What Jesus Did

[Jesus said,] "Anyone who is not against us is for us."

—Mark 9:40 NLT

Key Thought


Christianity faces enough opposition in the world without Christians fighting and devouring each other because they think of each other as enemies. Jesus' words here are powerfully universal and clear — notice that the use of the word "anyone" is general. If people don't oppose us, they aren't our enemies! In fact, Jesus says even more than that: They are "for us;" they are...

 

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."
"Don't stop him!" Jesus said. "No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me."


—Mark 9:38-39 NLT

Key Thought


Good deeds done in the name of Jesus are a blessing no matter which group or which person is doing them. Our goal must be for people to be blessed and Jesus to be praised! We should rejoice...

 

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."

—Mark 9:38 NLT

Key Thought


Isn't it amazing how quickly we can split up into our cliques and begin arrogantly doing, as a group, what Jesus had just challenged his disciples not to do as individuals? He told them that the greatest must be a servant to all (Mark 9:30-37). We all want to picture ourselves as "insiders" in the Kingdom of...

 

Then [Jesus] put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me."

—Mark 9:36-37 NLT

Key Thought


How we treat those from whom we can receive nothing in return determines our hearts. In Jesus' day, most people did not consider children to be significant in the social pecking order. In many ways, that...

 

[Jesus] 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."

—Mark 9:35 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus' life was an ongoing demonstration of what he taught. The truth he lived and proclaimed is nowhere more evident than in his teaching about greatness. As followers of Jesus, we are never greater than when we surrender our rights and our position to serve others, just as Jesus did. No one...

 

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

—Mark 9:33-34 NLT

Key Thought


Sin entered the world because human beings wanted to be like God. So often, our sins still center around our desire to be our own little gods. Maybe we don't want to be in charge of the whole universe...

 

Leaving that region, [Jesus and the disciples] traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, 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." They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

—Mark 9:30-32 NLT

Key Thought...

 

Leaving that region, [Jesus and his disciples] traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, 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."

—Mark 9:30-31 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus' time with his disciples and on earth was short. He knew that he must invest his time wisely...

 

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" (James 1:5-8, 5:15). We must return to...

 

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...