Mark 9:2-4. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
In the midst of all his sorrow and humiliation, our Lord let out some gleams of his glory, to remind us who he was even while he was here in the depths of his grief. He was still none other than the all-glorious Lord of heaven and earth, whose raiment, if he chose to make it so, would be whiter than snow, and brighter than the sun. Let us think of him with great love and gratitude as we see what glory he willingly laid aside for our sakes, and see how low he stooped who was in himself immeasurably high.
Mark 9:5-6. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Peter had enough wit left to wish to keep where he was; and, sometimes, when we are with our Lord in the mount, we can only say, «Master, it is good for us to be here; let us stay where we are! Let our union and communion with thyself continue for evermore!»
Mark 9:7-8. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
Moses is gone, and Elias is gone, but Jesus remains; and it is much the same with us now, and we are quite content that all others should go that we may have «Jesus only.» If he be with us, we have the best company in the world.
Mark 9:9-10. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
You see the great modesty and patience of our Lord. Though these three favored apostles might see his glory, and afterwards bear witness concerning it, yet for the time being they must hold their tongues. All this glory, and only three men to see it, and these three must be quite silent! Our Lord seeketh not honour from men; neither ought we to do so. His mind was even then occupied with thoughts of his great sacrifice. When he spoke to Moses and Elias, his theme was, «his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem,» and when he spoke with these three eye-witnesses of his majesty, the subject of his converse was his own death and resurrection. That was the object on which his heart's affection was set.
Mark 9:11-13. And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
Notice that, even when our Saviour was answering his disciples' question about Elias and John, the ruling passion being strong upon him, he introduced into that answer something about his own death. That subject is ever before his eye; he never forgets it; he is in a sense undergoing his passion even as he descends the mount of transfiguration.
Mark 9:14. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
What a descent for Christ, from the peace and quiet of the hill of communion with the glorified, to the noise and tumult of a surging multitude, and the mocking question of the jeering scribes!
Mark 9:15. And straightaway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
I think there must be some truth in the common tradition that the face of our Lord Jesus still shone with the light of the transfiguration. It does appear so to me from these words: «All the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed.» Surely, it was not an amazement at the mere fact of seeing him whom they had so often seen, but his face, I doubt not, glowed as the face of Moses did when he came down from the mount. Only observe that, when the face of Moses burned with the reflected glory of God's presence, the people could not bear to look upon him, but when the face of Christ shone with supernatural splendor, they «were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.» There is an attractive glory about the Christ of God. Oh, for such a sight of his face at this moment that we should all run to him, and salute him!
Mark 9:16. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
There had been a skirmish between the scribes and the disciples of Christ, and the scribes were winning the day; but when the Captain had come, the tide of battle was soon turned.
Mark 9:17-18. And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
It was an aggravated case of epilepsy, attended with possession by an evil spirit. The disciples could not cast out this devil, and the scribes had therefore attacked their faith in the Master himself while he was away.
Mark 9:19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Unbelief is a great trouble to Christ. I never read that he said to the poor or to the sick, «How long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?» I never read that he expressed any weariness of human ignorance, or scarcely even of human sin, but when it is a matter of unbelief, then it stings him, and he cries, «O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.»
Mark 9:20-21. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
And having begun with that sorrowful subject, the father, with the painful eloquence of pity, went on to tell the tale of woe:
Mark 9:22. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Here was unbelief, it is true; but there was with it a pitying entreaty that meant more faith than it could express. Men do not usually beg where they expect nothing, and they do not make pitiful entreaties with tears unless they have some hope. Even though it was almost covered up, still the Saviour fastened on that one utterance of unbelief: «if.»
Mark 9:23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
«It is not, ‘If I can;' but, ‘If thou canst.'»
Mark 9:24. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
There was faith, even though it was mixed with unbelief. It was a faith that made him pray, as I have already told you, and the Lord Jesus Christ found out where the faith was. He had, as it were, broken the great black lump of dead coal that looked to be nothing but unbelief, and there was the living light of faith burning in the very center of it.
Mark 9:25. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
That is Christ's way of curing. Our Lord does not save sinners as some say that he does, just for a short time, and then let his work all grumble back to nothingness. This would be unworthy of himself, and unworthy of that gracious Spirit by whom he works. No, if he casts out a devil, he shall enter no more into the one he formerly tormented.
Mark 9:26. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
As old Thomas Fuller says, the devil knew that he had to go out, so, like a bad tenant, he did all the mischief he could before he left. Satan often acts in this fashion; just when Christ has come to cast him out, he drives the poor soul into deeper despair, and perhaps into greater sin than he ever fell into in all his life before.
Mark 9:27. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
He was not dead, though many thought he was, and said so. Christ does not cure and then kill, he cures so that we shall never die. No, no, poor sinner, the last pangs of despair shall not destroy you, the fiercest, bitterest assaults of Satan shall not cause you to die: Christ will take you by the hand, and you shall arise.
Mark 9:28-29. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.