========================
Verses 1-13 The Transfiguration
========================
1And he said to them, “Truly
I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see
that the
2After six days Jesus took
Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were
all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
3His clothes became dazzling
white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
4And there appeared before
them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,
it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for
Moses and one for Elijah.”
6(He did not know what to
say, they were so frightened.)
7Then a cloud appeared and
covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This
is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8Suddenly, when they looked
around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9As they were coming down the
mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone
what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
11And they asked him, “Why do
the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12Jesus replied, “To be sure,
Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that
the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?
13But I tell you, Elijah has
come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written
about him.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning the
transfiguration,
----------------------------------------
1)
Who were standing
there with Jesus?
o
The disciples
along with the crowd were.
2)
What did Jesus
say about the
o
Jesus said that
some who were standing there with him would not taste death before they saw
that the
3)
What happened six
days later?
o
Jesus took Peter,
James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all
alone.
4)
Where and under
what condition did the transfiguration take place?
o
It took place on
a high mountain that was secluded.
5)
What happened to
Jesus?
o
Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James and John.
o
His clothes
became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
o
And there
appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
6)
What was Jesus’
characterization of the transfiguration?
o
It was the
7)
Where did Jesus’
radiant glory come from when his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than
anyone in the world could bleach them?
o
Jesus said at the
end of the previous chapter that he is going to come in his Father’s glory with
the holy angels to judge the world.
o
Jesus’ radiant glory
seen in the transfiguration was his Father’s glory.
8)
What does Jesus’
radiant glory seen in the transfiguration represent?
o
Jesus’ radiant
glory represents the power of the
9)
What other
aspects of the transfiguration revealed the power of the
o
Moses and Elijah
were power figures and together performed the bulk of the miracles recorded in
the Old Testament of the bible.
10)
Is the
o
The
11)
Who is Moses?
o
God gave the
Israelites the law including the Ten Commandments through Moses about 1,300
years before Jesus’ time.
12)
Who is Elijah?
o
Elijah was representative
of all the prophets in the Old Testament of the bible and lived about 900 years
before Jesus’ time.
13)
Is the
o
It is eternal in
nature because people who were historical figures hundreds of years before the
transfiguration and had finished their sojourn in the physical world were alive
in it.
14)
From the
perspective of human participation is the
o
It is for the
life to come because it was so for Moses who had died.
15)
Were the
disciples familiar with Moses and Elijah and why?
o
Yes, because they
were raised in Judaism that had Moses and Elijah as central figures.
16)
How did the
disciples recognize Moses and Elijah by sight?
o
It is not
certain.
17)
Why did Moses and
Elijah appear before Jesus to speak with him?
o
Both the law
symbolized by Moses together with the prophets symbolized by Elijah in the Old
Testament of the bible testify to the reality of the
Christ.
18)
What did Peter
say to Jesus?
o
Peter said to
Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one
for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
19) What did Peter address Jesus as?
o
Peter addressed
Jesus as Rabbi, i.e., teacher.
20)
What did Peter’s
suggestion to put up three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for
Elijah, indicate that was on his mind?
o
It indicated
Peter’s desire to prolong their experience of the spiritual
21)
What did it
suggest about Peter’s personality for him to say something irrelevant when he
did not have to say anything?
o
He loved to talk.
22)
What might
possibly be the evidence that Peter loved to talk a bit much?
o
The disciples
were told to listen to Jesus next.
23)
Why were the
disciples so frightened?
o
It was because of
the overwhelming radiant glory they saw.
24)
How did Peter
regard Moses and Elijah in comparison to Jesus?
o
Peter put Moses
and Elijah on an equal footing with Jesus because he suggested that three
shelters be put up, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
25)
What happened
when a cloud appeared and enveloped the disciples?
o
A voice came from
the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
26)
Whose voice is
this that came from the cloud?
o
It is the voice
of God the Father.
27)
Why was God the
Father heard but not seen?
o
The reason can be
found in 1 Timothy 6:15-16 shown below.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud 1 Timothy 6:15-16
that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
1Ti
6:15 God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
1Ti 6:16 who alone is immortal and who lives in
unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
28)
What was the
testimony God the Father gave of Jesus?
o
God the Father testified
that Jesus is the Son whom he loves.
29)
Is this the first
time God the Father testified to Jesus as his Son and why?
o
No, because God
the Father testified to Jesus as his Son in chapter 1 when Jesus was baptized
by John the Baptist.
30)
What is the relationship
like between God the Father and his Son?
o
God the Father
loves his Son.
31)
What was God the
Father reminding the disciples of about Jesus that they had tended to neglect?
o
Jesus is the Son
of God and therefore divine.
32)
What did God the
Father command the disciples concerning his Son?
o
They were to
listen to his Son.
33)
What was the
motivation that God the Father gave for the disciples to listen to Jesus?
o
Jesus is the Son
of God whom God the Father loves.
34)
How should the
disciples conform their expectation of the Christ to
what Jesus said?
o
They needed to
conform their expectation of the Christ to what Jesus said would happen to him.
35)
How did the
testimony of God the Father to Jesus correct the disciples’ thinking that Moses
and Elijah are on an equal footing with Jesus?
o
The testimony of
God the Father placed Jesus above Moses and Elijah because
§
Jesus is the
divine Son of God.
§
Moses and Elijah
are only human.
36)
How had the
disciples previously learned of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God?
o
They had learned
of it through unclean spirits that were being cast out by Jesus.
37)
How had the
disciples’ understanding of Jesus’ identity as the Son of God been strengthened
through the transfiguration?
o
The disciples
were
§
Informed by God
the Father that Jesus is the Son of God as opposed to hearing it from unclean
spirits.
§
Directly informed
rather than heard it indirectly.
38)
How did the
transfiguration end?
o
Suddenly, when
they looked around, the disciples no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
39)
What were the key
features of the transfiguration?
o
The radiant glory
of Jesus.
o
The sight of
Moses and Elijah.
o
The spoken words
of God the Father that Jesus is his Son whom he loves and whom the disciples
were to listen to.
40)
Given that the
demoniac in the region of the Gerasenes, the Greek
woman and the deaf and mute man in the region of the Decapolis
were non-Jews, is the
o
It transcends
ethnic and national boundary.
41)
In summary what
is the
o
The
§
Spiritual.
§
Eternal.
§
Multiethnic.
§
Without national
boundary.
42)
What was the
nature of the kingdom restored to
Ø
It was
§
Physical.
§
Temporal.
§
Jewish.
§
Israel-centric.
43)
What might be the
reason that Jesus let the disciples see the
o
The disciples
were fixated on the earthly
o
The display of
the power of the spiritual
o
Moses who had
died was alive in the spiritual
44)
How did the
transfiguration help the disciples?
o
It
§
Counteracted
their disappointment over Jesus’ prediction of his death because discipleship
under Jesus could continue in the eternal spiritual
§
Sustained their
declaration that Jesus is the Christ.
§
Strengthened
their understanding of the divine identity of Jesus as the Son of God.
§
Motivated them to
listen to Jesus as commanded by God the Father.
45)
Why did Jesus let
Peter, James and John but not the other disciples experience the
transfiguration?
o
Peter, James and
John belonged in the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples.
o
Jesus reserved
some of the revelation about himself to his inner circle only.
o
The same happened
in chapter 5 when he did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John
as he went to Jairus’ house to raise his daughter
from the dead.
46)
What was it that
the disciples were given and that the Pharisees asked for in the previous chapter
but did not get?
o
A sign from
heaven.
47)
How had Jesus
arranged the cost of, and the reward for, being his disciples?
o
Jesus
§
Promised to send
the disciples out to fish for people and they left their jobs to follow him.
§
Trained the
disciples and sent them out to sow the word, with power to heal the sick and
drive out unclean spirits.
§
Laid out the cost
of being his disciples in this life and the reward of glory and power in the
life to come.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the discussion
after the transfiguration,
----------------------------------------
48)
What orders did
Jesus give the disciples concerning the transfiguration?
o
Jesus gave them
orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen
from the dead.
49)
Who is the Son of
Man?
o
Jesus referred to
himself as the Son of Man, laying emphasis on his divinity.
50)
Why did Jesus
apply the title to himself in referring to his rising from the dead?
o
Jesus reminded
the disciples that he sovereignly
decided as God what was going to happen to him.
51)
Why did Jesus
give the disciples orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until he had
risen from the dead?
o
The
transfiguration was primarily for the benefits of the three disciples.
o
Jesus rising from
the dead was going to be witnessed by multiple parties on multiple occasions at
different times and thus well established among all the disciples during the
time of the three disciples.
o
The
transfiguration, if told before Jesus’ rising from the dead, would only foment
myth surrounding Jesus while he was still on earth.
52)
How did Peter,
James and John follow Jesus’ orders?
o
They followed
Jesus’ orders and kept their experience of the transfiguration to themselves.
53)
What significance
does Jesus’ rising from the dead have concerning the earthly and spiritual
realities of the Christ?
o
The earthly and
spiritual realities of the Christ are bridged by Jesus’ rising from the dead
when the earthly reality has been fully played out and the spiritual reality
takes over and continues for eternity to come.
o
Thus Jesus’
rising from the dead created the eternal continuum of the reality of the
Christ.
54)
What significance
does the eternal continuum of the reality of the Christ have concerning
discipleship?
o
The eternal
continuum of the reality of the Christ cements the discipleship continuum of
getting to know Jesus for eternity to come.
55)
What happened to
the reality of the Christ and therefore discipleship under Jesus if he did not
rise from the dead?
o
If he did not
rise from the dead,
§
Jesus’ death
would just be a sad conclusion of the earthly reality of the Christ.
§
Discipleship
under Jesus would have no eternal significance at all.
56)
What was Jesus
inviting the disciples to do when he referred to his rising from the dead in
his orders for the disciples?
o
Jesus was
inviting the disciples to ask him what he meant by rising from the dead.
57)
What did Peter,
James and John discuss among themselves?
o
They discussed
what Jesus meant by rising from the dead.
58)
Did the disciples
try to understand in the previous chapter what Jesus’ prediction of his rising
from the dead meant?
o
No.
59)
What did the
discussion among the three disciples tell us about their attention to Jesus’
prediction of his rising from the dead?
o
Jesus’ prediction
began to catch their attention.
60)
What in the experience
of the transfiguration prompted the change in the disciples’ attentiveness
toward Jesus’ rising from the dead?
o
The command of
God the Father for them to listen to his Son did.
o
Rising from the
dead was reality for Moses who had died but was seen alive in the spiritual
61)
Did the disciples
do enough in seeking to understand what Jesus meant by rising from the dead and
why?
o
No, because they
should have asked Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead in addition to
discussing the matter among themselves.
62)
What did the
disciples ask Jesus instead?
o
Instead they
asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
63)
To what extent
had the three disciples obeyed the command of God the Father for them to listen
to his Son?
o
They kept their
experience of the transfiguration to themselves in accordance with Jesus’
orders for them.
o
They invited
Jesus’ opinion on the teaching of the teachers of the law that Elijah must come
first.
o
But they
conscientiously chose to ignore what Jesus said about his rising from the dead.
o
Their obedience
to the command of God the Father to listen to his Son was therefore selective.
64)
What religion
were teachers of the law experts in?
o
They were experts
in Judaism.
65)
What is the
relationship between Judaism and the bible?
o
Judaism is the
Jews’ interpretation and application of the Old Testament of the bible.
66)
What does it mean
that Elijah must come first?
o
It means that
Elijah must come before the Christ does.
67)
What was the
basis for the teachers of the law to say that Elijah must come first?
o
Malachi 4:5-6 at
the very end of the Old Testament of the bible provides the basis.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Malachi 4:5-6 that
says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
5“See, I will send the
prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6He will turn the hearts of
the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents;
or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
68)
What does it mean
that Elijah must come before the Christ does if Elijah lived about 900 years
before Jesus’ time?
o
Elijah did not
die and was taken up to heaven in a chariot
of fire and horses of fire as recorded in 2 King 2:11.
o
He will come
again before the coming of the Christ, i.e., before that great and dreadful day
of the Lord comes, in accordance with prophecies in the Old Testament of the
bible.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud 2 King 2:11 that
says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
11As they were walking along
and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared
and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
+++++++++++++++++++++
69)
Did the disciples
follow Jesus as the Christ knowing that prophecies had been fulfilled that
Elijah had indeed come before Jesus as the Christ and why?
o
No, because they
did not know whether Elijah had come before Jesus as the Christ or not and that
was the reason they asked Jesus the question.
70)
Why then did the
disciples follow Jesus as the Christ?
o
They followed
Jesus as the Christ because Jesus’ teachings, healings and miracles were
sufficient to prove to them that Jesus is the Christ.
71)
What was wrong
with the mindset of the disciples for them to discuss among themselves what
rising from the dead meant without asking Jesus about it?
o
They
§
Were not ready to
accept Jesus’ prediction of the death of the Christ that would spell the end to
their national hope and personal aspiration.
§
Felt less
threatened discussing the matter among themselves
since they shared the same hope and aspiration.
§
Selectively
obeyed the command of God the Father for them to listen to his Son.
72)
What fueled the
Jews’ expectation that the Christ was going to fulfill their national hope as a
conquering king?
o
Certain
prophecies in the Old Testament of the bible are interpreted in Judaism as
portraying the Christ as a conquering king.
o
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Psalm 2:7-9 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
7I will proclaim the Lord’s
decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.
8Ask me, and I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
9You will break them with a
rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
73)
Is it correct to
interpret prophecies such as Psalm 2:7-9 to be portraying the Christ as a
conquering king?
o
Yes.
74)
Was it legitimate
for the disciples to expect the Christ to fulfill their national hope and
personal aspiration and why?
o
No, because Jesus
as the Christ had been steering the disciples to put their expectation aside.
75)
Would Jesus agree
with the Jews that the Christ is going to come as a conquering king and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus said in the previous chapter that he is going to come in his Father’s
glory with the holy angels to judge the world.
76)
When would Jesus
come as a conquering king to judge the world?
o
Jesus is going to
come as a conquering king to judge the world at the end of the age.
77)
What was the one
feature of the transfiguration that further fueled the disciples’ national
hope?
o
Moses’ presence
in the transfiguration did because Moses delivered the forebears of the Jews
from slavery in
78)
What was the
mindset of the disciples for them to ask Jesus the question about the teaching
of the teachers of the law that Elijah must come first instead of asking Jesus
what rising from the dead meant?
o
They knew that
the teachers of the law based their teaching that Elijah must come first on the
prophecy at the very end of the Old Testament of the bible mentioned
earlier. They were just asking Jesus in
a roundabout way to validate the legitimacy of his being the Christ, given that
Elijah must come first.
o
They did not want
to sound like they were challenging Jesus, so they questioned the understanding
of the teachers of the law and asked Jesus to speak to it.
o
They made it
clear to Jesus that they were more interested in discussing the teaching of the
teachers of the law that Elijah must come first than what he said about the
Christ rising from the dead.
79)
What was Jesus’
reply to the disciples’ question?
o
Jesus replied,
“To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it
written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they
have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”
80)
What did Jesus
say about the teaching of the teachers of the law that Elijah must come first?
o
Jesus confirmed
that Elijah did come first.
81)
What did Jesus
say that Elijah would do when he came?
o
Elijah would
restore all things.
82)
Why did Jesus
abruptly turn the disciples’ attention to the suffering of the Son of Man and
of Elijah after confirming the teaching of the teachers of the law that Elijah
must come first?
o
Jesus did not
want his pointing out that Elijah would restore all things to reinforce the
disciples’ expectation that the Christ was going to fulfill their national hope
and personal aspiration.
83)
Did Jesus mean to
say that Elijah had already come or did he mean to say that Elijah would yet
come?
o
Jesus actually
meant both.
o
We are going to
discuss what he meant when he said that Elijah had already come.
o
We are not going
to discuss what he meant when he said that Elijah would yet come.
84)
What did Jesus
mean when he said that Elijah had already come?
o
John the Baptist
who went before the Christ as a messenger and prepared the way for his coming
as discussed in chapter 1 was the Elijah who had already come.
85)
What did John the
Baptist as Elijah do in restoring all things?
o
He called the
Jews to repentance in order to prepare the way for the Christ and to make
straight paths for him.
86)
According to
Jesus, did the Jews believe that John the Baptist was the Elijah who must come
first and why?
o
No, because they
had done to him everything they wished, imprisoning and killing him.
87)
What parallel did
Jesus draw between himself as the Son of Man and John the Baptist as Elijah?
o
Just as it is
written in the bible that the Jews had done to Elijah everything they wished,
it is also written in the bible that the Son of Man must suffer much and be
rejected.
88)
What kind of a
messenger before the Christ did Jesus portray Elijah to be?
o
Jesus portrayed
Elijah to be a suffering messenger.
89)
What is an
example passage in the bible concerning the Christ being our suffering servant
that Jesus referred to?
o
Isaiah 53:3-5 is
such a passage.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Isaiah 53:3-5 that
says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3He was despised and rejected
by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom
people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him,
and afflicted.
5But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought
us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
+++++++++++++++++++++
90)
What does the
bible say that the Christ did for us?
o
He took up our
pain and bore our suffering.
o
He was pierced
for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.
o
He received
punishment on our behalf and by his wounds we are healed.
91)
How did Jesus say
that he as the Christ would suffer?
o
Jesus said in the
previous chapter that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by
the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law.
92)
When was the
Christ a suffering servant, in this life or in the life to come, and why?
o
The Christ was a
suffering servant in this life because
§
It is said in
Isaiah 53:3-5 quoted earlier that the Christ was despised and rejected by
people in this life.
§
Jesus said in the
previous chapter that he as the Christ must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law in this life.
93)
What was Jesus’
portrayal of Elijah and of the Christ taken together?
o
Jesus portrayed
Elijah as a suffering messenger coming before the Christ as a suffering
servant.
94)
According to
Jesus, what is the composite picture of the Christ on the eternity scale?
o
The Christ was a
suffering servant in this life and is a conquering king in the life to come.
95)
Do disciples bear
the cost of discipleship as they follow the Christ as a suffering servant in
this life or as a conquering king in the life to come?
o
Disciples bear
the cost of discipleship as they follow the Christ as a suffering servant in
this life.
96)
What did the
disciples think that they were following when they followed Jesus, a conquering
king or a suffering servant?
o
They thought they
were following a conquering king.
97)
What kind of a
messenger coming before the Christ as a conquering king did the disciples
consider Elijah to be?
o
They considered
Elijah to be a powerful messenger coming before the Christ as a conquering king
because both Moses and Elijah together performed the bulk of the miracles
recorded in the Old Testament of the bible.
98)
Why did the Jews
not consider evidence in the bible that the Christ is a suffering servant?
o
They knew that
there is evidence in the bible that the Christ is a suffering servant but
§
That
understanding gave way to the practical need for national deliverance.
§
Some of them
considered the suffering servant to be the personified
99)
What was the
shortfall in the disciples’ understanding and practice of bearing the cost of
discipleship?
o
They
§
Did not want to
follow Jesus as a suffering servant and bear the cost of discipleship.
§
Just wanted to
follow Jesus as a conquering king and reap the reward of discipleship.
100)
How urgent was it
for the disciples to deal with the shortfall in their practice and
understanding of bearing the cost of discipleship?
o
Following Jesus
as a suffering servant and bearing the cost of discipleship was the urgent
matter they needed to attend to in this life.
101)
How did Jesus
help the disciples face the shortfall in their practice and understanding of
bearing the cost of discipleship?
o
Jesus
consistently confronted the disciples with the prospect of his suffering, death
and rising from the dead to wake them up from their preoccupation with him
being a conquering king.
o
He was going to
keep doing it as we shall see.
o
He encouraged
them to use the bible as the authoritative source for understanding instead of
relying on the teachings of the teachers of the law.
o
He warned them in
the previous chapter of his coming in his Father’s glory with the holy angels
to judge those who refuse to be his disciples and bear the cost of
discipleship.
o
He promised in
the previous chapter the reward of eternal life for those who are his disciples
and bear the cost of discipleship.
o
He provided the
experience of the
102)
What did the
disciples need to do to correct the shortfall in their practice and
understanding of bearing the cost of discipleship?
o
They needed to
conform their expectation of the Christ to what Jesus said would happen to him.
o
They needed to
bear the cost of discipleship by denying their flesh, i.e., by putting aside
their national hope and personal aspiration.
o
They needed to
use the bible as the authoritative source for understanding and not the
teachings of the teachers of the law.
o
Furthermore they
needed to be prepared that Jesus as the suffering servant would be rejected,
killed and after three days rise again, now that John the Baptist had come
before Jesus as the suffering messenger.
103)
From the
condition of the disciples what can we conclude about the correlation between
making the declaration that Jesus is the Christ and willingness to bear the
cost of discipleship?
o
Making the
declaration that Jesus is the Christ does not necessarily lead to willingness
to bear the cost of discipleship.
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 1-13 The Transfiguration
========================
========================
Verses 14-29 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an
Unclean Spirit
========================
14When they came to the other
disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law
arguing with them.
15As soon as all the people
saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran
to greet him.
16“What are you arguing with
them about?” he asked.
17A man in the crowd
answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has
robbed him of speech.
18Whenever it seizes him, it
throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes
rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19“You unbelieving
generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay
with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20So they brought him. When
the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell
to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy’s
father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
22“It has often thrown him
into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and
help us.”
23“‘If you can’?” said Jesus.
“Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24Immediately the boy’s
father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25When Jesus saw that a crowd
was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute
spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26The spirit shrieked,
convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that
many said, “He’s dead.”
27But Jesus took him by the
hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28After Jesus had gone
indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29He replied, “This kind can
come out only by prayer.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus and the
three disciples coming to the other disciples,
----------------------------------------
104)
What did Jesus
and the three disciples see when they came to the other disciples?
o
They saw a large
crowd around the other disciples and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
105)
What did people
do when they saw Jesus?
o
They were
overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
106)
Why were people
overwhelmed with wonder when they saw Jesus?
o
It could be due
to residual afterglow from the transfiguration.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the healing of the
boy with an unclean spirit,
----------------------------------------
107)
What did Jesus
ask the disciples about?
o
“What are you
arguing with them about?” he asked.
108)
What did the man
who answered Jesus’ question say he did?
o
He brought his
son who was possessed by a spirit to see
Jesus.
109)
What symptoms did
the man say that his son exhibited?
o
The son was
robbed of his speech.
o
He would be
thrown to the ground when the spirit seized him.
o
He would foam at
the mouth, gnash his teeth and become rigid.
110)
What did the man
say was the cause of those symptoms in his son?
o
His son was
possessed by a spirit.
111)
Did the man
expect to see Jesus when he brought his son, and did he actually find Jesus
there?
o
He expected to
see Jesus but did not actually find him there.
112)
What happened
when the man did not find Jesus?
o
He asked the
disciples to drive the spirit out of his son.
113)
Were the
disciples able to drive the spirit out of the boy?
o
No.
114)
What was unusual
about the attitude of the man who brought his son to Jesus for help?
o
All those in the
gospel of Mark who approached Jesus for help would plead earnestly with him
except for this man.
115)
What did the man
address Jesus as?
o
He addressed
Jesus as teacher.
116)
Where was Jesus
when the man brought his son to Jesus?
o
Jesus was up on
the mountain with Peter, James and John.
117)
What was Jesus’
reply upon hearing the man’s complaint?
o
“You unbelieving
generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay
with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
118)
Whose unbelief
was Jesus frustrated with and why?
o
Jesus was
frustrated with the unbelief of the generation of the boy’s father because, as
we shall see, the father struggled with unbelief.
119)
What did Jesus do
next?
o
Jesus asked for
the boy to be brought to him.
120)
What happened
when the boy was brought to Jesus?
o
When the spirit
saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the
ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
121)
Whom did the
spirit recognize when it saw Jesus?
o
It recognized
Jesus as the Son of God.
122)
What did Jesus
ask the boy’s father about?
o
“How long has he
been like this?”
123)
What did the
boy’s father say in reply?
o
“From childhood,”
he answered. “It has often thrown him
into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and
help us.”
124)
What did Jesus’
diagnostic question reveal?
o
It revealed
§
The situation
with the boy.
§
Uncertainty of
the boy’s father in Jesus’ ability to help his son.
125)
What had the boy
survived since childhood?
o
He had survived
attempts by the spirit to kill him through throwing him into fire and water.
126)
Why was the boy’s
father not certain of Jesus’ ability to help his son?
o
He was not
certain because Jesus’ disciples had not been able to.
127)
What did Jesus
say in reply?
o
“‘If you can’?”
said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
128)
What did Jesus’
remark mean to the boy’s father?
o
It meant that
whether his son could be helped depended entirely on whether he believed that
Jesus could drive out the spirit or not.
129)
What was Jesus
looking for in the boy’s father before helping his son?
o
Jesus was looking
for greater faith in him from the boy’s father.
130)
What was the
response of the boy’s father?
o
Immediately the
boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
131)
What did Jesus’
remark do to the boy’s father?
o
Jesus’ remark
caused the boy’s father to see his unbelief and to plead for help.
132)
How did the boy’s
father plead for help?
o
He confessed his
unbelief and pled with Jesus for help in overcoming his unbelief.
133)
What was the
contrast between the attitude of the three disciples and the attitude of the
boy’s father?
o
The three
disciples refused to acknowledge that they had a faulty expectation of Jesus,
let alone asking Jesus for help for correcting it.
o
The boy’s father
confessed his unbelief in Jesus and pled with Jesus for help.
134)
What did Jesus see
at this point?
o
Jesus saw that a
crowd was running to the scene.
135)
What did Jesus do
to drive out the spirit from the boy?
o
Jesus rebuked the
unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out
of him and never enter him again.”
136)
Is it possible
for an unclean spirit to be driven out of a person only to reenter the person
again and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus commanded the spirit to never enter the boy again.
137)
What did the
spirit do to the boy?
o
The spirit
shrieked, convulsed the boy violently and came out.
138)
Was the deaf and
mute spirit deaf and why?
o
No, because it
could hear what Jesus said and responded.
139)
What did Jesus
mean when he called the unclean spirit a deaf and mute spirit?
o
Jesus meant that
the unclean spirit had caused the boy to be deaf and mute.
140)
Did the boy’s
father think that his son was both deaf and mute and why?
o
No, because he
thought that the unclean spirit had only robbed his son of speech.
141)
What was the
condition of the boy after the spirit had been driven out?
o
The boy looked so
much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
o
But Jesus took
him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
142)
Who ended up
getting helped while the boy was presented to Jesus for help?
o
Those who had
been helped were
§
The boy’s father.
§
The boy.
143)
Who needed help
more urgently in the current incident, the father or the son, and why?
o
The father did
because it was only after the father had been helped that the son could be
helped.
144)
What kind of help
did the father need?
o
He needed help
with seeing that he himself
§
Needed help.
§
Needed it more
urgently so than his son.
145)
Do we need to
have perfect faith in Jesus before he would help us and why?
o
Jesus would help
us
§
Even when we
don’t have perfect faith in him.
§
As long as we
acknowledge our lack of faith.
o
Just take it to
Jesus.
146)
What did Jesus
say was the reason the disciples could not drive out the spirit?
o
That kind can
come out only by prayer.
147)
What was the
parallel between the cast of the party up on the mountain and the cast of the
party down below?
o
God the Father
and his Son were up on the mountain while the father and his son were down
below.
o
The three
disciples were up on the mountain while the rest of the disciples were down
below.
o
Teachers of the
law were quoted by disciples up on the mountain while teachers of the law
argued with disciples down below.
148)
What was the
parallel between what was said up on the mountain that would happen to the Son
of Man and what was said down below that happened to the son?
o
Up on the
mountain the Son of Man was said to suffer much while down below the son was
said to be tormented by the unclean spirit.
o
Up on the
mountain the Son of Man was said to die while down below the son was first said
to have often been thrown into fire or water to be killed, and then said to be
left dead on the spot by the unclean spirit after it had been driven out.
o
Up on the
mountain the Son of Man was said to rise from the dead while down below the son
was said to be dead but then lifted to his feet.
149)
What was the
parallel between the problem faced by the three disciples up on the mountain
and the problem faced by the rest of the disciples down below?
o
Disciples
§
Up on the
mountain were unable to put aside their national hope that had seized their
hearts and minds since childhood.
§
Down below were
unable to drive out the deaf and mute spirit that had possessed the boy since
childhood.
150)
In what way did
disciples down below fare better than disciples up on the mountain?
o
Disciples
§
Down below
recognized their inability to drive out the unclean spirit and chose to turn
their inability to Jesus by asking him why they could not.
§
Up on the
mountain refused to acknowledge that their national hope and personal
aspiration were dragging them down and chose not to ask Jesus what he meant by
rising from the dead.
o
Disciples
§
Down below were
entirely on their own with the needy crowd and it was not surprising for them
as disciples in training to encounter problems that they were unable to take
care of, but that they were very willing to take care of, if only they
could.
§
Up on the
mountain were given access to all the power of the
o
Disciples
§
Down below had
learned humility by their failure in front of the crowd.
§
Up on the
mountain had become proud of their elitist experience of the
151)
What is the
contrast in terms of benefits to one other between the lesson disciples down
below and the lesson disciples up on the mountain learned respectively?
o
Disciples
§
Down below
learned a lesson that benefited disciples up on the mountain.
§
Up on the
mountain did not learn any lesson that could benefit disciples down below.
152)
What is the
contrast in terms of drawing on Jesus’ power between disciples down below and
disciples up on the mountain?
o
Disciples
§
Down below
learned to draw on Jesus’ power for driving out unclean spirits by prayer.
§
Up on the
mountain did not learn to draw on the power available from asking Jesus what he
meant by rising from the dead.
153)
What is the
contrast in terms of dependence on Jesus between disciples down below and
disciples up on the mountain?
o
Disciples
§
Down below
recognized their desperate dependence on Jesus when they tried frantically but
failed to drive the unclean spirit out of the boy in front of the watching
crowd and then asked him why they could not.
§
Up on the
mountain distanced themselves from Jesus by letting it be known that they were
more interested in talking about the teaching of the teachers of the law that
Elijah must come first than asking what Jesus meant by rising from the dead.
154)
What is the
contrast in terms of engagement with teachers of the law between disciples down
below and disciples up on the mountain?
o
Disciples
§
Down below faced
hostile teachers of the law who were arguing with them.
§
Up on the
mountain chose to cozy up to the teachings of the teachers of the law.
155)
What is the
characterization of the experience of disciples down below and of disciples up
on the mountain respectively and why?
o
Disciples
§
Down below were
given a mundane experience serving the crowd because it was not unlike any
daily experience other than that Jesus was not with them.
§
Up on the
mountain were given an elitist experience of the
156)
Did Jesus favor
disciples up on the mountain over disciples down below and why?
o
No, because
§
Disciples were
judged based on how they conducted themselves in the circumstance they were put
through.
§
Circumstance had
no contribution from the disciples themselves.
157)
Given that the
idea of disciples down below conveys a sense of lowliness and the idea of
disciples up on the mountain a sense of loftiness, why are we seeing the exact
opposite in the measure of success in discipleship in these two cases?
o
In discipleship
§
The sure way up
is to humbly come down.
§
The sure way down
is being driven by pride to reach high up.
o
We are going to
see Jesus expound on this all-important principle of servanthood
in leadership governance soon.
158)
What was Jesus
preparing the disciples further for in telling them that they could drive out
the unclean spirit by prayer?
o
Jesus was
preparing them for the eventuality that they would be operating without him.
159)
What would have
been the consequence, had the disciples asked Jesus what he meant by rising
from the dead?
o
The disciples
would have
§
Been better
prepared for Jesus’ death.
§
Conducted
themselves very differently at events surrounding his death.
o
A case in point
was that Peter might not have denied three times during Jesus’ trial that he
knew Jesus, had he asked the question.
o
Not asking Jesus
what he meant by rising from the dead was the biggest failure of the disciples
in the discipleship continuum getting to know Jesus.
160)
In what ways were
the boy’s problems metaphorical references to the problems of the disciples?
o
The disciples
were taught since childhood about the Christ coming to fulfill their national
hope. That expectation had since seized
their hearts and minds like the boy had been possessed by the unclean spirit
since childhood.
o
They listened to
Jesus but could not hear what he said, and they did not ask him what he meant
by rising from the dead. They were as
deaf and mute as the boy was.
o
Their national
hope needed to be driven out of them for their spiritual wellbeing just as the
unclean spirit needed to be driven out of the boy for his healing.
161)
In what way was
the deaf and mute boy’s healing metaphorical enablement of the disciples?
o
It was
metaphorical enablement by Jesus of the disciples to
§
Hear and soak in
what he said about his rising from the dead.
§
Ask him about it.
162)
Is there an
example in the bible of how tenacious the disciples’ expectation of the Christ
restoring the kingdom to
o
Yes, it can be
found in a conversation recorded in Acts 1:3-7 between Jesus and the disciples
after he had risen from the dead.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Acts 1:3-7 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
Ac 1:3 After his
suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he
was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the
Ac 1:4 On
one occasion, …
…
Ac 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are
you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Ac 1:7 He
said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set
by his own authority.
+++++++++++++++++++++
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 14-29 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an
Unclean Spirit
========================