Mark 9

Chapter 9

1 Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”

The Transfiguration

2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed,3 and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.

4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.
5 Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorialst—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6 He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”

8 Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.
9 As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Mant had risen from the dead.

10 So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”

11 Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?t”
12 Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt?

13 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.”

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them.

15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.
17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.

18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.t So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”

19 Jesus said to them,t “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.

21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.

He replied, “Since he was a little boy.

22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”

23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evilt spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”
26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.t”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there,31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”

32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,

37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalft welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus

38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.40 Anyone who is not against us is for us.

41 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.
42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hellt with two hands.t45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.t47 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

48 ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’t
49 “For everyone will be tested with fire.t

50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”

MARK 9

1 I can assure you that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom come with power.

The True Glory of Jesus

(Matthew 17.1-13; Luke 9.28-36)

4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6 But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.
7  t The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!”

8 At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.
9 As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death.

10 So they kept it to themselves. But they wondered what he meant by the words “raised from death.”

11  t The disciples asked Jesus, “Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?”

12  t Jesus answered:
Elijah certainly will comet to get everything ready. But don't the Scriptures also say that the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected?

13 I can assure you that Elijah has already come. And people treated him just as they wanted to, as the Scriptures say they would.

Jesus Heals a Boy

(Matthew 17.14-20; Luke 9.37-43a)

14 When Jesus and his three disciples came back down, they saw a large crowd around the other disciples. The teachers of the Law of Moses were arguing with them.

15 The crowd was really surprised to see Jesus, and everyone hurried over to greet him.

16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about?”
17 Someone from the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. A demon keeps him from talking.

18 Whenever the demon attacks my son, it throws him to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grit his teeth in pain. Then he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to force out the demon, but they couldn't do it.”

19 Jesus said, “You people don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 They brought the boy, and as soon as the demon saw Jesus, it made the boy shake all over. He fell down and began rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?”
The man answered, “Ever since he was a child.

22 The demon has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. Please have pity and help us if you can!”

23 Jesus replied, “Why do you say ‘if you can’? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!”

24 At once the boy's father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was gathering fast, he spoke sternly to the evil spirit that had kept the boy from speaking or hearing. He said, “I order you to come out of the boy! Don't ever bother him again.”
26 The spirit screamed and made the boy shake all over. Then it went out of him. The boy looked dead, and almost everyone said he was.

27 But Jesus took hold of his hand and helped him stand up.

28 After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, “Why couldn't we force out that demon?”

29 Jesus answered, “Only prayer can force out this kind of demon.”

Jesus Again Speaks //about His Death

(Matthew 17.22,23; Luke 9.43b-45)

32 The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask.

Who Is the Greatest?

(Matthew 18.1-5; Luke 9.46-48)

34 t They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

35  t After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!”
36 Then Jesus asked a child to stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said,

37 t “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.”

For or against Jesus

(Luke 9.49,50)

38 John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn't one of us, and we told him to stop.”

39 Jesus said to his disciples:
Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. 40 t Anyone who isn't against us is for us.

41 t And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.

Temptations To Sin

(Matthew 18.6-9; Luke 17.1,2)

48 t The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.

49 Everyone must be salted with fire.t
50  t Salt is good. But if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made salty again? Have salt among you and live at peace with each other.t