CHAPTER 9

(A.D. 32)

THE TRANSFIGURATION

¹And He (Jesus) said unto them (the twelve), Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them who stand here (in this case, Peter, James, and John), which shall not taste of death (did not mean they would not ultimately die, but that before they died, they would see beyond the veil into the Kingdom), till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power (this was an anticipatory picture of the coming Millennium).

²And after six days (Luke says eight days [Lk. 9:28]; there is no discrepancy; in Luke the Greek phrase is inclusive, meaning that all the timewas addressed, while in Mark it is exclusive, meaning that all the days and timewere not included) Jesus took with Him Peter, and James, and John (the second experience in which they were included, but not the other Disciples; the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead was the first), and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves (we arent told which mountain): and He (Jesus) was transfigured before them (refers to the act of giving outward expression of ones inner character).

³And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them (the radiance of glory shining from within Him).

⁴And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses (their appearance had to do with the coming Kingdom Age): and they were talking with Jesus (the Greek Text indicates that the conversation was a protracted one).

⁵And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three Tabernacles; one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah (Peter compounds his error by placing Moses and Elijah in the same category as Jesus).

⁶For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid (terrified).

⁷And there was a cloud that overshadowed them (was the Shekinah Glory Cloud which guided Israel out of Egypt, and which rested above the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle): and a voice came out of the cloud (proclaims the actual Voice of God), saying, This is My Beloved Son (in the Greek Text, this is My Son, The Beloved One,): hear Him (the phrase, Hear Him, refers to Christ; in other words, Moses and Elijah are not to be placed on the same par with Christ; the phrase actually means, be constantly hearing Him; it as well refers to obeying what is heard).

⁸And suddenly (proclaims a sudden change), when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves (they had just witnessed something which no other human beings had ever seen).

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And they kept that saying with themselves (meaning that they obeyed the Command of the Lord), questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean (they still did not understand the purpose and reason for His coming to this world, which was to redeem man, which would necessitate His going to the Cross; in other words, the Cross was ever His destination).

¹¹And they asked Him, saying, Why say the Scribes that Elijah must first come? (They were referring to Mal. 4:5.)

¹²And He answered and told them (but with them still lacking in understanding), Elijah verily cometh first, and restoreth all things (refers to this Prophet coming as one of the two witnesses not long before the Second Advent [Rev. 11:3-12]); and how it is written of the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought (as predicted by the Prophet Isaiah, Chpt. 53).

¹³But I say unto you, That Elijah is indeed come (refers to John the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elijah [Lk. 1:17]), and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of Him (refers to Johns execution by Herod).

LACK OF POWER

¹⁴And when He came to HisDisciples(joined the other nine at the foot of the mountain after the Transfiguration), He saw a great multitude about them, and the Scribes questioning with them (actually, taunting them).

¹⁵And straightway (immediately) all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him (greeted Him with great warmth and admiration).

¹⁶And He asked the Scribes (supposed experts in the Law of Moses), What question ye with them? (In effect, what is the problem?)

¹⁷And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto You my son, which has a dumb spirit (a correct analysis of the situation; a demon spirit had bound the boys tongue and vocal organs, plus as well, had tried to kill him several times);

¹⁸And wheresoever he (the demon spirit) takes him, he tears him: and he foams, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to Your Disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not (the idea is, they tried repeatedly, but without success; hence, the taunts of the Scribes).

¹⁹He answered him, and said, O faithless generation (rather, a misplaced faith; Gal., Chpt. 5 will explain it), how long shall I be with you? (Will My short time be enough?) how long shall I suffer you? (Is it possible for even the Twelve who are constantly with Me, to understand?) bring him unto Me (implies that the boy was not immediately with the father, but was being held by others a short distance away).

²⁰And they brought him unto Him: and when he (the demon spirit) saw Him (Jesus), straightway (immediately) the spirit (demon spirit)tore him (the boy); and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

²¹And He (Jesus) asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child (the incident tells us that children can be oppressed or even possessed by demon spirits).

²²And ofttimes it has cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him (reflects suicidal tendencies, as promoted by this spirit): but if You can do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us (his faith was weak, due to the failure of the Disciples).

²³Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (if He has promised it, and you can believe it, you can have it).

²⁴And straightway (immediately) the father of the child cried out (speaks of a loud cry that comes from the very depths of the mans soul), and said with tears, Lord, I believe (proclaims belief, but yet imperfect belief!; the tears proclaimed the consternation of the battle that is raging in the mans soul); help Thou mine unbelief (proclaims the deficiency of his faith; it is a prayer the Lord will always answer).

²⁵When Jesus saw that the people came running together (He evidently was standing a little ways from the people, as He spoke with the man, with the Disciples holding the people back; but they can hold them no longer), He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you, come out of him, and enter no more into him (he was to come out, which he did, and was never to come back again).

²⁶And the spirit (demon spirit) cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him (it seems that he attempted to kill the boy as he came out): and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, he is dead (the boy lay motionless and pallid as a corpse).

²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose (concerned more than just a helping hand; healing power flooded the boys body, healing that which the demon had damaged).

²⁸And when He was come into the house (doesnt say which house), His Disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we cast him out? (They had been successful at other times, so why not now? There is evidence that this demon was more powerful than any that Jesus had addressed.)

²⁹And He said unto them, This kind (demon spirits of this power) can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (fasting includes not only, doing without food, but as well, denying ones own strength and ability, and looking exclusively to the Cross [I Cor. 1:17-18]).

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION

³⁰And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and He would not that any man should know it (by now there was terrible opposition against Him from the religious leaders of the area; in fact, this would get progressively worse).

³¹For He taught His Disciples, and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men (means that His betrayal in the heart of Judas had already begun), and they shall kill Him (the Crucifixion); and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day (the Resurrection was never in doubt).

³²But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him (stemmed back to Peter rebuking Him when He had previously made this announcement and His response, which had been strong indeed!).

WHO IS GREATEST?

³³And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house (Peters house) He asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? (Concerned a very serious problem in their lives.)

³⁴But they held their peace (means they were ashamed to relate to Him what they had been, in fact, discussing): for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest (it is not unlikely that the preference given by our Lord to Peter, James, and John, may have given occasion for this contention).

³⁵And He sat down, and called the Twelve, and said unto them, If any man desire to be first (in response to their question as to whom should be the greatest), the same shall be last of all, and servant of all (means to think of ones self last, with all others first, to minister to others, which is the very opposite of the world).

³⁶And 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 (will use the child as an example),

³⁷Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My Name, receives Me (in effect, says that if the person doesnt have a childlike spirit, he should not be received): and whosoever shall receive Me, receives not Me, but Him Who sent Me (the way to Christ is through a childlike spirit, and the way to the father is through Christ [Jn. 14:6]).

³⁸And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Your Name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us (portrays the sectarianism that is beginning to creep in).

³⁹But Jesus said, Forbid him not (Jesus did not say, receive him, for the mans motive did not appear; however, he does say that the attitude toward such a one should at least be neutral): for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My Name, that can lightly speak evil of Me (providing it truly is a miracle).

⁴⁰For he who is not against us is on our part (the marks of false teachers are numerous in Scripture, so that no mistake need be made in detecting them [Mat. 7:15-20; 23:1-33; Acts 8:9; 13:8; Rom. 1:18-32; 16:17; I Cor. 1:18-31; I Tim. 4:1-8; II Tim. 3:1-13; 4:3-4; II Pet., Chpt. 2; III Jn., Vss. 9-10; Jude, Vss. 4-19; Rev. 2:14, 20]).

⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward (refers to helping take the Gospel to others; all help respecting this will be rewarded, no matter how small that help might be).

CONCERNING OFFENCES

⁴²And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea (as the smallest help will be rewarded, likewise, the smallest offense will be likewise addressed; these admonitions had better be taken seriously).

⁴³And if your hand offend you, cut it off ([symbolic], do not allow yourself to be placed in the position of opposing those who truly are of God): it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched (proves the reality of Hell, and of it being the destiny of those who oppose true Believers, who are truly doing the Work of God):

⁴⁴Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched (Christ is proclaiming what one faces who opposes true Believers; the punishment is eternal).

⁴⁵And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into Hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

⁴⁶Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched.

⁴⁷And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire:

⁴⁸Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched (when Christ gives an illustration of this magnitude, it is of extreme importance; when He doubles it, as He does here, it becomes extremely important; but when He triples it, as He definitely does, then its significance is of such magnitude as to defy description; most of the opposition against true Believers, and especially against those called of God for specific work, comes from the religious sector; to oppose that apostatized religious sector, may generate harm to ones person; but it is better to endure that harm, than to lose ones soul).

⁴⁹For every one shall be salted with fire (whether tested to offend, or tested by the offender), and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt (salt is a type of the Word of God; if the Sacrifice is to be true, it will be centered up in the Cross).

⁵⁰Salt is good (the Word of God which acts as a preservative): but if the salt have lost his saltness (the Word of God has been diluted), wherewith will you season it? (The preservation is now gone.)Have salt in yourselves (abide according to the Word of God), and have peace one with another (abiding by the Word, will guarantee peace).