MARK LESSON 19
We will begin this lesson in Mark 9:30.
Mark 9:30 "And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee;
and he would not that any man should know [it]."
Mark 9:31 "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The
Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill
him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day."
We see, here, that Jesus left the area of Caesarea Phillipi. He
went through Galilee and went aside with just the disciples, so that He
could teach them alone. Jesus was telling them in detail about His
death on the cross and was reminding them that He would rise from the
grave. He told them over and over that this would happen. He wanted
them to still believe that He was Messiah. The disciples forgot
everything He had told them when He died, and Peter denied he even
knew Him.
Mark 9:32 "But they understood not that saying, and were afraid
to ask him."
They, for some reason, didn't understand that He was warning them
that He would be crucified.
Mark 9:33 "And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he
asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?"
This house was, probably, Peter's house, because Peter had a house
near the Sea of Galilee in Capernaum. Jesus knew what they were
talking about (they could keep no secrets from him).
Mark 9:34 "But they held their peace: for by the way they had
disputed among themselves, who [should be] the greatest."
They really were afraid to tell Him, because they had been
arguing about who would be the greatest in the Lord's kingdom.
Mark 9:35 "And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto
them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all,
and servant of all."
You see from this that it was not necessary for them to tell
Jesus, He already knew what they had been arguing about. In an
indirect way, Jesus shamed them for wanting to be first. The Lord
honors the humble, not the proud.
Mark 9:36 "And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them:
and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them," Mark 9:37
"Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth
me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that
sent me."
We see, here, Jesus held and hugged a child, perhaps Peter's
child. He really was saying that you must become innocent as this
little child to be great in God's kingdom. Jesus was, also, saying to
receive children into the kingdom of God. The innocence of the child
was what appealed to Jesus. We must be humble and not proud. Jesus
said an interesting thing about receiving Him. You receive the Father
who sent Jesus. This could apply to ministers, too. If they receive
his message, they receive the One who sent him. If they reject him,
they have rejected the Lord who sent him.
Mark 9:38 "And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one
casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad
him, because he followeth not us." Mark 9:39 "But Jesus said, Forbid
him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that
can lightly speak evil of me."
Casting out devils was one of the things that Jesus had told the
disciples to do as they went through the country ministering. John
was upset because this man was not one of the twelve and was using the name
of the Lord to cast the evil spirits out. The disciples told him not
to do this; but Jesus said that as long as he cast them out in the
name of Jesus, the man was on Jesus' side. Possibly, he was a convert
of one of their meetings who had enough faith for it to work. Jesus
said it all in the next verse.
Mark 9:40 "For he that is not against us is on our part." Mark
9:41 "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name,
because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose
his reward."
This tells me that one group should not be arguing with the other
group, because they are not of the same denomination. If they are
doing good in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, leave them alone.
God does not overlook the slightest thing. Every good deed is noted,
even if it is no more than giving a drink of water to the thirsty.
Mark 9:42 "And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones
that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."
These little children cannot fight their battles for themselves,
and Jesus protects them. It seems as though many little ones do
believe in Jesus. To have a millstone hung around your neck and to be
thrown into the sea, you would have no chance of survival. You can
see how evil a sin it is in the Lord's sight for you to offend a little
one who believes in Him.
Mark 9:43 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better
for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into
hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:"
This was just speaking of things that cause you to sin should be
removed from your life. It would seem drastic to cut your hand off,
but anything you could do to keep from going to hell would be worth
the loss. This was, possibly, speaking of the lake of fire.
Mark 9:44 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not
quenched."
This place is so terrible that it is actually beyond our wildest
dreams.
Mark 9:45 "And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better
for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into
hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:" Mark 9:46 "Where
their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Here, again, we see that if our feet are taking us to the wrong
places, we would be better off if we couldn't walk. Whatever it
takes to keep us from sinning and going to hell is what we must do.
Mark 9:47 "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is
better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:" Mark 9:48 "Where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Jesus said if you looked upon a woman to lust, you had committed
adultery already in your heart. The eye can get you into trouble.
Lust is carried out by first looking with the eye. The eye can be
evil, if it is not controlled. This is why the warning here. Nothing
is worse than going to hell. Compared to hell, the loss of an eye
would be minor.
Mark 9:49 "For every one shall be salted with fire, and every
sacrifice shall be salted with salt."
Salting with fire in a spiritual sense could be purifying and
preserving the Christian. We know in the spiritual sense God purifies
with His fire. Perhaps, this means we shall be preserved (salted) with
the fire of the Holy Ghost. Each Christian is tried, as if with fire.
Mark 9:50 Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness,
wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace
one with another."
Salt, as I said before, is a preservative. You must constantly
walk in your saved condition. How can you bring others to a saving
knowledge of God, if you have lost your own salvation? To know within
yourself that you are saved, walking daily in that salvation brings
peace.
Mark 19 Questions
1. Why did Jesus not want anyone to know that He was going through
Galilee?
2. What did Jesus tell the disciples?
3. Did they believe and understand what Jesus said?
4. Why did they not ask Him, if they didn't understand?
5. Where did Jesus go after Galilee?
6. Who had a home there?
7. What were they talking about along the way?
8. How did you know that Jesus knew without them telling Him what they
had been talking about?
9. If you desire to be first, you shall be ____________________.
10. Who did Jesus take unto Him to teach a lesson with?
11. If you receive a little child in Jesus' name, you receive whom?
12. Who was the child, probably?
13. What was the Lord really saying about the child?
14. What had the disciples forbidden the man to do?
15. Why did Jesus say, "forbid him not"?
16. Who was the man, probably?
17. In V-41, what small offering will Jesus not forget?
19. To offend a little child who follows Jesus is bad, and the
punishment is compared to what in V-42?
20. Who fights children's battles for them?
21. If your hand causes you to sin, what should you do?
22. Hell is so bad that the fire is never _______________________.
23. If your feet are taking you places to sin, it would be better if
you were ______________________________________.
24. Jesus said, if you lust after a woman with your eyes, you have done
what?
25. What does salting with fire mean in a spiritual sense?
26. What does salting do?
27. What is salt?
28. Walking daily in your salvation brings what?
Notes
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