Lesson 101

LESSON 101 - Mark 9:9-13

9And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. 11And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? 12And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. 13But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

When Jesus ordered the three disciples not to tell what they'd seen, He was warning them that many would not understand the meaning of His transfiguration. It would be too strange for them to believe at this time. After the resurrection of Jesus, when they saw Him again as the risen Christ, His transfiguration would make sense to them, but at this point His talk about death and rising from the dead made no sense to them.

Principle: You may not always understand what God reveals to you, but accept it as truth and ask for Him to give you further understanding about it. What God speaks to you will not disagree with His written Word. For example, several years ago, I was asked to substitute teach a Sunday School class made up of the choir members of the church I was attending. At the moment, the teacher asked me to sub, I immediately knew I would not teach the class. I didn't know why. I just knew the Lord had given me what is called "a word of knowledge," (1 Corinthians 12:8), a supernatural, Holy Spirit- revealing of information I had no natural way of knowing. Sure enough, that next Sunday, the choir was unexpectedly asked to sing in both the early and regular morning services, so there was no time for their class.

In addition to trying to understand what Jesus meant by His resurrection, (the disciples thought He was going to depose the Romans and become the ruling King of Israel) Peter, James and John tried to figure out what Jesus meant by His strange words about Elijah. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, but they knew that an Old Testament prophecy said that Elias (Elijah) would come before the Messiah (Malachi 3:1, 4:5-61Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me... 5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. ).

The disciples knew Elijah wasn't living on the earth, so they asked Jesus to explain. Jesus agreed with the prophecy but said Elias had already come! Can you guess who he was? Look at Mark 1:1-4.2As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. (same as Malachi 3:1) 3The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

In Matt 11:12 Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:...13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Matt 17 :12 Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Even John the Baptist's father, Zacharias, was told that his yet-to-be-born son, John, would be the fulfilment of the prophecy about Elijah. Lk 1:113-17 13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John... he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Principle: Whatever God has promised, God will bring to pass. Never doubt the Word of God. It is sure. It is true. God will always keep His Word.