“Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground!” 2 Kings 2:8 NLT
“He struck the water with Elijah’s cloak and cried out, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ Then the river divided, and Elisha went across.” 2 Kings 2:14 NLT
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Out of all the miracles that are recorded in the Bible, how many do you remember? Most likely those repeated most often in books, presented on the movie screen, heard from the pulpit, and taught in a children’s Sunday School class are most remembered. Who cannot recall the miracle of Moses and the Red Sea departing in the classic movie, ‘The Ten Commandments,’ or Jesus feeding the 5,000 in the most recent ‘The Chosen’ series along with all the other miracles that are brought to life through that video production. The Bible contains many miracles throughout its pages. It’s impossible to remember them all, even most of them. These are the forgotten ones until you come across them in your daily reading and you say to yourself, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.’
In today’s text we find two of those forgotten miracles. They are easily forgotten because they pale in comparison to a much bigger miracle, and a similar one with the same results. The prophet Elijah is about to pass his mantle to Elisha for the Lord was about to usher Elijah into His presence in a whirlwind by a chariot of fire. Before the big event, the two prophets cross over the Jordan river by Elijah dividing the water with his cloak and they cross over on dry land. After Elijah is taken up to heaven, Elisha does the same thing with his master’s cloak. These two miracles are not as grand as Moses and the Red Sea departure, or Joshua’s crossing the Jordan river with 2 million people as they entered the Promised Land, but miracles just the same.
Which brings us to this point. We each may have had a major miracle in our life which we will never forget and continually praise God for, but how many smaller, much smaller miracles have God worked in our lives that are quickly forgotten. These are the events in our lives in looking back we know it was only by the miraculous hand of God at work. These too are miracles. May we continue to praise God for all His miracles in our lives and not one of them be forgotten.
Suffering. Not a pleasant topic, but one that all of us understand. It comes to us in all stages of life from the youngest to the eldest and everyone in between. There are numerous degrees of suffering, some bearable and others hard to bear. Whatever it is you are suffering from, whatever your age, and whatever the decree of your suffering, the last thing you want to hear is ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’ Well, I’m sorry to say this but ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’
I’m also sorry to say it may not get better in this life, but for Christians we have the Lord walking with us through our suffering. The Lord is also able to take away our suffering in this life, and He may very well choose to do so. It may or may not be His plan. But as we walk with God we are assured that He has planned what is best for us today, tomorrow, and in the future.
Paul, writing in Romans said, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later……And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering” (Ro.8:18, 23 nlt) Paul writes of a future day where he says ‘don’t worry, it will get better.’ All Christians will one day will have a perfect glorified body with no pain and no suffering. Yes, while in this life we groan for that future taste of glory while we suffer here on earth, it can’t come soon enough. Be assured it will come. Better days are ahead of us. ‘Don’t worry, it will get better.’
‘“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.’” Mark 9:23 NLT
Last week on Biblical Insights Peter, James, and John had an incredible experience seeing Jesus transfigured in front of them with Moses and Elijah talking with Him. They couldn’t wait to get back and tell everyone, but wait, they couldn’t. Jesus told them they weren’t to tell anyone what they saw until He was raised from the dead, which raised more questions from the inquisitive three. They were asking each other what Jesus meant by raising from the dead. Their minds couldn’t accept a suffering dying Messiah.
They did, however, ask Jesus a question on the way down from the mountain. “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?” (Mk.9:11 nlt) Perhaps seeing Elijah speaking with Jesus prompted this question. Jesus answered that Elijah would indeed come first to set things in order, and in fact Elijah had already come. Jesus confirms that His cousin John the Baptist is the Elijah figure that would come before the Messiah preaching repentance which he paid a price for. Jesus said, “But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.” (Mk.9:13 nlt)
When Jesus, Peter, James, and John returned to the rest of the disciples there was a large crowd that gathered to watch the dispute between the disciples and the religious teachers. “When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.” (Mk.9:15 nlt) The arguing between the disciples and the teachers stemmed from the fact the disciples couldn’t cast out a demon from a demon possessed boy. Jesus asked what all the arguing was about. A man spoke out, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk.” (Mk.9:17 nlt) Jesus wasn’t there when the man came so he then asked the disciples to do it, but they were not able to cast out the evil spirit. This led to an argument with the religious teachers who were obviously gloating over the fact the disciples failed.
Jesus’ reaction here may seem uncharacteristic for the Son of God, but it is in the very character of God who condemns our lack of faith. “Jesus said to them, ‘You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’” (Mk.9:19 nlt) Jesus’ criticism was not only against the father and the disciples but also against the religious teachers and unbelieving people in general.
“So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.” (Mk.9:20 nlt) Jesus asked the boy’s father how long this was happening to him. The man replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” (Mk.9:21-22 nlt) We may wonder what is meant being thrown into a fire. Open fires were commonplace in first century Palestine. Throwing the boy into water needs no explanation. Notice the evil nature of this demon. This was a violent evil spirit. A violent convulsion can be explained as if tearing the boy apart. The father asked for mercy by healing his son if He can.
The father’s reply to Jesus sparked a serious question from the Lord. “What do you mean, ‘If I can’? Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mk.9: 23 nlt) The question was not if He could heal his son, Jesus has proven that many times over. The question is: did the father have faith to believe it. This is a question we all need to ask ourselves on occasion. Do we have faith to believe that the Lord will take care of us through all our circumstances. We may be just like the father who then said to Jesus, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mk.9:24 nlt) Sometimes we are all like this father, we can’t deal with our own unbelief. It’s OK. Ask Him to help you. Belief and unbelief often get mixed at the same time. Jesus emphasized faith here for those who needed an increase of their faith in Him. It is important to remember Jesus healed many people who had shown little or no faith in Him at all. Our healing has nothing to do with our faith, but our faith in God who is able to heal us according to His will.
Jesus rebuked the demon and commanded it to come out of the boy. “Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him.” (Mk. 9:26 nlt) Jesus’ power forced the demon to cry out. It knew of His spiritual power against demons in the supernatural world, and it left the scene.
Later that day, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t cast out the evil spirit. Jesus’ reply was, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” (Mk.9:29 nlt) Two notable points are here. The first is there are demons and evil spirits that are more violent and dangerous than others. The second and more important one is the disciples’ lack of prayer. It is amazing to think the disciples could not cast out that demon when Jesus gave the power to do so. They failed to remember their power came from Jesus and not from within themselves. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary sums it up this way for the disciples and us, “Unbelief and prayerlessness are sure to result in spiritual impotency.” May we never hear the Lord say to us, ‘If I Can?’
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:4 NLT
For those of us living in America, and those viewing the news headlines across the world, an updated version of the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution is on display. Peaceful protests have been redefined. Not sure who amended the First Amendment, but it sure looks like it was according to the news media and certain politicians. The fact is it was not amended, but still stands and says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (1) It is hard to watch this chaos unfold with the ignorance of those who ignore it and remain silent.
So, for what it is worth, I’m not remaining silent. There is no need to state the obvious for all people with even a speck of honesty know the reality of the situation. This world is in chaos, and it saddens me to say the United States is contributing to it with the divisiveness in the country. It is no longer divided by politics but between right and wrong. ‘Right is wrong and wrong is right.’ ‘Good is evil and evil is good.’ Millions of people in the world fear the future in its current state, and there are sound reasons for that. The truth is that life on this planet will only grow worse until the arrival of Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom. But there is good news, a guaranteed perfect future for those who know Christ as savior.
John, the apostle, wrote of that future time through the leading of the Holy Spirit and said, “He (Jesus) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Rev.21:4 nlt) The likes of the lies, corruption, violence, and chaos we are witnessing today will be gone forever. Yes, even the amended ‘peaceful protests’ will be gone forever. Real peace will finally be observed. Let us repeat after John at the end of Revelation, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev.22:20 nlt)
“But 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.” Isaiah 53:5 NIV
It has always amazed me how some people, even Christians, dismissed the Old Testament as having no relevance for today. The New Testament has all the ‘Red Letter’ words of Jesus’ teaching the way of salvation and how to love God and others as yourself. The Pauline Epistles teach us how to walk in the spirit, live the Christian life, and the importance of the church body. And who isn’t fascinated with the end times in the book of Revelation if we can understand it. But there is all of that and more in the Old Testament if we only take the time to go through it.
The most important aspect of the Old Testament, in fact the entire Bible, is that it is about Jesus Christ. When keeping that in mind you’ll begin to find new meaning in the stories you have heard and read as far back as when you were child. Simply put; God created the heavens and the earth, He created us, we sinned against Him, we needed a savior to take our punishment and reconcile us back to God, the Old Testament paves the way for the Messiah born in Bethlehem and there are even prophesies of the end times. It’s all in there.
Isaiah 53 speaks of Jesus’ suffering sacrifice by dying for our sins. This chapter accurately describes the events of Jesus’ death written 700 years earlier. “He was despised and rejected by mankind……Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised……Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering……But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities……He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter……He was assigned a grave with the wicked, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth……For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Is.53 niv)
It’s kind of hard to deny that Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ. It’s not a coincidence, but a factual truth found in the New Testament gospels. Jesus is found all throughout the Old Testament for He is God the Son, the second person of the trinity. The Old Testament proves who Jesus is and what He has done as any portion of Scripture from the New Testament. You can look for Jesus in the Old Testament. He’s there!
I enjoy going to a restaurant that serves a bottomless cup of coffee. You never worry if that second cup is coming or will I have enough coffee to finish my meal. There is a story in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings that tells of a poor widow who had a bottomless cup of grace given to her for her faith and obedience to God.
The prophet Elijah predicted there would be no rain for the next couple of years until Elijah spoke it. No rain led to a famine that devastated all of Israel. Elijah wasn’t exempt from feeling the effects of the famine. The Lord did provide for him in miraculous ways, one of them through this poor widow. Elijah was told to go to the town of Zarephath north of Israel along the Mediterranean Sea where he would meet a woman who would feed him. He met her, but she only had enough for one last meal for her and her son and after that she expected they would die. But God told Elijah that she would feed him.
When the woman told Elijah of her dilemma he responded in a way to test her faith as she revealed an awareness of the Lord God Elijah serves. “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!” (1Kg.17:13-14 nlt) The woman would have a bottomless flour and olive oil supply.
She obeyed the word of the Lord and was given bottomless grace for the daily provisions as long as the drought and famine continued. Perhaps you’re facing a dry spell in your life on this day. Maybe you’re in the middle of a spiritual drought. Perhaps the Lord is testing you to step out in faith and help someone at your own expense as the poor widow. She obeyed the Lord and her needs were met. Why not do the same and receive a bottomless cup of grace from the Lord. It’s much better than a bottomless cup of coffee.
The role of men in our society has greatly diminished over the years. This isn’t just a reality for the 21st century but has been developing especially in the United States since the end of World War II. I was reminded of this last weekend with the anniversary of D-Day on June the 6th. Our local regional airport also held their annual World War II Weekend by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. These men who fought this war were known as the ‘greatest generation.’ That is not taking away anything from the many women who had a vital role, or the men and women in the Untied States who contributed to the war effort during this period in history.
We saw society change gradually in the years following World Warr II. Some for the good, and some for the not-so-good. The advancement of women in the workplace has been a good thing. Women’s presence in the workforce has been increasing in all fields, adding another dimension to the overall success of many companies and organizations with their expertise. The not-so-good effect is many men have downplayed their God given role within the family and in society itself. This has been filtering down for the last two generations and the family unit is suffering from it, not to mention the local church.
When the apostle Paul closed his letter the church in Corinth, he instructed the men to ‘act like men.’ Sounds like there may have been a problem. Men not acting like men is a problem in society, it is even a bigger problem when it occurs in the church. Paul told them to be watchful. Their eyes were to be trained on expecting the unexcepted, to always be ready to handle any situation. There were to stand firm in the faith and not compromise on any of the Lord’s Words in Scripture. They were to be strong, as men ought to be, and they were to do everything in love. That’s how real men act. Let’s act like men!
There isn’t a person who has ever lived that didn’t have any needs. There is no one alive today who doesn’t have any sort of need. Our God promises to take care of our needs, but there are some of us who fret over a potential future downfall of our income or a rise in our expenses. Will we be able to make ends meet? Well, if that is our attitude, we’re focusing on the wrong things.
Jesus told His disciples and anyone willing to pay attention the remedy for having all we need. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Mt.6:33 nlt) The Lord knows what we need. He also knows what we don’t need, so, don’t expect Him to give it to you. God’s desire for us is to seek His kingdom. Looking upward as opposed to horizontally to the things of this world will help us see the light of what is not needed in this life, but what is needed for eternal life. Our desires will become His desires as we live righteously leading others to the kingdom of God through faith in Christ.
Don’t get caught up worrying about your needs in this life. Trust in the Lord. He will provide. Just make sure your priorities are in order. What do you need? You need to ‘Seek the kingdom of God above all else,’ and let Him do the rest.
Believe it or not, one of the hardest things for Christians to do is to pray. You may be one who believes it from your own experience. Finding the right words to say either in a group or in private holds some people back. Others fear they’re not worthy enough to address God, or He wouldn’t hear anyway. Still others haven’t built that relationship with Him as His children where He welcomes us to simply talk with Him. Scripture has given us several models of prayer to follow for our help, the most notable is Jesus’ example in the Lord’s prayer. The prophet Daniel gives us his exemplary prayer in Daniel chapter 9 to follow.
Daniel’s prayer consists of six elements all to be considered when giving serious thought in wanting to improve our prayer life. He realized Judah’s seventy years of captivity was about to end and petitioned the Lord on behalf of his people. Daniel’s preparation and his prayer shows his reverence for the Lord God. May we take advantage of this prayer to enrich our own prayer life. That’s why it’s there!
Humility – v.3, Daniel fasted and covered himself with sackcloth and ashes. (we can skip the sackcloth and ashes)
Worship – v.4, ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God’
Identified with the people – v.5, ‘we have sinned and done wrong’
Confession – v.5-15, ‘To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.’
Petition – v.16-18, ‘O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake’
God’s Glory – v.19, ‘O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.’
“Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power! Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.” Mark 9:1-3 NLT
This week in Sunday’s Biblical Insights Jesus gives three disciples, His inner circle, a glimpse of His glory and the future kingdom of God. Last week we focused on the discussion Jesus had with His disciples on who did people say He was. The disciples answered Him which Jesus in turn immediately asked them, ‘who do you say I am?’ They confirmed their answer through Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, even though they still didn’t totally understand.
We ended last week with Jesus calling the crowd to Himself telling them, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mk.8:34, 38 nlt) Jesus explained if you hang on to this life with its sin you will lose it, but if you give up your life for His sake you will save it. The fate of those who deny Jesus is noted as Jesus announces His return to earth in the glory of His Father. This is where we begin today.
This passage of Scripture is well-known as the Transfiguration. It is a revelation of Jesus’ deity. The story is also found in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels. The first verse in our text today, some scholars believe belongs at the end of chapter 8. This may be correct. We are wise to remember the Bible was not written with chapter divisions, but they were added later for clarity and organization of thought. Sad, but, true, they always didn’t get it right. Jesus’ words about His return in His glory in the last verse of chapter 8 flows right in thought with the first verse of chapter 9. “Jesus went on to say, ‘I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!’” (Mk.9:1 nlt) Jesus will return in glory and set up His divine kingdom. The Transfiguration fulfills these words in verse 1.
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Jesus takes three disciples with Him up to a high mountain, most likely Mt. Hermon, the highest mountain in the Caesarea Philippi region. Peter, James, and John were chosen for this trip. These three often witnessed events the other disciples did not. This is nothing against the ones left behind, but it shines a light on Jesus’ teaching method. Jesus had an important message to get out, and little time to do it. He needed well-trained disciples to accomplish it. Note, Jesus chose only twelve disciples and among those twelve He went deeper with three others. And these twelve changed the world with the gospel message after Jesus’ accession into heaven. Sometimes less with deep impact accomplishes more.
Peter, James, and John witnessed a spectacular divine event before their eyes. “Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them.” (Mk.9:3 nlt) Jesus’ divine glory was revealed. His clothing was radiant in white light as it had never been before. This wasn’t a superficial change of outward appearance. It was a change in His essence. Jesus’ body was glorified as it will be when He returns to earth to set up His kingdom. Imagine the reaction of the disciples as they saw this, along with another stunning occurrence, the presence of Elijah and Moses in front of them talking with Jesus. It is interesting that they recognized two Old Testament figures. In Luke’s gospel, it is referenced Elijah and Moses were talking with Jesus about His upcoming death. (Lk:20-21)
“Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’” (Mk.9:5 nlt) Peter had the reputation of speaking first and thinking later. But in this case, I think we can offer him a little grace. The Bible does say that they were all terrified by what they saw. Peter’s suggestion for the shelters has commentators offering several thoughts as to his motives. I must admit it is hard to determine. One opinion is Peter might have thought the millennial kingdom was beginning then and there. He may also have thought they were going to be there for a while, so might as well make permanent shelters. One disturbing thought is Peter seemed to have put Elijah and Moses on equal status with Jesus. This may not have been his intent, and we know all the disciples were still learning. God did remove that thought by removing Elijah and Moses from the scene. But before He did that, God spoke to them as a cloud covered them, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” (Mk.9:7 nlt) The cloud was a symbol of God’s presence of protection and guidance as when leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. It also represented the Shekinah glory that was in the Temple of old. The Lord God tells them to listen and obey His Son. He is the one Elijah and Moses spoke about that was to come. Jesus is the only one left standing. Listen to Him!
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God allowed Peter, James, and John to see Jesus’ divine glory as it will in the kingdom of God. They were not to say anything to anyone about it until Jesus is raised from the dead. Probably hard for them to do, but Scripture said they obeyed Jesus’ words. “So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by ‘rising from the dead.’” (Mk.9:10 nlt) The disciples still have questions for Jesus concerning this matter, and we will pick it up next week.
