Grace Community Church of Ramona Podcast

Last Tuesday when we had the really heavy downpour and flash flood warnings, water washed around the pipe that serves as the bridge into our cul-de-sac. As a result it washed out about a 12 foot swath of crushed asphalt recently put down by our neighbor. Another neighbor discovered and removed a sheet of plywood that was blocking the pipe. Wednesday, when another downpour hit, with the blockage removed, the water stayed in the pipe and no further damage was done to the road.

Jesus wants His love to flow freely in His church, but like that piece of plywood, ego and status consciousness can block the flow. Jesus confronted this problem in His disciples as they returned from their ministry tour in Caesarea Philippi to Capernaum.

Special service presenting the direction Grace Church is moving concerning leadership and Home Groups.

Hanging in the Vatican is a painting by Italian artist Raphael titled, The Transfiguration. In the uppermost part of the picture is Jesus transfigured and flanked by Moses and Elijah. On the next level are Peter, James and John shielding their eyes from Jesus' blinding radiance. On the ground below is a demon possessed boy, eyes rolled back into his head, mouth gaping in wild raving. Holding the boy is his father looking desperately to the nine disciples to deliver his son. Some of the disciples are pointing upward to Christ Who is the boy's only hope. Raphael has captured something of the overwhelming contrast between the awesome glory of the Mount of Transfiguration and the troubled world waiting below.

This is the contrast before us in Mark 9:14-29.

When Jesus, Peter, James and John returned from the mountain and rejoined the other nine disciples, they found their companions embroiled in an argument with Jewish scribes.

Today we come to one of the most dramatic events in Scripture- the transfiguration of Jesus. This event followed Jesus' announcement of His suffering, rejection, death and resurrection (8:31) and the cost to those who would follow Him to the cross (8:34).

Jesus made it clear that the Cross (Isa. 53) had to come before the Crown (Dan. 7:13-14). But God graciously gave the transfiguration to encourage the disciples that the Crown will most certainly follow the Cross. It is evident Jesus knew the transfiguration was coming. He announced it at least six full days before it happened. I believe the transfiguration took place on Mount Hermon in the area near Caesarea Philippi where Jesus and the disciples had come after the healing of the blind man (8:27). Mount Hermon is 9,000 feet in elevation and fits the description of being a "high mountain".

Verse one of Mark 9 actually belongs with the previous passage where Jesus emphasized both the cost and blessing of following Him to the cross.

God desires Humility in the lives of His Children

No Pain, No Gain is a reality we encounter in many different areas of our lives. Whether it be fitness, athletics, education, business or work projects around the house it often requires a certain amount of pain to achieve the desired gain. We constantly think in these terms to decide what we are and are not going to do. "Is the gain worth the pain?" The "gains" that we decide are worth the "pains" are what we value. In this passage the disciples are confronted with this same question, "Is the gain worth the pain?"

Mark 8:1-26 highlights two things: 1) the intensifying conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees and 2) the disciples’ continuing difficulty in grasping Jesus’ true nature.

There are three preliminary issues that are key to understanding this passage:
1. The O.T. concept of "a sign".
2. Jewish messianic expectation.
3. Framing.

God's Family Welcomes All Who Have Faith in Christ

In order to understand this passage we need first to understand a thing called the Oral Law (also referred to as the tradition of the elders). The Oral Law was a commentary on the Written Law (the Law of Moses) explaining how its 613 commandments were to be carried out. Certain Jews believe that at the same time that the Written Law was given from Mount Sinai, the Oral Law, too, was delivered to Moses. The Oral Law was then handed down orally to certain Jewish leaders/rabbis through each successive generation until these teaching were collected in a book called the Mishnah. The Mishnah is a compilation of the teachings of these Jewish leaders/rabbis to whom the Oral Law was committed tracing clear back to Moses.

The teachings of these Jewish rabbis was in the process of being collected in the days of our Lord. The Mishnah was completed about 250 A.D.; over 200 years after Jesus' ascension. The Mishnah is the tradition of the elders in written form. For orthodox Jews the Mishnah is their second most important book; the Torah (Written Law) being the first.

We discovered in the previous passage that Herod Antipas misunderstood Jesus because of his guilt (6:14-29). In the passages before us in this study we discover that the disciples missed a major revelation about Jesus because of resentment.

After being rejected in His hometown of Nazareth (6:1-6) Jesus sent His disciples out (6:7-13). John Mark "sandwiches" in Herod Antipas' response to Jesus (6:14-29) then picks up the disciples' ministry trip again (6:30-31). The disciples returned to Jesus in Capernaum and reported the amazing things they had done and taught in His name.

Do you remember how crazy it was in Capernaum when His family came to take Him away? John Mark tells us there were so many people Jesus and His disciples couldn't even eat (3:21). As we can see the ministry load hadn't let up; Jesus and His disciples still couldn't find space to eat. So Jesus directed they get away to a remote place to rest.