Commentary in Simple English on the Gospel that Mark wrote

Verses 2-8 The Glory of God shines out from Jesus

(See Matthew 17: 1-8; Luke 9: 28-36.)

We call this the 'Transfiguration'. We do not know where this took place. There are two mountains called Tabor and Hermon. Tabor, which is between Galilee and Nazareth, seems less likely than Hermon, which is further north. Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him up a mountain (verse 2). There (verse 3) the glory of God shone out from Jesus.

(Verse 4) Two great men of God from Old Testament days, Moses and Elijah, stood and talked to Jesus. It was not about the great things that they had done. They talked about the sufferings which Jesus was to go through. (See Luke 9: 31). For the death of Moses, see Deuteronomy 34: 5. God had taken Elijah up to heaven. (See 2 Kings 2: 11.) Both Moses and Elijah were men who loved the desert. It is strange that Mark speaks first about Elijah rather than Moses (verse 4). Jesus must have been helped when He spoke with them. It was so hard to make the Twelve understand His teaching.

(Verse 5) Peter, James and John recognised Moses and Elijah although, of course, they had never seen them before. In glory, our character is not lost. What we are will shine out much more than in this life. In Revelation 7: 5 we see that what is special about each nation and tribe will still be there in glory.

This sight of glory warmed Peter's heart. He did not think very much before he spoke.

(Verse 6). The vision lasted only a few minutes. Peter saw only two saints in glory. This was enough to warm his heart. How shall we feel on the last day? We shall see Christ in His glory. We shall see the holy angels and all the saints of God from all the ages. We too will share in the glory then.

Peter wanted to put up three tents or rough little houses. These would be like the ones that the Jews made from tree branches. The Jews did this at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. However, (verse 7) a bright cloud covered them. The voice of God from the cloud said: 'This is My Son, Whom I love: listen to Him!' (See Deuteronomy 18: 15.) But at other times Peter did not want to listen to what Jesus had to say. This was when Jesus talked about what He had to suffer (8: 32).

It was the Voice of God which caused them to fear more than what they had seen (Matthew 17: 6).

Jesus is God's Son as Isaac had been Abraham's son (See Genesis 22: 2,12,16.) God did not let Abraham sacrifice his son. However, His own Son, Jesus, did have to die for us.

In verse 8 this 'Vision' of God's glory fades and then Peter, James and John can see only Jesus.

Verses 9-13 Elijah

(See Matthew 17: 9-13.)

In verse 9, Jesus tells His three followers not to talk about what they have seen. But (verse 10) the three men had a problem. Jesus had told them about His suffering and death. He even said that He would rise from death. They now believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Yet they expected 'Elijah' to prepare the way. The Jews thought that the Messiah would have no struggle. Elijah would do the hard work for him. So (verse 11) the three men ask Jesus about Elijah.

The answers that Jesus gives are in verses 12 and 13. John the Baptist was the promised 'Elijah'. He had prepared the way for Jesus, and then died a cruel death. The Jews had not expected that. Then Jesus points out that there are Old Testament scriptures which speak of the great Sufferer. One of these is Isaiah 53. Jesus has to suffer, so that we will know that what God had said in those parts of Scripture is true.

Very often we go from a 'mountain top' experience of glory to a 'valley' experience of sorrow. This is the case here.

Verses 14-29 The boy with an unclean spirit

(See Matthew 17: 14 - 21; Luke 9: 37-43.)

In verse 14, Jesus with Peter, James and John come back. They find a crowd gathered with some Jewish teachers. They also find the other followers of Jesus

(Verse 15) We do not know why people in the crowd were surprised when they saw Jesus. Some people guess that the glory still shone from Him; we cannot be sure. In verse 16, Jesus asked the Jewish teachers what they had argued about with His followers.

(Verses 17 and 18) A man in the crowd then told Jesus of the suffering brought on his son by an unclean spirit. What the father describes sounds to us very much like the illness of the mind that we call 'epilepsy'. Jesus does not hurry. He talks to the boy's father to help him to hope and believe. In verse 20 Jesus watches as the boy has a fit. I think Jesus wanted to be sure what it was that He had to heal.

Some readers of this book may have met people with unclean spirits. There is also such a thing as illness of the mind. Sometimes the two go together, but not often. We can do great harm if we think that illness of the mind is caused by an unclean spirit. Such illness can sometimes be treated by medicine. Some godly men will have power to cast out unclean spirits. Let us, like Jesus in this case, take time and care to find out what the problem really is.

The nine followers of Jesus had tried to cast the unclean spirit out and failed (verse 18). They had succeeded before (6: 13), but then they had done it because Jesus had told them to (6: 7). When they tried to do something without authority from Jesus, they failed. This was why the Jewish teachers argued with them. The Jewish teachers could not help the boy either, of course. So Jesus said: 'Bring the boy to me'. (See verse 36 and 10: 13.)

We too must bring our children to Jesus: only He can help them.

(Verse 23) Jesus wanted to help the father's faith. We can trust God and have doubts at the same time. Fear is the opposite of faith. To God, all things are possible: to faith, some things are harder.

The spirit threw the boy into one fit (verse 20) when it saw Jesus. In verse 25 Jesus orders the spirit to come out of the boy and never come back. The spirit throws the boy into another violent fit (verse 26). However, in verse 27 Jesus lifts the boy to his feet and all is well.

It was usual when someone tried to cast out unclean spirits to use a whole stream of words, which had no meaning. The words were supposed to be magic. Jesus speaks simply, plainly and the spirit obeys Him. In verses 28 and 29, Jesus explains to His followers why they had failed to cast the spirit out of the boy. Such a gift from God can only be used prayerfully so that we know God's will.

Verses 30-32 The Second prophecy of Suffering

(See Matthew 17: 22, 23 and Luke 9: 44 and 45.)

Jesus tells His followers what would happen to Him. He does this in order to give strength to them. He does not want them to give way to fear. He tells them about His cross and shame before it happens, so that they will not be surprised. They will know that it is all God's doing. He speaks about rising from the dead after only three days so that they may know that the trial of their faith will not be long. For the first time, He tells them that He will be betrayed. The followers of Jesus know that it would be painful to know more. They do not ask Jesus to explain what He has said to them. They do not ask Him any more questions. It is too painful for them to think about. This is why they were surprised when it happened.

Verses 33-41 Pride in the Ministry

(See Matthew 18: 1-5; Luke 9: 46-50.)

Jesus and His followers have come from Hermon in the north, through Galilee to Capernaum (verse 3). At the end of this chapter (verse 50) we reach the end of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee.

A Saviour Who is free from pride Himself can have no proud servants. Jesus knew what they had said to each other. He did not need to be told. He asks them, but he does not press for an answer. He had told them that He was to die a shameful death. They had argued about places of honour for themselves. It would have been difficult for them to give Jesus an honest answer. They thought they would all be great in the kingdom. Yet they had not even learnt the way in to it. There is no room for us to be jealous of others in the Christian ministry. 'The humble are least likely to make others stumble'. 'Of all creatures, none has so little right to be proud as man: of all men, none ought to be so humble as a Christian' (Bishop Ryle).

Jesus sat down to teach (verse 35) as a Rabbi. In verse 36, Jesus takes a young child in His arms in the middle of His followers. He does this in order to give them a picture of this truth. [9.1] A young child does not imagine that he is great.

John became uneasy when he heard what Jesus said. The followers of Jesus had seen a man who drove out unclean spirits. This man used the name of Jesus (verse 38). Why should he succeed when they had failed? (See verse 28.) They tried to stop him. How easy it is to try to stop others who have more success in the service of Christ than we do.

We are so often jealous of those to whom God has given greater gifts. John ought to have told Jesus about this before, of course. It is better that others should do the work of God than not done at all.

Verses 42-50 Causing others to sin

(See Matthew 18: 6-9.)

The choice that faces us is between death and death. Either we put our sins to death, in which case we shall live; or else death will mean hell. (See 8: 35 and Romans 8: 13.)

The millstone (verse 42) is a large one, which was turned by an animal. This might be a donkey. Women turned small millstones by hand.

'Hades' means the' unseen place'. This may mean only the place where the dead are. ‘Hades’ is not the word that Jesus uses for hell in verses 43 and 45. This is clearly a place of punishment and fire. However, our real concern is with the way to enter the kingdom of God (verse 47). (See 10: 15; and verses 23 and 24.)