What Jesus Did

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...

 

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

—Mark 9:24 NLT

Key Thought


All through this story, each of the people involved is so genuine about his emotions and faith. Rather than pretending he had full faith, the father acknowledged he believed, but needed help in overcoming his doubt. I don't know about you, but this is where I often find myself during a period of testing in my life. Imagine how powerful this honest prayer to help...

 

"What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes."

—Mark 9:23 NLT

Key Thought


"Anything is possible ...!" 'Nuff said, let's choose to believe!

Today's Prayer


Forgive me, forgive us, O God for doubting your power and might. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

• Isaiah 49:15
• Isaiah 53:11
• 1 Corinthians 1:30

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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...

 

[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...

 

"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...

 

When [Jesus, Peter, James, and John] 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...

 

[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...

 

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...

 

[After the Transfiguration, as Jesus and the three apostles] went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by "rising from the dead."

—Mark 9:9-10 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus didn't want his three key followers to tell others about what had happened on the mountain when he spoke with Moses and Elijah. Why? There are...