Last time, (see Pharisaical Falsehoods and the Truth), we saw the apostle Peter identify Jesus as the Messiah.
Now, Jesus reveals the imminent culmination of His earthly mission to the apostles:
From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Mt. 16:21 NLT
Jesus knew this was coming; so, He is willing yielding Himself for you – as was prophesied by Isaiah 700 years prior:
He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief…Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighted him down…pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. Is. 53:3 – 5. NLT
He then divulges the cost of following Him:
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests] and take up his cross daily [express a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living, and if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].” Lk. 9:23 AMP
“If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mk. 8:38 NLT
Are you putting Christ first in your life? Obeying God’s will should always come first, regardless of what our personal interests or desires consist of. The God-walk is a road less traveled, because the path is difficult – opposed to the ways of the world and the yearnings of our flesh.
Six days after that conversation, Jesus takes the apostles Peter, James, and John to go pray on a mountain. Whilst doing so, some of His heavenly nature is revealed:
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Lk. 9:29 NLT
He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became white as the light. Mt. 17:2 CSB
Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Lk. 9:30, 31. NLT
This transfiguration of Jesus (the appearance of Christ in His true Spirit form, as He was prior to His earthly incarnation and how he will appear at the end of time), really spooked the three apostles.
In addition, they were amazed at seeing the divine transformed presences of Elijah (signifying the office of the Prophet) and Moses (the office of the Law). They were transferring the legitimacy of their offices to Jesus.
Peter is so shaken that he begins to babble incoherently. And to make matters more challenging, the sky explodes with a booming voice:
…suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” Mt. 17:5 CSB
Nothing like receiving the ultimate stamp of authority.
…think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses…Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant…But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. Heb. 3:1 – 3, 5 & 6. NLT
When the apostles finally rise from the ground, they find that Moses and Elijah had disappeared. They join up with Jesus and return to the other apostles, whereupon they find some of them arguing with a few scribes in front of a large crowd.
Christ asked about the nature of the argument, but before He could get an answer, He was approached by a man with a demon-possessed son, one that the apostles could not cast out. He pleads with Jesus:
“The demon has often thrown him both into the fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Mk. 9:22 AMP
Jesus responds:
“What do you mean, ‘if I can?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mk. 9:23 NLT
The man answers back:
“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mk. 9:24 NLT
Christ is once again pointing to the necessity of first having faith, before God can move on your behalf. The father had faith but declared that it was weak. Our ever-merciful Savior exorcises the demon.
Jesus and the Twelve enter a nearby house whereupon the apostles asked Him why they could not cast the demon out. He answers:
“Because of your little faith [your lack of trust and confidence in the power of God]; for I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have [living] faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and [if it is God’s will] it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. [But this kind of demon does not go out except by prayer and fasting.] Mt. 17:20 AMP
He is saying that they didn’t exercise the faith that they had in previous successful exorcisms. And Jesus is telling them even if they had a little faith, (a mustard seed is very small), but are actively cultivating it with a true commitment to God, nothing would stand in their way.
Interestingly though, Jesus is revealing that some demons are mightier than others – as in this case, where prayer and fasting was also required.
Christ and the boys return to the city of Capernaum, whereupon a tax collector approaches Peter and asks him if Jesus had paid the Temple tax. Peter answered in the affirmative. He goes to Jesus, but before he can ask Him anything, He had read Peter’s mind:
“What do you think Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt [from taxation].” Mt.17:25, 26. AMP
What Jesus is saying, is that the Temple tax is for God, and that He, being the Son of God, was exempt from paying a tax to His Father. Yet, Christ is also a peacemaker. He says to Peter:
“However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay for both of us.” Mt. 17:27 NLT
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. Rm. 13:1 NLT
And it happened in exactly that way…
Jesus never forgets anything. He now asks the apostles what they were arguing about when He had returned to them after His transfiguration. True to human nature, they were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in heaven.
Christ teaches them a multi-faceted lesson:
“Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Mk. 9:35 NLT
He then placed a child in the center of the apostles and further expounds on His opening statement:
“…unless you repent [that is, change your inner self – your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 18:3, 4. AMP
The message hadn’t sunk in yet for the apostle John, who approaches Jesus and boasts:
“Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” Mk. 9:38 NLT
Sounds like the makings of a denomination, yes? The apostles were trying to stop a man from doing Jesus’ work because he wasn’t one of the ‘good old boys.’ That’s not going to fly with Christ. He gives them a small admonishment:
“Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterward speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ – truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.” Mk. 9:39 – 41. CSB
Jesus is saying that His ‘church’ consists of all those who follow Him – period. I personally believe that the concept of different denominations would have been abhorrent to Christ. He finishes His lesson to the apostles by returning to the example of the child:
“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one these who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.” Mt. 18:5 – 7. NLT
Far better to stick by Jesus…
Goodnight and God bless.