Mark 9
Go Deeper
In this chapter, we read that the people were “overwhelmed with wonder” (v. 15) as they followed Jesus, and yet at the same time they were filled with confusion. We see a number of instances in this passage where people close to Jesus can’t quite figure Him out. Peter, James, and John didn’t know what rising from the dead meant; a father isn’t so sure that Jesus can heal his son; the disciples argued about who was the greatest; John tells someone to stop driving out demons in Jesus’s name. It’s almost humorous how consistently this group of rag-tag disciples keeps tripping up. They have been with Jesus for a while now, and yet they still don’t understand who He truly is. In their overconfidence, they try to impress Jesus by running two steps ahead, but He has to keep correcting their missteps.
There are so many lessons we can learn from the mistakes of those who followed Jesus the closest. Even though they had lived a lot of life with Him, they still had a lot of room to grow. Similarly, we can never get so confident in our walk with Jesus to believe we have ever “made it.” We will never outgrow our need to learn about Jesus and from Jesus. As we look at the disciples in this chapter, we’re reminded that maintaining humility will keep us from a number of mishaps.
Questions
What are some things you notice about the disciples in this chapter? Where can you relate to them?
In verses 18-19, it says “He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’ But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.” Why do you think the disciples were afraid to ask Jesus questions?
In verse 24, the father of the possessed boy exclaims, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” What are some areas in your life right now where you are doubting God’s ability? Where do you need Him to help you overcome your unbelief?
In the closing verses of this chapter, Jesus talks about the serious nature of sin. What are some steps you need to take in order to cut sin out of your life?