Sermon Tone Analysis

*Mark 9:30-32…* And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know about it.

31 For he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he has been killed, he will rise three days later.”

32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask him.

*Commentary*

            After Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ (8:29), Jesus and the Twelve made their way to Caesarea Philippi in the north.

As they later made their way back towards Galilee Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John upon a mountain and revealed his glory to them as the Son of God (9:1-13).

When they came back down the mountain they started south towards Jerusalem where Jesus had told the disciples he needed to go in order to be rejected by the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes, be killed, and rise up after three days (8:31).

He also made mention of his passion to Peter, James, and John as they descended the mountain of transfiguration (9:9).

It was “from there” that the thirteen men began to walk through Galilee making their way to Jerusalem for the upcoming Passover.

And Jesus wanted no one to know about it so that he could press on without hindrance and also to be able to teach his disciples without interruption.

As they made their way through Galilee from Caesarea Philippi Jesus was teaching the disciples, once again, that he was going to be delivered into the hands of men, be killed, and after dying he would rise three days later.

This particular prophecy concerning Jesus’ passion in Mark 9:31 is a bit different than the one in Mark 8:31 which emphasized the certainty that he would die.

He said in 8:31 that his death was so certain that he “is delivered.”

Lane says, “It is also briefer in formulation, referring to abandonment to the will of men, violent death, and resurrection.”

There was no stress on suffering in 8:31, but in 9:12 Jesus does refer to his humiliation (previously prophesied in Isaiah 53) in addition to being preceded by Elijah.

But in Mark 9:31 Jesus adds a new component to his passion: he would be “delivered into the hands of men.”

The term “delivered up” actually expresses God’s will in Scripture – chiefly when it’s used of martyrdom (cf.

John 18:30; 2 Cor.

4:11).

And when it’s used of martyrdom it is always God who allows or hinders the handing over of the one who will die for his beliefs – all for God’s sovereign purposes.

In other words, even though Judas is later revealed to be the traitor who delivers Jesus into the hands of the Jews, it is actually the ultimate purpose of God to do so.

Even Jesus said as much in predicting his horrific death, for he told the disciples in v. 31 that he would be delivered “over to men” – a statement that seems to exacerbate his abandonment.

But the entire prophecy about his passion, and the fact that he marches into Jerusalem knowing all that will transpire, attests to God’s sovereign will and His redemptive plan through His Son.

The disciples, however, did not understand, and they didn’t want to ask Jesus to elaborate.

Possibly they thought knowing would prove more painful than understanding what lay before them.

They must have believed in the resurrection because Daniel 12:2 speaks of it, but clearly Jesus was speaking of something else, for he said he would rise three days later.

*Food for Thought *

            The death of Jesus didn’t take God by surprise.

All events leading up to his death and resurrection were carefully planned and orchestrated from the foundation of the world.

Jesus had to come to the earth, minister his Word, die a painful death, and come back to life.

He had to do die because we are sinful, and sin brings death.

He took that death for us, and he lives today because he is God Almighty.

/That/ is what makes Christianity superior to all other religions.

*Mark 9:33-37…* And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house, he began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?”  34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

35 And sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

36 And taking a child, he set him before them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one child like this in my name receives me; and whoever receives me does not receive me, but Him who sent me.” 

 

*Commentary*

            The disciples, in essence, were clueless about what Jesus had been teaching them about his eventual death and resurrection.

He spoke plainly about it, but they were afraid to even ask.

So, the disciples, instead of dwelling upon Jesus’ difficult teachings and seeking to understand them, went to a more familiar topic – the topic about /who among them was the greatest/.

In light of the fact that Jesus had been predicting his death, the disciples might have been arguing about which one would rule over them after he died.

For the society itself, then as now, amidst the self-centered mentality, was consumed with self, authority, and rank among its people groups.

When the men arrived in Capernaum they entered once again into a house in v. 33.

It was there that Jesus began to question the disciples about what it was they were discussing along the way.

And like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar the disciples hung their heads in shame.

They obviously knew that their conversation along the way was immature and self-serving, and it appears that they had attempted to keep their arguments hush-hush.

Jesus, however, was not duped by their stealth, for he knew their hearts and every other conniving thought that went through their minds.

Throughout the Gospels when Jesus asks pointed questions to guilty parties they respond with silence, not knowing what to say.

Jesus, seeing a teachable moment for the disciples, rebuked their self-serving attitudes in v. 35 by telling them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and a servant to all.”

In other words, “If you want to be the greatest among your peers, become the lowest.”

When Jesus told them to become a “servant” the word is literally “deacon.”

This term is different than the one used for a “slave,” and it doesn’t involve the office of deacon.

The word deacon here is merely a term for “one who serves.”

So, one who serves is actually the greatest among those who don’t!

Then he summoned a child from inside the house where they were staying and placed him in their midst to illustrate his point in v. 36.

He picked the child up, held him in his arms, and explained what true discipleship is.

The disciples were to become like the little child in Jesus’ arms – not concerned with greatness.

Children have no aspirations for being important, but are considered ignorant, unassuming, and meek, and this is what true greatness is in God’s eyes.

In v. 37 Jesus told the disciples that receiving a child like the one he held – as a representation of meek and humble behavior – would be the same as receiving him.

And receiving him was equivalent to receiving God.

The child itself represented Jesus, or those sent by Jesus (i.e., Christians), just as the disciples had been representatives of Jesus when he sent them out to cure diseases and cast out demons.

The emissary of the man is as the man himself.

*Food for Thought*

            If true greatness is represented by Jesus, who came to be a servant to all and to die on behalf of others, why is it that we continue to try to be great through education and finances?

True greatness is found in humility and submission to God.

The world may not agree, but if we’re still trying to gain man’s approval we can’t really be servants of Jesus Christ (Gal.

1:10).

*Mark 9:38-42…* John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to hinder him because he was not following us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who shall perform a miracle in my name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.

40 “For he who is not against us is for us.

41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

42 And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.”

 

*Commentary*

            While speaking to Jesus, John asked about a man they saw casting demons out in the name of Jesus.

The man’s actions angered the disciples because they felt they had exclusive access to Jesus’ powers.

They even attempted to stop him because “he was not following us.”

It’s ironic that while another man was successfully casting out demons in faith, the disciples, the one’s who had been given the authority to do so by Jesus, couldn’t do so for their lack of faith!

This made them jealous (cf.

Num.

11:27-29), for they had a narrow view of Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus answered the disciples in v. 39 by telling them not to hinder those who work miracles in his name.

The very fact that another person outside of the Twelve would invoke the name of Jesus to cast out demons attests to the fact that some people in and around Galilee were impacted by Jesus’ teachings.

His actions in using Jesus’ name also prove that when the name of Jesus is joined with faith there is great power.

He must have been a true believer, for Jesus said that no one could perform a mighty work in his name and then turn around and speak evil of him.

And there is a subtle and sarcastic humor in Jesus’ words here as he distinguishes the effective ministry of the unknown exorcist to the failure of the Twelve – the very ones who walked and talked with Jesus every day.

They were truly immature and hardhearted at this stage.

In v. 40 Jesus told them that those not “against us” are “for us” (cf.

Matt.

12:30).

This obviously leaves no room for fence-riders.

Those who are /for/ Jesus cannot at the same time work /against/ him, and though the unknown exorcist didn’t follow Jesus like the Twelve did, his ministry was clearly of the same mindset and faith.

He was for Jesus just like the Twelve.

Now the principle of v. 40 is illustrated in v. 41.

For offering a man who is thirsty a drink is a kind act of hospitality, but offering a man a drink /because he is a disciple of Christ/ is far more significant, for by giving a servant of Christ aid when he needs it he in fact gives it to Christ himself!

The kind act is one of obedience and faith bringing a “reward” (i.e., God’s awareness of the act whether great or small).

Those who do such are, per v. 40, said to be “for us.”

But the converse is also true.

Those who cause one of Christ’s “little ones” (his servants) to stumble (i.e., keep them from serving Christ effectively) are cursed.

For it would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a heavy stone around their neck – a common form of Roman punishment well-known in Galilee for those who rebelled against Herod Antipas.

And the irony here is that the Twelve had just confessed to trying to stop another from using Jesus’ name to cast out demons.

(Peter was guilty too, for he attempted to keep Jesus from his mission in 8:33).

*Food for Thought*

            There are many servants of Christ.