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Witnesses to the Kingdom
Whatever view we take of the specific event to which Jesus refers in Mark 9:1, we are left without any doubt that the kingdom of God came in power in the first century. The birth of Christianity changed the course of human history, and our Lord continues to build His kingdom as we await His return. We serve a mighty God who will not fail to accomplish His purposes. View Resource
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The Mount of Transfiguration
Though God grants us many blessings on this side of glory, nothing created can ever fully satisfy us. We grow bored and tired of even the greatest pleasures. That will not be the case with the beatific vision. We will see God as He is, and we will never tire of seeing His beauty. Are you looking forward to heaven and the vision of God Himself? View Resource
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A Glimpse of Glory
Peter was on a mountaintop spiritually, and he wanted to stay there. But his experience was designed to send him into the world to participate in the death and humiliation of Christ. Consider how your spiritual mountaintops—at worship, at a Bible study, or during a retreat—should drive your walk with Christ. View Resource
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Peter’s Terror and God’s Response
Most Christians know of “mountaintop experiences,” encounters with God so rich that we want them to last forever. Such experiences are gifts of the Lord’s grace and foretastes of the coming age. But they are not meant to last on this side of glory. Our desire ought not to be like Peter’s desire in the transfiguration—to prolong our mountaintop experiences. Instead, we must call others to meet God not on a mountaintop but through faith in Christ alone. View Resource
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The Coming of Elijah
Christ’s teaching on John’s death and the death of the Son of Man reveals what Martin Luther called the “theology of the cross.” The theology of the cross tells us that there is no path to glory except through suffering. Even the Messiah had to suffer in order to be glorified; thus, we must not think that there will be a different way to glory for us. May we encourage one another as we suffer for Christ that we may be reminded that the end thereof is glory. View Resource
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Jesus Confronts a Faithless Generation
When Christ utters harsh words to His people, He never means to destroy but to call our attention to our sin that we may repent and be restored. Thus, whenever we find Jesus rebuking others in the Gospels, we should see how those words apply to us. Then, let us turn to Him in repentance, confident that He will forgive us and strengthen our faith. View Resource
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Help for Unbelief
Dr. R.C. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark, “Staying close to the Word, listening to the promises of our Redeemer, and opening my heart to Him are the things that kill unbelief and build a powerful faith that does not let me down in the midst of afflictions.” Let us strengthen our faith by pursuing the Lord through Bible study and prayer. View Resource
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Dependence on Christ
No Christian would ever say that absolute dependence on Jesus is optional. However, it is nonetheless easy even for believers to go through their day as if they can do so under their own power. Lest we become self-reliant in a negative way, we must remain aware of our need for Jesus. Regular prayer helps us do that, for by it we remember our full dependence upon Him. View Resource
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The Son of Man
Though we heed His teaching in the Gospels, we can forget that Jesus is a prophet. In fact, He is the prophet, par excellence. As the Word of God (John 1:1), He speaks, by the Spirit, throughout Scripture. Some people believe that Jesus has nothing to say about topics never mentioned in the Gospels, even if they are discussed in other biblical books. But all the doctrines of the Bible are the doctrines of Jesus, even if they are not directly recorded in the Gospels. View Resource
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Teaching in Galilee
Because of the influence of sin on our hearts and minds, we should expect Jesus’ words to sound strange to us at times. When we find His teaching hard to receive, we dare not shape it to fit our preconceived notions of what God must be like; rather, let us seek to conform our understanding of our Creator to what God’s Word teaches. His revelation is our standard, not our opinions of what He must be like. View Resource
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Who Is the Greatest?
We live in a culture obsessed with fame, with achieving “greatness” so that it can be lorded over others. But Jesus explains that we will find true greatness only through serving others. In all of our interactions with other people, our first question should be, how can we best serve them? View Resource
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Receiving a Child in Jesus’ Name
The kingdom of God has as its citizens people from all backgrounds and all walks of life. It is not a community for only the powerful and those who “have it all together.” In reality, it is a community for those who recognize that they are sinners, who know that in themselves they are nothing. Our churches must be places where society’s castoffs and leaders alike are welcome. View Resource
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On the Side of Jesus
Expositing Mark 9:38–41, Dr. R.C. Sproul cautions us in his commentary Mark to avoid the error of thinking all differences between Christians divide us in an essential way as well as the error of thinking that no division is important. We must work with other Christians without compromising the essential truths of the faith. Doing this takes great discernment, and we should be continually asking God to make us a discerning people. View Resource
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Causing Others to Sin
John Calvin comments on today’s passage that the millstone punishment shows us “how dear and precious those persons [believers] are in the sight of God.” The children of God are immeasurably loved by Him, and He will not take kindly to any who lead them astray or cause them to sin. That is reason enough to be careful in our words and conduct lest we cause others to transgress God’s law. View Resource
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The Unquenchable Fire of Hell
Hell is a reality that’s perhaps painful for us to think about, so from one perspective it is understandable that we do not often like to talk about it. However, we must not view things from our perspective but from God’s perspective. He calls us to preach the reality of hell—the bad news—so that people might understand how much they need the good news of the gospel. Let us not neglect hell as we tell other people about Jesus. View Resource
