Mark 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.
Continuing the context from the last chapter…
Jesus declared that there were some among them that would not die before seeing the kingdom of God come with power (miraculous power according to the Greek). When the kingdom of God is established on the earth, Jesus will be revealed in all His glory as the Son of God, the King of kings that will rule the world from the throne of David.
Revelation 19:11–16 “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. 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Mark 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.
Mark 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
Six days after making the declaration in verse 1, Jesus took Peter, James and John apart with Him up a high mountain. These three disciples are often referred to as the inner circle.
At some point, Jesus was suddenly transfigured in their presence (from the Greek for “before”). His clothes began to shine as they turned white as snow—a whiter white than anyone on earth could make them. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him and began talking with Him. Significant to note is that both Moses and Elijah are alive and well; they aren’t in soul sleep.
The Greek for “transfigured” denotes metamorphosis, it is a change that takes place from within. The divine glory of Jesus showed forth through the man Jesus.
Luke provides some additional information.
Luke 9:30–32 “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus….”
Luke informs us that the discussion among the three men concerned the upcoming death of Jesus in Jerusalem. It was interesting to me that Luke referred to it as something that Jesus would accomplish. That is what many fail to see. God had foreordained His plan to work within the confines of man’s free will. It was His plan that Jesus be killed on that cross. He didn’t make those religious leaders turn on Jesus; He used their jealousy and hatred of Jesus to accomplish the sacrifice necessary to redeem man from sin. It really blows my mind when I think of how He could look down in omniscience through the ages and formulate a precise plan to accomplish His purposes, taking into account the choices of so many.
We also learn that the disciples weren’t able to stay awake; it was after they woke up that they saw Jesus in His glory talking to Moses and Elijah.
We aren’t told how the disciples knew that Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah. Maybe the Holy Spirit revealed it to them or maybe they heard them address each other as they talked.
I liked Guzik’s comment: “Jesus also shows in a dramatic way that cross bearers will be glory receivers. The goal isn’t the cross. The cross is the path to the goal, and the goal is the glory of God.”
Mark 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.
Mark 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
Not knowing what else to say after Moses and Elijah departed, Peter suggested that they make three memorial tabernacles on the spot. I don’t think he realized that he was putting Moses and Elijah on the same level as Jesus; and I believe the voice of the Father affirms that thought. Jesus is the divine Son of God in flesh; Moses and Elijah are merely human.
Matthew tells us a bit more.
Matthew 17:6–8 “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.”
The sound of God’s voice so frightened the disciples that they fell on their faces to the ground. Not surprising in light of scriptures that describe the voice of God.
Job 40:9 “Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?”
Psalms 29:3–8 “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth….The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars….The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness….”
Jesus proceeded to touch the disciples, telling them to get up and explaining that they should not be afraid. When they lifted up their eyes, Moses and Elijah were gone; and it seems that Jesus was once again of normal appearance.
Why Moses and Elijah? One can only speculate. I’ve heard it taught that they represent the Law and the Prophets respectively. I’ve also read that they represent those who must experience physical death and those who are translated to new life without experiencing physical death. I believe both are true. We know that Elijah is prophesied to return and prophesy once again before Jesus returns as King of kings…
Malachi 4:5–6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 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.”
…and I think it likely that Moses returns with him as the two witnesses identified in Revelation in light of this appearance with Jesus.
Revelation 11:3–6 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.”
I hadn’t noticed this before, but Moses and Elijah were still present when Peter made his suggestion.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
As they came down the mountain, the Lord commanded them not to tell anyone else (including the other disciples) about what they had seen until after His resurrection from the dead. They did what Jesus asked, but among themselves they questioned what He meant about rising from the dead.
It doesn’t make sense that they would not understand what Jesus was saying; it seems self-explanatory. They had seen Him bring the daughter of Jairus back to life. I think the thing that stumbled them the most was their expectation that He, as the Messiah, would establish Himself on the throne of David after delivering the nation from the Romans. They just didn’t expect Him to die—though He had told them twice already.
Mark 9:11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mark 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.
Mark 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.
The disciples asked Jesus why the scribes taught that Elijah must come first. That seems to tie directly to my thoughts about verse 10. That thought leads directly to their question. They believed Jesus to be the Messiah, so it was natural that they wonder why Elijah was not on the scene.
Jesus answered that it was true that Elijah would first come to “restore” all things. The Greek states, “reconstitute (in health).” I believe that is a reference to spiritual health—to getting the Jewish people to repent of their sins and prepare to meet their Messiah.
Jesus then reminded them that it was also true that the scripture prophesied that the Son of man must suffer many things and be despised (from the Greek for “set at nought”). That immediately brings to my mind the words of Isaiah in reference to the Messiah.
Isaiah 53:3 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
The next statement must have surprised them. Jesus said that Elijah had already come as the scripture had foretold and was not treated with respect.
Matthew tells us more.
Matthew 17:12–13 “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. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”
Jesus declared that they would treat the Son of man just like they had treated the prophet. The disciples understood that He was talking about John the Baptist. John was obviously not Elijah, but his ministry was very much similar to what Elijah’s ministry will be before Jesus returns to set up the kingdom.
That the disciples understood this inference so clearly yet couldn’t understand a direct statement about the resurrection of Jesus is certainly puzzling.
This statement by Jesus indicates to me that Jesus would have established His kingdom at that time if only the Jewish people had accepted Him as their Messiah. However, it wouldn’t have prevented His death, burial and resurrection. His purpose for coming was to redeem man from sin so He could establish His kingdom. Amazingly, God was able to look down through the ages and know how they would respond—thus, the prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures that took that into account.
Mark 9:14 ¶ And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
Mark 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
Mark 9:16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
Mark 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mark 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.
When they returned to the rest of the disciples, Jesus saw a great crowd around them; and the scribes were questioning them.
The people were greatly surprised when they recognized Jesus and ran to greet Him.
Jesus asked the scribes why they were questioning His disciples. One of men in the crowd quickly spoke up and answered that he had a son with a dumb spirit; he couldn’t talk. He explained that the spirit caused his son to lose self-control; he made him convulse (from Greek for “teareth”), foam at the mouth, gnash his teeth and caused his skin to shrivel (from Greek for “pineth away”). He went on to say that he had come to the disciples hoping that they would cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t.
Mark 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.
Jesus answered the man by addressing the group, but it seems directed more toward His disciples. His answer indicates that He was frustrated. He basically questioned how long it would take before they became men of faith. Then He told the man to bring his son to him.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
As soon as they brought the son to Jesus, the spirit immediately threw him into convulsions; and he fell on the ground foaming at the mouth. He asked the father how long the spirit had afflicted his son. The man answered that he had been that way since he was a child; this indicates to me that he was a young man by this time. The father declared that the spirit often threw his son into fire and water, trying to kill him. He begged Jesus to have compassion on them and help them if He could. Luke tells us that this boy was his only child.
Luke 9:38 “And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.”
Jesus told the man that if he could believe, ALL things are possible to the one that has faith. The father immediately cried out in tears with words that I have often repeated, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”
We know that Jesus answered that prayer by what happened next.
I liked this quote from Spurgeon regarding the father’s cry: “While men have no faith, they are unconscious of their unbelief; but, as soon as they get a little faith, then they begin to be conscious of the greatness of their unbelief.”
Mark 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.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
Jesus saw that the crowd was getting larger. He rebuked the evil spirit and said, “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never return.” The spirit screamed and caused him to have terrible convulsions as he came out of him. The young man appeared to be dead so some began to declare him dead. However, Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he got up. In other words, I don’t think Jesus had to exert any strength to get the young man to stand up.
Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Once Jesus and the disciples were back in the house where they were staying, they asked Him privately why they could not cast out the evil spirit. I think they didn’t understand why this should have been any different than what they had done when He had sent them out by twos.
Jesus then told them that “this kind” can only be cast out by prayer and fasting. This indicates that not all evil spirits are the same; some are more powerful than others. I think that is what was taught by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Matthew tells us a bit more.
Matthew 17:20–21 “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. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus clearly stated that it was due to their lack of faith that they could not cast out the evil spirit. He explained that if one would but have faith the size of a mustard seed—just the tiniest bit—he would be able to move a mountain (a word picture of doing what seems impossible). In fact, nothing would be impossible to them. He did qualify, however, that the type of demon that possessed the young man could not be cast out except by prayer and fasting. Prayer entails intimate and impassioned communication with the Father and fasting declares one’s sincerity and commitment to the objective sought through the willingness to deny self.
These are hard words to understand. I’m sure the disciples reasoned like I do—that their faith in Jesus was at least comparable to a mustard seed. The greater truth is that pure faith, no matter how small, leaves no room for any doubt. What prompted their lack of faith, I don’t know. Maybe they had begun to take their ability for granted and were not really focusing on the fact that they were acting “in the name of Jesus.” I know the main thing that prompts my doubt is being unsure of God’s will about what I am praying. I know that many times it is God’s will for one to experience suffering or go without or in light of greater spiritual benefit—to self and/or others. I have no doubt that “God can,” but I am ever unsure of “God will.” I am confident that if God wants to work a miracle through me, He will also give me the strength of faith to do it.
Mark 9:30 ¶ And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Jesus and His disciples left the area going through Galilee. They tried to get away without anyone knowing because He wanted some personal time to teach them. Once again, Jesus told the disciples that He was going to be delivered into the hands of men that would kill Him; however, after He was killed, He would resurrect to life on the third day after His death.
This is not the first time He has told the disciples what He was going to suffer. Still they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him. Their understanding was clouded by their expectation. I think they were afraid to ask because they didn’t want to disappoint Him yet again.
Mark 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?
Mark 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Eventually, they came to Capernaum, returning to Peter’s home, I assume. He had evidently heard them arguing among themselves as they were walking and asked them what the dispute was about. No one spoke up because they were ashamed, I think, to admit that they had been arguing about who among them would occupy the highest position in the kingdom under Jesus.
Mark 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.
Mark 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,
Mark 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.
Though they did not answer Him, I believe the Holy Spirit revealed the truth to Him. He sat down and called the twelve to gather around. I’m sure it surprised them when He addressed the subject of their argument. He basically said, If one wants to hold the highest position, he must position himself last as servant of all. This statement confronted the disciples with their thoughts of selfish ambition. Jesus basically said that one who is willing to humble self in obedience before God is the one most valuable to Him.
Jesus took a child and placed him among them. Then he picked up the child to hold him, saying that anyone that receives a child in His name, in effect, received Him. Anyone that receives Him is in actuality receiving the One that sent Him—implied, God the Father in heaven. I think He used a child to represent the truth that every person is important to Him, no matter how insignificant in the eyes of anyone else.
Matthew adds a bit more.
Matthew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
A millstone is a large heavy stone that was used to grind grain. Jesus declared that it would be better for a person to drown himself than to prevent one person from coming to faith in Him. He is reinforcing the truth declared by Peter.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Mark 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.
Mark 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.
Mark 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
John made a remark that seemed out of context to me; but I think the connecting factor is the thought of acting in the name of Jesus. He told Jesus that they had seen another man casting out devils in His name. Since he was not one of their followers, they told him to stop.
Jesus answered that they should not have done that. He explained that no man doing a miracle in His name would readily speak evil of Him. Those who aren’t against them are for them in that they aren’t actively working to discredit Jesus.
Guzik made a good point: “Paul saw many men preaching Jesus from many motives, some of them evil - yet he could rejoice that Christ was preached.”
Philippians 1:15–18 “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”
Mark 9:41 ¶ For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
Mark 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.
Mark 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:
Mark 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 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:
Mark 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 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:
Mark 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Mark 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.
The word for “hell” in this section is the Greek word gehenna, a word of Hebrew origin, that references the place of everlasting punishment as described in Revelation.
Revelation 20:10, 13-15 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever….and the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Jesus closes this teaching as follows (my paraphrase): Whoever gives so much as a cup of water to one of My (Jesus) followers in My name will be rewarded. Whoever entices a young believer to sin would better have drowned in the ocean. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it would be better to enter eternity maimed than to be trapped forever in the fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut if off; it would be better to enter eternity crippled than to be trapped forever in the fires of hell with two feet. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it would be better to enter eternity with one eye than to be trapped forever in the fires of hell with two. The fires of hell are eternal; it is a place where no one dies and the fires never go out. Everyone who follows me (Jesus) will be purified with fire, the trials of this life. Every sacrifice we make in this life contributes to that purification. Salt is good unless it loses its saltiness; how could you possibly restore its flavor. Preserve the salt of your character and live in peace with one another.
Jesus makes the point that it is not the size or value of the gift given that matters, it is the motive in the heart of the one giving the gift that matters.
I think the point Jesus was making is that we should be willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to follow Him in faith and obedience and avoid the fires of hell.
The New Bible Commentary made an important point: “Jesus spoke of hell to believers in warning, not to sinners in condemnation.”
It was interesting to read the thoughts of the different commentators on “their worm.” Frankly, I think it is an apt picture of the wicked lost soul.
Mark 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.
Jesus and the disciples left Capenaum and headed into Judea on their way to Jerusalem. At some point He stopped and, as usual, a crowd gathered around Him. He took advantage of the opportunity to teach them once again.
Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
Mark 10:3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
Mark 10:4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
Mark 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mark 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Also as usual, Pharisees were in the crowd and posed a question, hoping to trap Him concerning a point of the law. They asked Him if it was lawful for a man to put away his wife.
Jesus answered with a question (as He often did), “What did Moses command?” They quickly answered that Moses allowed a man to write a bill of divorcement and put away his wife.
Jesus responded by telling them that Moses only allowed this because of the hardness of their hearts. From the very beginning of creation God made both man and woman; it was His purpose for a man to leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife. In God’s eyes, they became one flesh when they married and no man had the right to tear apart what God had joined together.
I think it is significant to note that we were created so that the very anatomy of our bodies declare the truth of marriage being for one man and one woman—not man and man or woman and woman.
Matthew tells us a bit more. The only acceptable reason for divorce is adultery. Any man that divorces his wife and marries someone else for any other reason commits adultery; the same is true of the man that marries the divorced woman.
Matthew 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.”
Even with the noted exception, I believe that very few divorces today, relative to the whole, (even among Christians) are in accordance with biblical parameters.
David Guzik added insight: “In theory, the Jews of that day had a high ideal of marriage. Yet they had a low view of women. ‘The Jews had very low views of women…A wife was bought, regarded as property, used as a household drudge, and dismissed at pleasure.’ (Bruce) Today, men also have a low view of women; tragically, women also have a low view of women, and often reject the idea that women should be different than men in any way.”
Mark 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
Mark 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
Mark 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
When they returned to the house in which they were staying, the disciples asked Jesus to clarify what He had said. He repeated what He had said to the Pharisees, adding that the same principles applied to a situation in which the woman divorces her husband.
Courson: “Nowhere in Levitical law or rabbinical thought could a woman divorce her husband. Thus, Jesus is placing woman on a level she had never before known—not only in the history of Israel, but in the history of the Roman and Grecian empires as well.”
Once again, Matthew tells us a bit more.
Matthew 19:10–12 “His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”
Jesus did not deny that what the disciples stated was true; He stated that basically very few men could tolerate celibacy. Only those “to whom it is given” seems to be a reference to a special calling by God. He then explains further. Some men are born eunuchs, some are made eunuchs by the actions of other men, and some have purposed to be eunuchs in the service of the Lord.
Eunuch = one who is castrated, impotent or unmarried (from the Greek)
I liked David Stern’s comment in his Jewish New Testament Commentary: “Depending on the calling and preferences of the individual, Yeshua allows that either the married or the single life can be one of service to God and humanity; and he takes care to minimize needless guilt on the part of those making the choice.”
Mark 10:13 ¶ And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
Mark 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.
Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Mark 10:16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
In this next snapshot, Mark tells of people (probably parents, actually probably moms) bringing children to Jesus so He could touch them. (Matthew affirms that it was for a blessing as indicated in v16.) The disciples rebuked them. It really displeased Jesus when He saw what they were doing. He basically said, “Let the little children come to me; don’t forbid them. The kingdom of God is made up of those just like these little children—those with simple faith that recognize their helplessness and need.” He declared that anyone that refuses to receive the kingdom of God as a helpless little child would not be allowed to enter.
Jesus then took the children up in His arms and laid His hands upon them and blessed them.
The disciples had evidently already forgotten that Jesus had told them that He valued little children and that to receive them was equivalent to receiving Him. (cf chapter 9)
Mark 10:17 ¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Eventually, Jesus and His disciples departed to continue their journey to Jerusalem. Along the way, a man came running and knelt before Him. He addressed Jesus as “Good Master,” or “Good Teacher.” He then asked the LORD what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Guzik made a good point: “He didn’t want Jesus to be his savior, he wanted Jesus to show him the way to be his own savior.”
Significant to note is that this young man (according to Matthew) knew that there was more to life after death.
Jesus answered him by asking him a question to get him to think about what he was inferring. He asked the man why he called Him good, then reminded him that no one is good except God (“the supreme Divinity” from the Greek). Jesus next listed six commandments…
Do not commit adultery
Do not kill
Do not steal
Do not bear false witness
Defraud not, don’t be a cheater or embezzler—Jesus seems to connect this with coveting when comparing with the list of commandments in Exodus 20. Matthew records it as, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” All these involve a heart attitude toward others. Coveting can lead to cheating to get what you want from someone else, solid evidence that you don’t love your neighbor as yourself.
Honor thy father and mother
…these commandments all have to do with one’s actions toward his fellowman. He did not even include the commandments dealing with man’s relationship with God.
Mark 10:20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Mark 10:22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
The young man answered without hesitation that he had kept all of these commandments since his youth. Jesus looked at the man and loved him; then He told him that he lacked one thing. He must go and sell everything he owned and give the money to the poor; that would ensure that he had treasure in heaven. Then he was to come and take up his personal cross and follow Him. The young man was very sad when he heard that, and he went away very sad because he was a man of wealth. Did he realize that his response was evidence of sin in his life?
Jesus was telling the man that by calling Him good, he was declaring Him to be God. If he really believed that, he should be willing to submit to Him. I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to Jesus that this man’s weakness was what most would consider to be a strength—his wealth. He was not ready to submit to Jesus if it meant giving away his wealth. It also revealed how little he understood about the value of eternal life and treasures in heaven vs. the here and now. I think there are many today that struggle with that same issue.
One more thing—Because He loved the young man, Jesus told him the truth; He was concerned about the man’s eternal future. That should be true of every believer today. We should be willing to share the truth with those we love without regard as to how that might impact our relationship with them in this life. Also, even though Jesus loved the young man, He didn’t make an exception in his case; there are no exceptions when it comes to salvation. One can only be saved by grace through faith in Jesus as LORD and Savior.
Guzik made another good comment: “The wealthy man is often a successful doer. He has done well, so he is rich. It is very easy for him to think that salvation, and relationship with the Lord is also a matter of successful doing, when really it is about humble receiving.”
Mark 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus then looked around at His disciples and emphatically declared that it is very hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. That statement surprised the disciples. The prevalent view of the day was that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing. In light of that belief, it would make one wonder how anyone could be saved if those whose lives evidenced God’s blessing cannot be saved. The disciples knew that being saved was the equivalent of eternal life in the kingdom of God.
Jesus continued, addressing them as sons, “It is hard for those that trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” In other words, Jesus is declaring it almost impossible.
The culture prevalent throughout the world today is to attain as much wealth as possible. Those who reach that goal and accrue great wealth usually find themselves more and more possessed by their wealth. It becomes harder and harder for one in such a position to truly lay down his life before God and say, “I want you to be my LORD and Savior. I want to do your will whatever the cost.”
Mark 10:26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?
Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
The disciples were truly amazed and discussed among themselves who could be saved. Jesus looked at them again and gave some hope, declaring that it might be impossible for men, but not impossible for God; with God ALL things are possible.
In other words, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, even a rich person can be brought to repentance and saving faith to eternal life.
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
Mark 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mark 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Peter spoke up and reminded Jesus that they had left all and followed Him; in other words, we are not like that rich man. I imagine that the disciples were men of varying degrees of wealth before choosing to become followers of Jesus; some even had their own businesses.
Jesus answered by saying that not one person who has left all—family and possessions—to follow Him for the sake of the gospel will regret it. They will receive far more than they have given up.
Once again, we learn a bit more from Matthew.
Matthew 19:27–28 “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Matthew notes that Jesus answered Peter directly concerning the disciples. He declared that when He is established on His throne of His glory in the kingdom, they would occupy twelve thrones and serve as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus adds one final thought—Many that are considered the most respected will really be last in His kingdom; those who are not so respected will be among the most respected in the kingdom.
Mark 10:32 ¶ And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
Mark 10:33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
Mark 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Jesus led the way as the continued on their way “up” to Jerusalem. David Stern provided some insight: “Jerusalem is located on top of the Judean hills, some 2,500 feet above sea level and higher than most inhabited places in Israel. This particular ascent was being made from Jericho, 900 feet below sea level. But ‘going up to Jerusalem’ has a spiritual dimension which does not depend on altitude — the earth’s spiritual geography is such that from the summit of Mount Everest one still ‘goes up’ to Jerusalem. Today when Jews come to live in Israel they do not ‘immigrate’ but ‘make aliyah’ (the word means ‘going up’), even if they plan to live on the shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth.”
The disciples were still amazed at what Jesus had told them, and they were also afraid. Once more Jesus told them what was going to happen to Him. He explained that He would be delivered into the custody of the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem; they would condemn Him to death and deliver Him into the hands of the Gentile authorities. He would be mocked, scourged and spit upon before finally being killed. On the third day He would rise again to new life.
Scripture had foretold that He would suffer such treatment.
Psalms 22:7–8 “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.”
Isaiah 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.”
Isaiah 53:4–5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
I think it was in response to their fear that Jesus again specifically told the disciples what was going to happen. I think His intent was to strengthen their faith with the truth that He could tell them in advance what to expect and that He would overcome death.
Mark 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.
Mark 10:36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
Mark 10:37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
Mark 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mark 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Mark 10:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
At one point, James and John came to Jesus (privately I assume) and asked that He grant them their wish. When Jesus asked what they wanted, they told Him that they wanted to sit one at His right hand and the other at His left (the two highest places of honor) when He was established on His throne in glory. Matthew tells us that it was actually the mother that came to Jesus on behalf of her sons. (Side note: Jon Courson makes the case that James and John were cousins of Jesus. See note on journal for Matthew 20.)
I am reminded that they are headed to Jerusalem right before Passover, so it is likely that family was traveling with them. That would account for those that loved Him, including His mother Mary, being in Jerusalem to witness His death.
Jesus told James and John that they did not realize what they were asking. He asked them if they thought they could drink the cup He would drink and be baptized with the baptism He was about to experience. They foolishly answered that they knew they could. The “cup” and “baptism” were both references to the judgment He would endure in the process of redeeming man from sin—judgment that I deserved.
Jesus affirmed that they would certainly experience disgrace and persecution as His followers (my paraphrase). (Note: James was the first apostle to be martyred, and John ended up exiled to the island of Patmos because of his faith. If tradition is true, they also tried to boil John in oil. John was also the last of the apostles to die.)
Jesus told them, however, that what they asked was not His to give; it would be given to those for whom it was prepared.
This made me think about the words of John in which Jesus told the disciples that He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them. I think there is a special place prepared for every child of God in eternity.
John 14:1–3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me….I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Mark 10:41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
Mark 10:42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
Mark 10:43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
Mark 10:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
It seems that the other ten disciples found out about Jesus’ conversation with the two brothers, and they weren’t very happy about it. Jesus gathered them around and took advantage of the teaching moment. My paraphrase: “You know that those who are acknowledged as rulers over the Gentiles exercise their authority and those over them exert even more authority; in other words, rulers make full use of their power. It shouldn’t be the same among them. He who wants to be great among you should position himself as servant; the one who achieves the highest position (in My kingdom is implied) will be he who has proven to be the greatest servant to the others. Even I (Jesus) came to serve and give My life a ransom for many; I didn’t come to be served.
The word “ransom” references redemption and atonement. Jesus came to redeem man from sin and to reconcile man’s relationship to God.
It also stands out that Jesus said “many” would be redeemed—implying, but not all. Though His sacrifice was sufficient for all, most (relative to the whole) would reject the gift of salvation He provided than accept it as He declared in Matthew 7.
Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Mark 10:46 ¶ And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Mark 10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Mark 10:49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
Mark 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Mark 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Eventually they came to Jericho. According to the NIV Study Bible, Jericho was “a very ancient city located five miles west of the Jordan and about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem.”
After reaching Jericho, Jesus headed out of the city with His disciples and a lot of other people. Meanwhile, blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, sat by the highway begging when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He began to cry out loudly saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” (Note: “Son of David” was recognized as a reference to the Messiah.) Many people tried to get him to be quiet, but he cried out even more. Jesus heard him and stopped. He commanded that they call Bartimaeus to Him, so they told the man to have courage because Jesus called for Him. He threw off his robe, got up and went to Jesus.
Chuck Smith had an interesting comment: “Some say that this garment was the typical garment of the beggar. It was sort of the badge of the beggar. But he threw it away because he knew that he wouldn’t have to be begging any more. In faith, he knew once he got to Jesus, it was going to all be over; he’d be able to see. His life would be changed. And so, casting away his garment, [he] rose, and came to Jesus.”
Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Him to do for him. He immediately answered that He wanted to be able to see. Jesus told him to go on his way and that his faith had made him whole. The man immediately received his sight and (no surprise to me) began following Jesus.
It should be noted that Matthew’s account doesn’t identify Bartimaeus and records that there were actually two blind men that called out for Jesus and were healed.