2Pe 1:18 [And this voice which came from heaven we heard], when we were with him in the holy mount.

The disciples of Jesus Christ would soon begin to establish the Church, the Bride of Christ, but they were still blind to the fact that this was a separate event from the restoring of Israel under King Jesus.

Before Jesus went to the cross He wanted to firmly plant in the mind of these disciples that He would return a second time, not as a Servant but in in all His magnificent glory as King!

Of course none this could happen without His "death" and then His "resurrection"!

With the previous verse in mind and knowing that Peter was an "eyewitness" to this event let's move on.

Spiritually, the transfiguration of Our Lord warns us that we must have a change in this life, to be in the image of Him!

Jesus Christ was about to be the 1st born of His many brethren!

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

And everyone of us must then be "Born Again"!

*****Mar 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

Transfigured simply means "changed in form".

The first thing we should see is that Jesus did not have to die to be "glorified"!

This is the event Peter was a witness to along with James and John.

That phrase "some of them that stand here" from verse 1, then referred to Peter, James, and John.

Some say this was Jesus Christ's inner circle.

That being so, then this event must take place for the sole purpose of these three disciples and then placed in the scriptures for us all to see. (He was transfigured before them)

This event confirmed, in their own eyes, the status and authority of Jesus Christ the Messiah of Israel and Savior to this world!

That mountain was of course Mount Hermon.

To the Jew, from anywhere in Palestine, if he faced north, he could see Mount Hermon!

Even on the hottest of the summer days in Israel, white lines of snow streaked the head of Mount Hermon!

So, What was the description of Jesus when He was transfigured before them?

*****Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

The raiment of Jesus was described as "white as snow" and we know that they were probably in the midst of a beautiful snowfall when this was said.

In the Book of Revelation we find a similar description for the Lord's hair:

Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

The angel of the Lord at the Lord's resurrection:

Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

The "Ancient of days" in the Book of Daniel:

Dan 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

And spiritually the Lord also describes the purified soul of His redeemed in this same manner:

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Again in Isaiah:

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

This is long call from when we were lost and undone:

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away

A "fuller" is a person who "fulls" or we say (bleaches) cloth.

And what about the believer?

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 [Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body], according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

But Jesus was not alone in this vision.

*****Mar 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

What were they talking about?

Luk 9:31 Who appeared in glory, "and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem".

They were talking about the death of Jesus, which would happen in Jerusalem very soon.

Many people ask, "How will we be known in Heaven"?

Well Moses was still recognized as Moses!
Elijah was still Elijah!

Jesus was transfigured for Peter, James, and John and then written down for us all.

Moses and Elijah had a purpose at that time but they also give us a picture of the "Raptured" Saint.

The Bible says:

1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; "but then shall I know even as also I am known".

Today as I live in this flesh, I know very little about Heaven.

But when I see Jesus, I will fully know all things.

And I will still be known, just as Moses was still known here many years after his death.

Moses is known as the Jewish Lawgiver.

And, Elijah was known as the most zealous reformer and prophet of the Jewish church.

To have these two men present implied that the ministry of Christ fulfilled the Law as Jesus said He would do and that He fulfilled all prophesy of the Prophets as is written.

Moses had died and was buried in a place that only God knew.

Elijah did not die, at least not yet, but was taken straight to Heaven and they both were easily recognized for who they were by Peter, James, and John.

They represented the quick and the dead!

Spiritually, when the Lord comes in His glory in the clouds, the dead and the living will both be standing before the "Judgment seat of Christ".

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2Co 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

And Peter answered.

*****Mar 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mar 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

In most every case, when we do not know what to say, it is better to just keep our mouths shut!

Peter had a great desire to respond to what he was witnessing but he did not know the proper thing to say.

Here again, Peter made a mistake by placing the Lord on an even par with Moses and Elijah.

But, thank goodness, we have a Father in Heaven that would not allow this to happen.

*****Mar 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

God had allowed these three men to see the Glory of Jesus, to strengthen their "Faith".

BUT, the magnificence of God cannot be compared with any magnified man, not even such as Moses nor Elijah.

Moses and Elijah were seen to prove Jesus was not some impostor.

Our message here is simple.

The "Glory" of God can never be overshadowed by any human.

God said, "listen to what my Son has to say"!

Every Word of Jesus is important to the Church, noting that "all scripture" is given by the inspiration of God.

A view of Moses and Elijah gives us another clue to what a glorified body will resemble.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is".

But we are also warned that salvation can only come from Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

God simply says "Here Him"!

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son", whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

When we listen to the Son of God we are listening to Our Creator!

And when we listen to our Creator we are listening to Our Father in Heaven!

This where our hope lies!

Jesus said it this way:

Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, "but his that sent me".

God having said what He did, ended the vision.

This was another thing that Peter never forgot!

*****Mar 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

When we look around in this world we live in, we will never see any man that we can place our hope in!

But the world is looking for such a man now!

Satan know this and Satan has prepared such a man as this, in every generation so far.

We could mention men like Hitler and there were and are many.

But in the end Satan will take this on for Himself!

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

BUT, no matter the time or the day when we look around we will see Jesus standing and this is where our hope lies:

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Why?

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

*****Mar 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
Mar 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

To understand this more clearer, we should understand that the Jews do believe in the soul's immortality.

They also believe in a future "general" resurrection of all practicing Jews.

But they also believed that the Messiah could not die and would live forever.

They could not understand if Jesus was truly the Messiah, then how could he die?

Jesus knew that these disciples did not have a clear understanding of what they had just witnessed.
Jesus also knew that from this time till the cross and then His death and His resurrection they would gain a better understanding of what they had just witnessed.

We know when Peter wrote of this in Second Peter it brought encouragement to all believers.

So they began at this time to ask better questions!

*****Mar 9:11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

This event caused these disciples to remember some other things that the prophets had said and they wanted answers to all these things.

They understood that Jesus was the Messiah but they could not understand that He should die.

They did not clearly understand of His "Resurrection".

And they could not understand how these things fit in, when they knew that Elijah had not yet returned as the prophets had foretold.

And Jesus responded.

*****Mar 9:12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Mar 9:13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

What were the prophecies concerning John the Baptist?

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

We already know that the word "desert" refers to a place without Christ Jesus!

John was to make a highway to God.

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

With that highway prepared, the lost could then seek the new life through Jesus Christ!

John the Baptist came as a "type" of Elijah's future coming!

The complete fulfillment of Elijah's prophesy was still future, then and now!

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

But this prophecy concerns the Jew and not the church!

They had witnessed Elijah in the vision of the "Transfiguration" of Jesus, but Jesus said Elijah will certainly return in the flesh.

So, who are the "two witnesses of the Book of Revelation?

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

There are many questions about these two witnesses but with these statements of Jesus it is almost certain that one of them will be Elijah.

Not only for these statements of Jesus but there is another statement used very often.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

If this statement holds true for Elijah, then it would make sense to believe that Enoch would be that other witness but we cannot know these things for certain.

Many also say the other witness would be Moses because of the "transfiguration vision" and because of the miracles performed before Pharaoh.

What we do know for sure is that Jesus said Elijah shall truly first come and restore all things!

Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

*****Mar 9:14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
Mar 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
Mar 9:16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

The first thing we should notice here and in "typology", is that when Christ Jesus is not among His disciples there will be a great attack from the religious world.

We simply cannot rely on our own strength in this world, we need Jesus, Who is Our Victory!

Satan has a death grip on this world and he will battle the work of the Church until the return of Jesus Christ!

But when Jesus shows up, Satan will have no questions for Him, just as these scribes had no questions!

It is the Lord who will ask the questions!

But the religious world will have no answers and every knee will bough!

*****Mar 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mar 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Since these scribes refuse to answer the Lord, a father stepped out and gave the explanation of the dispute in a direct and simple way.

The 9 disciples that had remained at the foot of the mountain were at a lost with themselves because they had not been able to heal this young man, after all Jesus had given them the power to do this.

Luk 9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

How is this boy described?

1) "He taketh" is the Greek word "katalambano" which means this dumb spirit completely took over this boy.
2) "He teareth" is the Greek word "rhegnumi" which means this dumb spirit would throw this boy to the ground in severe convulsions.
3) "He foameth" is the Greek word "afridzo" which means this boy would foam at the mouth much like a mad dog.
4) "Gnasheth" his teeth is the Greek word "trizo" which means this boy would grind his teeth together while making a shrill cry.
5) "Pineth away" is the Greek word "xeraino" which means this boy was shriveling away like dried fruit.
6) Then add to this the fact that this boy could not speak to explain his turmoil nor could he hear to understand what his parents were asking him.

This was a terrible situation for any human being!

What we should learn here is, that it is not so much important the amount of our faith as it is the kind of faith!

Jesus said:

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

The disciples had faith but their doubts or their unbelief overwhelmed their belief!

They did not have the kind of faith that empowered God in their behalf!

This father did not have faith in the power of God, so these disciples were not willing to put forth the needed effort.So this dumb spirit, knowing this was stubborn and he resisted.

Even faith compared to the size of the mustard seed should grow as our faith in God grows!

Remember the mustard seed will grow into a tree.

These disciples had failed and Jesus points out why.

*****Mar 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Mar 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

Jesus may have been speaking to the crowd that was gathered and to those scribes but Jesus was speaking specifically to this father, this parent of this young boy.

God had said this to Moses many years earlier:

Deu 32:5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

It is these things that hinder the work of the Church!

It was these people that had hindered the work of the disciples!

When we fail with a disciple of Christ then we must go directly to Jesus!

Jesus Christ will not allow His church to fail!

But the blessing that is given will always be in proportion to the degree of faith!

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

When this evil spirit saw the Lord, he went into a rage, knowing his time was short.

But Jesus keeps talking to the boys father, allowing this evil spirit to tremble.

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: 'the devils also believe, and tremble'.

*****Mar 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mar 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

This boy had had a terrible childhood and we already know he was fast withering away.

This father had to think back to many of the things that had happened to his son all these years and it humbled him before Jesus.

We can be sure, since this evil thing came on this boy as a child, then he had not been afflicted because of his some sin, even though no one is sin free.

Many times this boy had sought death to relieve him of his pain and suffering.

But even this boy had a purpose this day!

*****Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Jesus Christ threw this man's "if" back at him.

As Christians we must realize that our lack of power "comes from our lack of faith"!

Jesus said that not just "anything" but "all things" are possible to those that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

What is the most important decision we will ever make in our lives?

"Taking God At His Word"!

We do this all the time with individuals but we seem to draw back when it comes to the Lord who has proven to be who He says He is!

Besides, the Lord Jesus, the author of our faith, we have great examples of unbelievable faith in the Word of God.

How can we question the faith of Abraham?

We cannot!

How can we question the faith of those three Jewish boys, Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego?

We cannot!

How can we question the faith of Daniel?

We cannot!

They proved that what Jesus said is true!

All things are possible to those that believe!

These words of Jesus reached deep into a father who had no means of helping his own son!

*****Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Job said these words:

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

The biggest problem we have in this world is that we sometimes forget who is in control of our world!

We see that the biggest reason that this young boy could not be healed was the fact that his own father had refused to believe.

He did not believe that God had such power and he certainly did not believe that the disciples of Jesus could do anything to help his son.

When Jesus pointed this out, it became very clear to him and we should all remember this response he gave to Jesus.

Unbelief removes the power of God in our lives!

I have used this verse many times but the truth is in this scripture:

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

If we refuse to believe that Our Lord is who He says He is, then He will not move on our behalf!

The power of God rest in His mercy!

When we doubt God's "goodness", God will withdraw His hand of mercy!

Jesus said:

Mar 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

*****Mar 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Mar 9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
Mar 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

It was obvious to those that were watching that Jesus was about to do another miracle and many came running to see if He would also fail.

But Jesus did not wait to make a display of what He was about to do. Jesus just removed that "foul" spirit.

That word "foul" meant a demonic spirit!

Matthew wrote it like this:

Mat 17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

In other words Jesus deprived this demon of the power that Satan had given him.

I believe it can be said, that there some souls whose cure God reserves to Himself.

I know in our day many healings that God does every day go unnoticed but when that soul reaches a point when everyone including all doctors say they have done all they can do and then for some reason known only to God, He heals that person or prolongs their days above what is said, then these things are sometimes more noticeable.

God's power is still the same today as it has always been!

We should all respond with, "I believe, help my unbelief"!

This demon, sent this boy into a great epileptic fit before he left him motionless in so much that he appeared to be dead.

But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up, and he arose.

And now a lesson for the disciples.

*****Mar 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
Mar 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

What is fasting?

Prayer is being in conversation with God!

Not with the mind, not in meditation even though there is nothing wrong with these things but direct conversation!

Addressing God with our voice, though it can still be silent but also even loud at times.

Prayer is the pouring out, the emptying of, the soul before the Lord!

Prayer is responding to the Lord because He has sent us this great love letter, we call the Word of God and deserves our response.

Prayer is humbling ourselves before a righteous God and drawing near to Him!

BUT, Prayer presupposes "faith" that Our God has the ability and the willingness to listen to us and can control all things in this, His created world.

Prayer is reaching out after the unseen power of God!

"Fasting" is then the letting go of everything we see and all the temporary things that hinder our prayers!

"Fasting" is our own willingness to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God!

"Fasting" is more often observed by abstaining from nourishment, which sustains our physical life, for a spiritual purpose!

Jesus tells us all that sometimes we must do more than just ask!

"Fasting" is the key to releasing God's power into our world!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

He Is The Christ

The Person Of God's Servant

"He Is The Christ"

Book of Mark Chapter 8:22-38

Last week when we left Jesus, He had presented this question to the disciples:

Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Today we are going to find out what they thought.

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek word "Christos" which means "anointed" as the "Anointed One of God".

In context Peter said that Jesus was the "Anointed One" of God or the "Messiah"!

Although Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, Jesus had these words for the Jews:

Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

The Lord had told Moses these words:

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

The Lord went on to say this:

Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

The "One" that was known to the Jews as "Jehovah" is the same "One" we know of as Jesus the "Christ"!

Jehovah means the "self existing One" or the "Eternal One".

This name was so sacred to the Jews that it was never pronounced except by the High Priest and then only one the day of "Atonement"!

Now let's remember the verse we ended on last week:

Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Let's begin:

*****Mar 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

We can believe that Mark just happened to have this passage next by accident but we know that all scripture is inspired by the Holy Ghost:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In other words "How is it you do not understand" is about to become "Why are you so blind that you cannot see this"!

We absolutely must have a clear understanding of just who the Lord Jesus truly was!

That’s why it is called "Faith"!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Now it seems that everyone that came to Jesus this day had already made up their own mind how they should be healed, they wanted Jesus to "touch" them.

But Jesus, as God, will do things His Way because it is His Way that works and there is always a lesson in what Our Savior does!

*****Mar 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

The Lord Jesus Christ will always honor "Faith" but when we mix that "faith" with weakness it can cause some problems.

But the Lord must also always honor "faith" because this is His "Promise"!

Those that have "faith" will always be able to see spiritually and sometimes even physically.

BUT, those that require a sign or a certain way, or a certain touch will not see clearly what Jesus is about!

We harm our own selves when we make demands of Our Savior!

The Lord will always do things His own way, God does not need our advice in order to heal us or to save us!

It's God's plan and we must become a part of His plan!

*****Mar 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Now instead of just seeing a blind man, lost in his own ways, let's just imagine a disciple of God who just does not have a clear understanding of the "Gospel" as "why do you not yet understand".

1.) We must first come to Jesus.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

2.) This must be a personal relationship. (Jesus led this man alone out of town)

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

3.) To spit on someone brought reproach and shame, but we must come to Jesus, unashamed of Him.

Luk 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

After all we are no better than Our Lord:

Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: "I hid not my face from shame and spitting".

This is part of taking up our own cross which we will see shortly.

4.) Then comes the first stage of salvation.

Do we see clearly?

This once blind man did not yet see clearly.

In fact not one of the 12 chosen disciples were able to see clearly!

They did not yet understand just who Christ Jesus truly was!

The very moment we are saved, we are only one step from where we were.

We must then grow in Christ Jesus!

1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, [through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience] and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

This sanctification takes some time, to some, more than others!

Thank goodness, God is still working on me!

*****Mar 8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

This was a Gentile, who had been led to the Lord by others that cared enough for him to do this.

This man was so blind to the things of God that he would have never found Jesus alone!

It was those that had brought him that had petitioned the Lord for this healing!

The Bible teaches us:

Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

How does he now see clearly?

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

There will never be a day until we join the Lord in the rapture, that we will not need Him:

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus "the author and finisher" of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

These are some things we must also learn and these are some of the things that these 12 chosen of Jesus did not yet understand.

*****Mar 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

Jesus had said all that He had to say to those of Bethsaida, there had not been much faith there and there was no need for this once blind to go tell them how he was healed.

They refused to believe and repent!

Mat 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

We will see shortly that Jesus was taking aim at the cross.

This once blind man had been brought to Jesus, probably from some other location and did not live in Bethsaida.

And So, Jesus moved on to Caesarea Philippi. It is from this location that Jesus will soon set His sights on Jerusalem.

*****Mar 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

This area is the location of the source of the River Jordan and near the base of Mount Hermon.

Jordan means "watering place" and this is the place the Lord Jesus Christ chose to ask this certain question of His chosen disciples.

Whom do men say that I am?

Jesus has these words for the woman at the well and for us all:

Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Just as the River Jordan has its beginning from the melted snow of Mount Hermon and the fountains near its base, Jesus Christ is the true source of "living water"!

Humans, animals and plants are alive because they have been infused with life.

But the Lord Jesus Christ "is life"!

Jesus Christ has life in Himself, he is not derived from life as is all His creation!

Jesus Christ is the source of all life as we know it!

Just to the north of this city, at the foot of a steep crag, the fountain of Jordan rises to it's beginning and brings life to this region.

But, Jesus Christ is the fountain of all life!

Psa 36:9 For with thee is "the fountain of life": in thy light shall we see light.

What is wrong with this world today?

Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; "they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters", and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

And how did these 12 answer?

*****Mar 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

It is not be very important what people say about or think about us BUT "it is very important that they think right about the Lord Jesus Christ"!

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only means of salvation in this lost world!

Jesus Christ must be the Lord of our lives!

That cannot happen until we have accepted The Lord as Our Savior and filled with His Holy Sprit!

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, "but by the Holy Ghost".

Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man born of a woman:

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

John was now dead but there were many that felt this same way about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Many of them knew the prophecy of Elijah:

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

But Jesus responded to this thought like this:

Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Others said that Jesus was just one of the prophets that had already died such as Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah or Ezekiel.

These all would have only one thing in common if it were any of them.

They were all dead and "would have had to been resurrected" from the dead.

So, it teaches us all these people agreed that the things that Jesus did required "resurrection power"!

They just did not realize how true this was.

But we know that God spoke through the prophets to mankind and God established this standard for Himself:

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

No sinner can stand before the Father!

Only those that have been washed in the blood of Jesus, "that prophet raised from among their brethren" can stand before the Father.

Jesus was Jew of the tribe of Judah and household of David.

We know that the early church was in agreement that these things were fulfilled in Jesus Christ:

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Act 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

No prophet throughout the Bible fulfilled the will of the Father except Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, "but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

It is Jesus Christ that is Head of the House of God!

Heb 3:6 But Christ "as a son over his own house"; [whose house are we], if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

But the importance lies in this response of those that know the Lord as Savior.

*****Mar 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

We began our lesson explaining that "Christ" means the " Anointed One" sent from God.

Makes me think of these words the Lord told to Abraham.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, "God will provide himself" a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Explained well in the Book of Philippians:

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Mark skips over another thing that should be mentioned from Peter's response.

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, "but my Father which is in heaven".
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We can only know the truth, if it is revealed to us by the Holy Ghost!

The foundation of the Church must be based on the fact the Jesus Christ was the Jewish Messiah and also Savior to the Church!

The Church has only one foundation that is essential and it is the fact that Jesus Christ was and is God in the flesh!

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. "This is the true God, and eternal life".

It is only after the disciples understand this that Jesus began to explain that He would have to die to fulfill the will of His Father in Heaven.

*****Mar 8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

You see God has this plan and we must be part of His plan!

We cannot ever change God's plan!

We should be able see that it was only after these chosen disciples of God had made an open confession that Jesus was truly the Messiah, that Jesus could speak of His sufferings and the cross.

AND, It is only after we have that same understanding that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, that we are open to the rewards of Heaven.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

There is no other plan of salvation that can lead us into the throne room of God!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Satan has done his job of deception very well and most of our world are caught up in his snare!

So what was this part of God's plan?

1.) Jesus would suffer many things of this world.

2.) Jesus would be rejected by the government.

3.) Jesus would be rejected by the established religions.

4.) Jesus would be rejected by those that wrote their own versions of the Bible.

5.) Jesus would be killed.

6.) But praise God after 3 days Jesus would rise from that death!

God says that this, His own plan, is the only plan that can bring victory after His death.

Jesus did not die as a Martyr!

Jesus Christ died as the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God!

You see Jesus did all the work and the only work we have to do to get to Heaven is "to believe" and then repent and go toward God and not against Him!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

But there are always those that just do not like God's plan and seek to make changes in God's plan!

*****Mar 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

How did Jesus respond to Peter?

Jesus spoke to Peter boldly and with confidence.

Jesus did not use a parable.

Jesus made this very clear to Peter and then to all the others.

*****Mar 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

1) Peter did not realize what he was saying.

Peter had suggested that he would try to stop this plan of Christ Jesus.

Peter did not like God's plan!

This is the very act that Satan was and is trying to accomplish!

Satan will use everything within his own power to keep Jesus from fulfilling the plan of God!

So what does Our Lord do?

1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Jesus just turned away from Peter and rebuked him before the other disciples.

Was Jesus being spiteful or hateful in doing this?

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

The Apostle Peter learned an awful lot of things through hard experience!

I must say, I have also learned many things from hard experience!

Jesus was saying to His disciples, "Don't Stand In My Way"?

When we look at things through human eyes we will sometimes miss what God is trying to accomplish!

Anything and anyone that tries to deter or change the plan of God then become the adversary of God!

Peter learned this lesson very well and it influenced him.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

We are to deliver God's message, if we want to be a part of God's plan!

Anyone that tries to alter the plan of God then becomes the enemy of God!

So what are the conditions for following Jesus Christ?

Jesus lays those conditions out in our next verse!

*****Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Every Christian should expect these things:

1.) There will be hardships.
2) There must be self denial. (Die to self)
3) We must bear our own cross.
4) There will be scorn from this world.
5) We must have patience sown in love!
6) We must follow! (Jesus will lead)

In order to be a follower there must be a leader!

The key to repentance is the acknowledgement that we all have a sinful nature!

Not one human being is a good person that sometimes does bad things!

Every human being is a sinful creature who sometimes does some good things!

It is only based on this truth that we can be led to salvation!

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

When we are unwilling to bear this cross we will never know real life here on Earth, and then eternal life.

That eternal life in Heaven can only be found when we die to our own self and live for Jesus Christ!

*****Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

The Atheist teach that this life we have now is all there is.

So their motto is live this life by your own standards while you are alive and then you die and that's it.

Even if all we see were an accident, as the Evolutionists believe, this would still be a sad thing!

God says it this way:

Eph 2:12 That at that time "ye were without Christ",[ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, "having no hope, and without God in the world"]:

But to "having hope" for life after this physical life rest in the hands of God and cannot happen by accident.

So it's a matter of perspective.!

If this life is all that there is, then certainly to live the life of a suffering saint of God does not seem worthwhile.

BUT, if there is a greater and grandeur life ahead then that changes everything!

AND THERE IS!

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time "are not worthy to be compared" with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

No one can deny that every human being will have pains, troubles, and anxieties in their life time.

Many of these things we bring on ourselves, but to the Christian we can add to this, the ridicule of this world because we have a relationship with Jesus!

When I was a soldier, I sold my life for base pay,(really a very small amount of money) and to serve my country which I love but even this was not much value for my life had I lost my life in a battle.

Now as a soldier in God's army, I love my Captain of salvation and I honor His profession.

I can endure the fears and perils of this life because there is a greater payday coming and then there will be life eternal!

You can deny God if you want to, but I choose to believe the truth!

I can love myself more, by not loving the things of this world!

For what is my profit in this life?

*****Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

It is a poor exchange to trade a soul for money or pleasure, or any other "temporary" thing.

If I know my life is but a whisper of time, then the things I can possess in this world, I truly will not be able to
hold to for very long!

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, "and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".

In most every case, the riches of this world will bring with those riches even more sorrows!

True riches comes only when I trust my God.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

So the real truth is still the facts of God, and He has written those facts down for us!

*****Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

We can only deny our selves when we surrender ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we live for Christ Jesus we will become more like Him!

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is our only true investment in this world and the world to come!

We can either invest in our lives or lose our lives!

You see once we have spent our lives, we cannot buy it back.

Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death"; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We can be like the world or we can strive to be like Jesus, these are the only two choices we have.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We cannot purify our selves after death, we must do this while we live!

Next week we will see the glory of God.

Questions?

Let's Pray!