Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:32a, Matthew 16:22, Mark 8:33-37, Luke 9:26, Matthew 16:27b-28, Jesus forecasts his death and resurrection (5/26/14)
Friday we read one of the tremendous insights that Peter was capable of in his confession that Jesus was the Messiah, and the promise (as I believe) that he would continue to have insight into God’s workings. Today, not so much. I guess we can take some comfort that Peter, the great rock and pillar of the Church, blew just as hot and cold as we do.
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21, 32a From this time Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer much cruelty from the Elders and the High Priests and the Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day be raised to life again. This He told them plainly.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began taking Him to task. “Master,” he said, “God forbid; this will not be your lot.”
33 But turning round and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Adversary,” He said, “for your thoughts are not God’s thoughts, but men’s.”
34-37 Then calling to Him the crowd and also His disciples, He said to them, “If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross, and so be my follower. For whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure it. Why, what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what could a man give to buy back his life?
26, 27a-28 For whoever shall have been ashamed of me and my teachings, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own and the Father’s glory and in that of the holy angels. and then will He requite every man according to his actions. I solemnly tell you that some of those who are standing here will certainly not taste death till they have seen the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.”
Mark 9:2a, Luke 9:29-33, Matthew 17:5-7, Mark 9:8, The Transfiguration (5/27/14)
The nation has been following the sensational case of a public figure who said something he shouldn’t have said and was unlucky enough to be recorded. (Notice that this statement will almost always be true, no matter when you are reading it.) Peter was often in the same boat. He was such an important figure in the early church that people wrote down what they remembered about him; all too often, what people remember about us is exactly what we wish they’d forget! There are two things to remember about the Transfiguration:
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2, 29 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and brought them alone, apart from the rest, up a high mountain; And while He was praying the appearance of His face underwent a change, and His clothing became white and radiant.
30-32 And suddenly there were two men conversing with Him, who were Moses and Elijah. They came in glory, and kept speaking about His death, which He was so soon to undergo in Jerusalem. Now Peter and the others were weighed down with sleep; but, keeping themselves awake all through, they saw His glory, and the two men standing with Him.
33 And when they were preparing to depart from Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here. Let us put up three tents – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what he was saying.
5 He was still speaking when a luminous cloud spread over them; and a voice was heard from within the cloud, which said, “This is My Son dearly beloved, in whom is My delight. Listen to Him.”
6 On hearing this voice, the disciples fell on their faces and were filled with terror.
7, 8 But Jesus came and touched them, and said, “Rouse yourselves and have no fear.” Instantly they looked round, and now they could no longer see any one, but themselves and Jesus.
Mark 9:9-12, Matthew 17:12a, Mark 9:13b, Matthew 17:12b-13, Luke 9:36b, Perplexity of the three disciples (5/28/14)
Peter, James, and John weren’t too sure exactly what they had been a witness to, and then Jesus told them not to talk about it “until after the Son of Man has risen from among the dead.” It may be impossible for us to imagine how puzzling that was to them! Apparently they did come away convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, however; their question about Elijah reflects the conviction among the Jews that the prophet Elijah will return before the Messiah comes. So to top it all off, Jesus said that Elijah had come without being recognized. Probably the two main reasons the three disciples didn’t talk about any of this was that they didn’t understand it and figured no one else would believe it.
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9-10 As they were coming down from the mountain, He very strictly forbad them to tell any one what they had seen “until after the Son of Man has risen from among the dead.” So they kept the matter to themselves, although frequently asking one another what was meant by the rising from the dead.
11 They also asked Him, “How is it that the Scribes say that Elijah must first come?”
12, 12a, 13b, 12b “Elijah,” He replied, “does indeed come first and reforms everything; but how is it that it is written of the Son of Man that He will endure much suffering and be held in contempt? But I tell you that he has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they have also done to him whatever they chose, as the Scriptures say about him.” And before long the Son of Man will be treated by them in a similar way.”
13, 36b Then it dawned upon the disciples that it was John the Baptist about whom He had spoken to them. They kept it to themselves, and said not a word to any one at that time about what they had seen.
Mark 9:14-26, Luke 9:42b-43, Mark 9:28, Matthew 17:20, Mark 9:29b, Healing the demoniac boy (5/29/14)
We often talk about “mountaintop experiences” and what a letdown it is (hahaha) to go back to our ordinary lives afterward. Jesus has just had one of the ultimate mountaintop experiences – his transfiguration and conversation with Moses and Elijah – and now he comes down to find his disciples squabbling with the scribes and unable to cast out a demon. It has never surprised me that Jesus sounds a little exasperated in Mark 9:19.
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14 As they came to rejoin the disciples, they saw an immense crowd surrounding them and a party of Scribes disputing with them.
15 Immediately the whole multitude on beholding Him were astonished and awe-struck, and yet they ran forward and greeted Him.
16 “What is the subject you are discussing?” He asked them.
17-18 “Rabbi,” answered one of the crowd, “I have brought you my son. He has a dumb spirit in him; and wherever it comes upon him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I begged your disciples to expel it, but they had not the power.”
19 “O unbelieving generation!” replied Jesus; “how long must I be with you? how long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him to Jesus. And the spirit, when he saw Jesus, immediately threw the youth into convulsions, so that he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
21-22 Then Jesus asked the father, “How long has he been like this?” “From early childhood,” he said; “and often it has thrown him into the fire or into pools of water to destroy him. But, if you possibly can, have pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If I possibly can!’” replied Jesus; “why, everything is possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father cried out, “I do believe: strengthen my weak faith.”
25 Then Jesus, seeing that an increasing crowd was running towards Him, rebuked the foul spirit, and said to it, “Dumb and deaf spirit, *I* command you, come out of him and never enter into him again.”
26 So with a loud cry he threw the boy into fit after fit, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, so that most of them said he was dead;
42 But Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, and cured the youth and gave him back to his father.
43b And all were awe-struck at the mighty power of God.
28 After the return of Jesus to the house His disciples asked Him privately, “How is it that we could not expel the spirit?”
20, 29b “Because your faith is so small,” He replied; “for I solemnly declare to you that if you have faith like a mustard-seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Remove from this place to that,’ and it will remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you. “An evil spirit of this kind,” He answered, “can only be driven out by prayer.”
Mark 9:30-31, Matthew 17:23c, Luke 9:45, A second forecast of death and resurrection (5/30/14)
My own opinion is that there wasn’t anything supernatural causing Jesus’ meaning to be veiled from the disciples. They were hearing something they didn’t want to hear – that he was going to die – and something that they surely didn’t understand – that he would rise from the dead. Furthermore, they didn’t want to ask, probably because they were pretty sure they wouldn’t like the answer. It’s no wonder they didn’t understand what he was saying.
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30-31 Departing thence they passed through Galilee, and He was unwilling that any one should know it; for He was teaching His disciples, and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death; and after being put to death, in three days He will rise to life again.”
23c, 45 And they were exceedingly distressed. But they did not understand His meaning: it was veiled from them that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
More of The Chronological Gospel
Birth Announcements and Early Lives of Jesus and John the Baptist
Early Ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist
Jesus’ Early Ministry
Jesus’ Galilean Ministry
Sabbath Controversies
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Plain
John the Baptist
Signs and Parables
Miracles and Mission Trips
Bread of Life
Miracles and Meanings
Transfiguration and Teachings
To Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles
Some Results of Luke’s Research
Light
More of Luke’s Research
On the Road Again
The Raising of Lazarus
Holy Week: Palm Sunday and Monday
Holy Week: Tuesday, Parables and Questions
Holy Week: Wednesday Part 1, Discussions
Holy Week: Wednesday Part 2, Be Ready!
Holy Week: Thursday Part 1, Jesus' Celebration of the Passover
Holy Week: Thursday Part 2, Jesus' Farewell Discourse
Holy Week: Friday Part 1, Jesus' Arrest and Two Informal Trials
Holy Week: Friday Part 2, More Trials
Holy Week: Friday, Part 3, and Saturday, Jesus' Death and Burial
The Empty Tomb
Final Appearances of Jesus Prior to Pentecost
Copyright 2014 by Regina L. Hunter. All rights reserved. Scripture readings are from the Weymouth New Testament (1912). "Jesus Healing the Lunatic" by Gustave Doré is from the Gartin family Bible, now in the private collection of Regina Hunter. This page has been prepared for the web site by RPB.
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