“FAITH,
PRAYER, AND FASTING - KEYS TO VICTORY”
Mark 9:14-29
We’re at the ninth chapter of Mark, and the
Transfiguration found in the first three Gospels. While the Transfiguration was at the top of
the mountain, the disciples were experiencing failure in the valley as they
could not cast out a demon. Jesus
announces His death and the disciples dispute over who
was the greatest. Jesus rebukes their
party spirit and warns against hell. Another
chapter loaded with action.
Mark is usually
briefer than the other gospel writers, but he gives the longest account of the
Transfiguration. Why the extra
emphasis? The Transfiguration sets forth
the perfect humanity of Christ. John's
gospel emphasizes the deity of Christ and does not mention the Transfiguration.
In the last verse of
Matthew 16, Jesus said, "… Some who are standing here will not taste death
before they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." It may be Jesus had reference to His
transfiguration. Peter and John both
mention it. Peter says in 2 Peter
1:16-18: We did not follow cleverly
invented stories, when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the
Father when the voice came to him from the majestic glory, saying, “This is my
Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with
him on the sacred mountain. He is
saying that they were witnesses of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. When? At the Transfiguration!
The statement in Matthew 16 is
repeated. Perhaps the reason it is stated before His death and
resurrection was so we understand whether He went to the cross or not, the
kingdom is in His hands. He could have
stepped back to heaven and still be the sovereign Ruler of the universe. But that way He couldn't have saved us.
Why did Jesus take these three men with him? Not because they were His pets or were
superior. Maybe they were the weakest,
and He had to carry them like babies or they would not have come at all.
A mother was going down the street with three
children, carrying one, leading one by the hand, and one walking behind
her. She'd have to stop every now and
then for him to catch up. They were
making very slow progress down the street.
One might think, “That little fellow surely is taking a lot of
time.” But then the one she was carrying
couldn't go along at all unless she carried him. That’s the way it seemed with Peter, James,
and John. They seemed to be an exclusive
group, yet they were just like babies - He had to carry them. So He took them to the Transfiguration.
Peter says that they were eyewitnesses of His
majesty. This is the glorified
Christ. Is this a picture of what we
will be someday, when we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2).
The word transfigured is metamorphose
in English. The Transfiguration took
place in the body of Jesus - it wasn't just a light from the outside. The Transfiguration was the light that shone
from within. The Transfiguration teaches
the perfect humanity of Jesus.
His clothing became white, whiter than was even
believable, because the light came from within.
No modern washday miracle could have produced such brightness.
Elijah represented the prophets. Moses represented the Law. We are told both the Law and the prophets
bore testimony of the death of Jesus.
Luke tells us that they talked about the death of Jesus. We know Moses knew of Christ because Hebrews
Peter was the spokesman for the disciples as he often
was. And he generally spoke when he
didn't know what to say. Simon Peter put
his foot in his mouth time and time again and he certainly did it here. All attention is focused on the Lord Jesus
Christ. His Word is final. We don't put Moses or Elijah on a par with
Him.
The death and resurrection of Christ must be part of
this story. The Transfiguration saves no
man. It presents the ideal or the
goal. But that goal can only come
through the death of Christ upon the cross and through His resurrection from
the dead. And you will notice that He
always puts His death and resurrection together.
The disciples were entirely ignorant of the
Resurrection. At the time of Jesus'
resurrection they rushed to the cemetery, but they did not expect to see a
living Savior. You don't go to the
graveyard to see the living but to pay respect to the dead.
Jesus made it clear John the Baptist had come in the
spirit of Elijah. If they had accepted
Jesus as the Messiah, John would have been the fulfillment of the
prophecy. However, since they did not
accept Jesus as their Messiah at His first coming, the prophecy of Elijah as
His forerunner would be fulfilled at His second coming.
Now, from this glorious scene on the mountaintop, we
go down to the total defeat of the disciples at the foot of the mountain.
This
is a picture of Christendom today. Jesus
has already gone into the presence of the Father and is there in His glorified
body. His apostles are there with Him. They have already gone on, and most of the
church has already gone on. Moses and
Elijah are there today. The Mount of
Transfiguration pictures heaven today.
But look at this poor earth and see the problem down
here. This boy represents a mad earth
today. If we could get off and look at
earth and behold it as God looks at it, we would come to the conclusion that
man must be mad. He appears to be
demon-possessed by the way he is acting and the things he is doing. The sad thing is that the man brought the boy
to the disciples, but they couldn't do anything. And the tragic thing about this hour is that
the church is helpless in the presence of the world's need.
A father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus to
be delivered.
Right
now, the organized church in desperation is reaching out,
protesting, marching, getting involved in all kinds of things while the world
criticizes the church because they feel it should be more involved. But social matters are not our business!
We ought to be able to help a poor demon-possessed
boy today by presenting a Savior to him who will make him rational and who will
bring him into a right relationship with God.
Unfortunately, the same thing has to be said of the church, "They
could not." The disciples could not and we cannot.
Jesus said, Bring the boy to Me! What a wonderful statement! The church today is attempting to do
everything except bring lost men to Jesus Christ.
It’s a difficult case, maybe not as bad as the man
among the tombs - he was a grown man and had been demon-possessed for a long
time. This was a boy but had he
continued in this state he would probably perhaps been worse. The father called on Jesus on behalf of his
tortured son. When we do that, He'll do
something to help.
Now Jesus turned to the father and asked him to
believe. It is not a question "if
you can do anything" - the Lord Jesus can do everything. The question is, "If you can
believe." What about the father? The Lord Jesus told him that all things are
possible to him that believes. Here is
the father's desperate plea of faith! “I
do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”
The disciples wonder why they were unsuccessful. Now, in the Lord's answer to the disciples,
we find that the word fasting is not in the better manuscripts. The emphasis is upon prayer. And today, the church is weak because prayer
is weak in the church.
Think for a moment about the power of faith and
prayer.
Chuck Swindoll tells about
when he was in seminary in
Chuck said to Cynthia, “I’ll tell you what we’ll
do. We won’t tell anyone about our need;
let’s just pray.” You do a lot of
strange things like that in seminary.
You just trust God and you don’t say anything to anyone. So we did that.
Winter passed. Spring came. Still praying. We went home for a quick visit in
An impossible situation which we didn’t announce and God met it in an
impossible way. Just like God told
Joshua to take
Jesus was constantly in prayer – apparently often all
night. He prayed before every major
concern - before calling the apostles – before facing the Cross. Are we prepared to really begin to pray
earnestly about every concern in life?
Whether or not fasting was part of Jesus’ answer we
must see the value. Jesus fasted 40 days
before He set out in his ministry.
Fasting lays aside the world to seek God’s blessing.
When we fast the purpose is to forget even the basic things of this
world in order to enter into the presence of God.
Are you ready to believe?
Are you ready to pray with great intensity? Are you ready to lay aside the world in order
to seek the Lord?
© 2008,