What Jesus Did

Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?"
Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer."

—Mark 9:28-29 NLT

Key Thought​

Often, I fear, the reason God's people don't do what they are capable of doing for the Kingdom of God is that they don't pray expecting God to answer. We must rededicate ourselves to "prayer offered in faith." [1] We must return to prayer to ask for God's...

 

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

—Mark 9:28 NLT

Key Thought​

I do believe many of us who seek to minister in the name of Jesus need to ask this question more: "Why couldn't we do it, LORD?" More than just being honest, we need answers. While we may not get that question answered as clearly and exhaustively as we would like, with our asking for help and insight, we open the door for God...

 

When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil 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!"
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." But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

—Mark...

 

[After the Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John suddenly] looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

—Mark 9:8 NLT

Key Thought​

If God's message to Jesus' followers in the previous verse [1] about listening to Jesus as their primary source of God's revelation was ignored, then the disappearance of Moses and Elijah made God's point clear. The Father wanted Jesus to be honored, revered, followed and obeyed. Jesus is the one to whom they...

 

[A man in the crowd said to Jesus,] "... I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it."
Jesus said to them, "You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

—Mark 9:18-19 NLT

Key Thought​

Don't you know that, at times, Jesus exasperated with his apostles? On this occasion, the LORD was more than frustrated. He had given his disciples the power to do what needed to be done. But this time...

 

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.
"How long has this been happening?" Jesus asked the boy's father.

He replied, "Since he was a little boy. 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."

—Mark 9:20-22 NLT

Key Thought​

Have mercy on us! Isn't that our real place before...

 

When [Jesus, ###, ###, and ###] returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.

—Mark 9:14-15 NLT

Key Thought​

People were not quite sure what to think or do about Jesus. Some argued with his disciples about the small points of his ministry. I find it interesting that those who gave Jesus' disciples the hardest...

 

"What is all this arguing about?" Jesus asked.
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. 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. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it."

—Mark 9:16-18 NLT

Key Thought​

Does this sound...

 

[After the Transfiguration, the disciples asked Jesus,] "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?"
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? But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted."

—Mark 9:11-13 NLT

Key Thought​

John the...

 

Then [the three apostles asked Jesus], "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?"
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?"

—Mark 9:11-12 NLT

Key Thought​

The climactic ending for the Old Testament in our Bibles was that God would send Elijah to prepare people's hearts for the Messiah...