Previously, we watched Jesus dress down several Pharisees for the lies they promoted about God and their claim to represent Him. (See Jesus Extracts the Lies from the Truth). At the same time, we witnessed the apostle Peter rightly identify Jesus as the Messiah.
Next, 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
Christ knew (with prescient ability) what was awaiting Him, and He willingly submitted Himself to it, for you, as was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah 700 years prior:
He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Is. 53:3 NLT
Then, Jesus tells His apostles that following Him will be a costly endeavor:
“If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing 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
“For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mk. 8:38 AMP
How does this apply to you? Are you placing Christ first in your life? He speaks for Jehovah God. Thus, obeying Jesus, is obeying your Heavenly Father, which should supersede your personal interests and desires.
The God-walk is a road less traveled because the path is difficult, as it is 360 degrees opposite of the ways of the world and the desires of our flesh.
Six days pass after that conversation. Jesus has the apostles Peter, James, and John accompany Him while He goes to pray on a mountain. And then came the miracles…
As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning. Lk. 9:29 AMP
And His appearance changed dramatically in their presence; and His face shone [with heavenly glory, clear and bright] like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light. Mt. 17:2 AMP
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
The ‘transfiguration’ of Jesus reveals His true appearance in His Spirit form, as He was in the pre-incarnate form in heaven, and how He will appear during His second advent at the end of time.
The significance of Elijah (representing the office of the prophet), and Moses (the office of the Law), is that they were both transferring the legitimacy of their respective offices to Christ.
Peter is so shaken that he begins to babble incoherently. To make matters more challenging, the sky itself explodes with Jehovah’s booming declaration:
…a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!” Mt. 17:5 AMP
When the apostles finally get themselves composed, they find that Moses and Elijah had disappeared. They joined up with Jesus and the other apostles who had been waiting. Some of those apostles were carrying on a heated argument with a few scribes in front of a large crowd.
Before Jesus could get an answer about the nature of the argument, He is approached by a man with a demon-possessed son, who begs Him to cure his son because the apostles could not. He pleads:
“The demon has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Jesus said to him, “[You say to Me,] ‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” Mk. 9:22, 23. AMP
The father responds:
Immediately the father of the boy cried out [with a desperate, piercing cry], saying, “I do believe; help [me overcome] my unbelief.” Mk. 9:24 AMP
The father had faith but admitted that it was weak. Ever-merciful, Jesus exorcises the demon.
Christ and His apostles enter a nearby house, whereby the disciples asked Him why they could not exorcise the demon. Jesus 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, 21. AMP
So, Jesus is addressing their weak faith, and He is letting us know that some demons (devil’s angels) are more powerful than others, requiring prayer and fasting to fortify the exorcism.
Christ et. al. return to the city of Capernaum. There, a tax collector approached Peter and asked him if Jesus had paid the Temple tax. Peter said ‘yes’. Later, he would speak to Jesus about it. He responded:
“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
Jesus is telling Peter 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’, so He gives Peter further instructions:
“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 the tax for both of us.” Mt. 17:27 NLT
Christ never forgets anything. Now, He asks the apostles about what they had been arguing about earlier with the scribes. Here, we get another look at the disciples’ attachment to human nature, because the argument was about who was going to be the greatest in heaven. Jesus offers a multi-faceted explanation:
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all.” Mk. 9:35 AMP
Next, Jesus places a child in the center of the apostles, and further delineates His meaning:
“…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
There is no reason for them to be prideful, even if they are in His inner circle.
And apparently, the apostle John hadn’t got the memo either, as he began to boast to Jesus:
“Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not accompanying us [as Your disciple].” Mk. 9:38 AMP
Sounds like someone trying to form an ‘old boys club’, a church denomination if you will. The apostles were trying to stop a man from doing God’s work because he was not an official ‘apostle.’ Jesus is not going to let that fly:
“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.” Mk. 9:39 – 41. NLT
Christ is saying that His ‘church’ consists of all those who follow Him – period.
Jesus returns to the child to complete His teaching:
“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.