Inductive Bible study (SOAP) is an approach to God’s Word focusing on three basic steps that move from a focus on specific details to a more general, universal principle. Through these three steps, we apply inductive reasoning, which is defined as the attempt to use information about a specific situation to draw a conclusion. The steps are observation (what does it say?), interpretation (what does it mean?), and application (what does it mean for my life?). Inductive Bible study is a valuable tool in understanding and applying the principles of God’s Word. In an inductive study everyone participates. We will be working through as much of a chapter of Marks Gospel each week, taking turns to do the following:
SOAP Meathod
S: SCRIPTURE: Read a section of scripture, then summarise in your own words (What does it say? What verse stuck out to you most?).
O: Observation: Read the related Companion material below, then summarise one point/observation in your own words (Is their an issue being addressed?)
A: Application: How do you apply this truth to your life? What does it mean for us today?
P: Prayer: Following the study we will spend time in small groups praying. How do you implement this verse into your life? finish with the quiz below.
Mission 119 Weekly Reading
Readings can be prepared for prior to the study by reviewing The Mission 119 accessed online or through the app. Create a login, click on “grow” (bottom tab) and search “Mark” from the top search bar. Review the chapter of study and 10 minute devotional provided in Mission 119.
The Gospel of Mark – Chapter 9
The first verse of Chapter 9 is considered by many to be the last verse of Chapter 8. But it may just stand alone as a statement of Jesus that Mark wanted to record.
Verse 1. And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
The previous context in Chapter 8 had the crowd as the subject of the statement. This implies some members of the crowd would be alive and witness a powerful spiritual event. The statement also implies Jesus did not know, at that time, exactly when this foretold event would occur, but that it would occur within the lifetime of some in the crowd. In other words, some in the crowd would be present when this event occurred.
Now, with hindsight, are we able to identify the event to which Jesus referred? There were two powerful spiritual events to which he could be referring. One was his resurrection and the other was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Both events occurred in Jerusalem at different Jewish feasts, at which some of those in the Caesarea Philippi crowd might have attended.
The Kingdom of God is often manifested with power. God’s spiritual realm is really powerful compared with this earthly realm. Thus, Jesus spoke of sensing power flowing out from him when a woman touched him. Also, later he warned his apostles to stay in Jerusalem until they had received power from the Holy Spirit. So, any manifestation of the power of God is a demonstration of the reality of the Kingdom of God.
Mark 9: 2 – 13 The Transfiguration
For me, this event is the high point of the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. His ministry around Galilee is essentially ended. He is now the furthest north or most distant from Jerusalem. From here, he heads south towards Jerusalem to his crucifixion, death and resurrection. His identity has been exposed. Now, as the Messiah, he heads towards his ultimate purpose for leaving his Father’s glory. He’s come to atone and rescue mankind from the ravages of sin which results in their death. He’s on his way.
But first he was to experience a spiritual highlight organised by his loving Father. After six days of ministering in this town on the outskirts of Jewish territory, he was summoned by his Father to ascend a high mountain. He took his inner three apostles with him: Peter, James and John. He left the crowds below and sought the solitude that a mountain can provide.
There on the high mountainside Jesus’ form was changed. Initiated by his loving heavenly Father, but to the amazement of his three apostles, Jesus briefly resumed the beauty of his glorified self that he’d had since creation. Mark’s language to describe this incident was limited, because even Peter who witnessed the event struggled to describe this heavenly scene in a meaningful way.
The Apostle John never forgot the amazement of this event either. When he wrote the prologue to his gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus, John wrote concerning Jesus, “and we beheld his glory, the glory of the one and only Son of God.”
Of all the Old Testament saints that could have appeared with Jesus, it is interesting to ask why Elijah and Moses were sent by the Father. Mark doesn’t give us a reason, nor does he tell us the topics they discussed. Before we consider the advantages of this choice, let’s just note these two Old Testament saints are alive! There is a tendency in our western secular world to believe that when death comes to us, we simply cease to exist. This historic occasion puts a clear end to that lie. There is life beyond the grave. It is a life that confirms the presence of God. It is God the Father who transfigured Jesus, and it is God the Father who arranged for Moses and Elijah to be there. Thus, Moses and Elijah are in fellowship with the Father!
Moses was (along with Abraham) described as a friend of God. (Ex 33:11 & Deut. 34:10). Moses was the person God chose to be the leader of the infant nation of Israel. God often referred to Israel as his children, and they were always a nation over which God was their King. They did not have an earthly king until the time of the prophet Samuel. God gave to Moses the rules and laws by which to govern God’s children. These rules and laws were in the form of a covenant which was a two sided agreement. From God’s side, a promise to always look after and provide for his people; and from the people’s side, a promise to always honour God as King and obey his laws. Moses was called of God to assist in the implementation of this two-sided covenant.
I expect that when Moses was talking with Jesus, he chattered about the Kingdom of God that Jesus was preaching. There was much to compare and contrast with the covenant that Moses had implemented. How their tongues would have wagged over the contrast between the atonement made by the repeated sacrifices of bulls and goats, versus the approaching atonement made by the Lamb of God: the once and only sacrifice of Jesus!
What was significant about the appearance of Elijah? His ministry was very different from Moses’. In the days of Elijah, the children of God had completely lost their spiritual way. They were worshipping other gods and idols. They behaved just like all the people groups around them. There was no sense of the holiness of God. God’s rules and laws had been neglected and forgotten. Elijah’s role was to call the people’s attention to their disobedience of God’s ways. He did so by challenging the kings of Israel and calling out their sinful rebellion from the ways of God. In this, he was a forerunner of John the Baptist as we’ve already noted. Elijah was also anointed from God in that many miracles were done through him to show the people that God was all powerful.
I expect that when Elijah was talking with Jesus, he (Like Moses)also chattered about the Kingdom of God that Jesus was preaching, especially the emphasis on the absolute need for repentance to bring about the change needed to enter the spiritual Kingdom of God. He would also have wonder out loud to Jesus and Moses at the amazing power of the spiritual realm to overcome the power of evil. Ultimately, he would have wonder at the new way, through repentance and faith in the atoning work of Jesus, as to how people called and chosen of God would enter into the life of the Kingdom.
Mark then recounts the apostles’ response to this supernatural event. They were overcome with fear, amazement and awe. Peter thought the meeting was so wonderful he wanted to do something to encourage it, so he suggested they make three shelters. Making shelters was something the fishermen were skilled at doing. There were many times on the shore of the lake when sudden storm winds required them to seek shelter.
A cloud appeared and enveloped the mountain side. (Had the coming of the cloud prompted Peter’s suggestion?) Then a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him.” Was this the whole purpose of God the Father arranging for the apostles to be there? Was he giving them the sign from heaven that the Pharisees had previously asked for?
The apostles had concluded that Jesus was the Messiah, but to aid them in their new understanding of what it meant to be the Messiah, the Father arranged for this personal and private demonstration. The appearance then of Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest Old Testament saints, confirmed Jesus was the Messiah and was continuing in the traditions of Israel as the people of God.
The voice from the cloud (I wonder what it sounded like?) confirmed that Jesus as the Messiah was the real deal and truly was the Son of Israel’s God. On the way down the mountain, Jesus told them to keep this experience to themselves until after he had been raised from the dead. Not that they comprehended what he meant by being raised from the dead.
Mark 9: 14 – 32 Boy with an Unclean Spirit
Jesus and his three friends arrived back to the realm of fallen man and, immediately, they are embroiled in a heated exchange that began while they were on the mountain. The waiting disciples are arguing with the scribes and have attracted a large crowd of onlookers. The crowd saw Jesus, and Mark described the crowd as being greatly astonished or overwhelmed with wonder when they saw Jesus; and they ran towards him. This phrase seems to imply there was something about Jesus’ physical appearance that brought on this amazed response. Was there still an afterglow of his glorious radiance still upon him?
Nevertheless, Jesus asked, “What’s going on?” A man from the crowd told Jesus about his son who had an unclean spirit. He’d brought the child to the disciples and the disciples had failed to heal him. Let’s think for a moment. The man probably intended to bring his son to Jesus to be healed. Following word of mouth and reports of Jesus ministry in the area, he’d discovered where Jesus was. But on arrival he found Jesus had left, leaving his waiting disciples in charge, so that Jesus and his three apostles could get away without being bothered by anyone.
But the remaining apostles are not helpless. They had witnessed Jesus doing healing miracles on perhaps 100s of occasions. Also, they had been on ministry trips where they’d encountered this very thing. As a result of their ministry to the sick and those with unclean spirits, they had seen people healed and delivered of unclean spirits. So they took the initiative and ministered to the child. They felt confident in knowing what to do. But they failed. Jesus said, “O unbelieving generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to endure you? Bring him to me.” There appeared to be a significant measure of frustration in the words of Jesus. The distinction between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world is so great, it appears even his disciples could not manage the difference.
So the boy came to Jesus and, immediately, the unclean spirit in the presence of Jesus manifested itself by throwing the boy into convulsions. The boy’s father said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” But Jesus responded with a sharp retort, “If you can! All things are possible for the one who believes.” The boy’s dad’s faith was very small. He had enough faith to bring the boy to Jesus but, in the face of the failure of the disciples, had lost most of that faith, and now wondered if, in fact, Jesus was able to help. It was quite possible the disciples, in their attempts to deliver the boy from the unclean spirit, called upon the name Jesus but the unclean spirit did not respond. So understandably the dad’s faith was almost gone. His heart was heavy. It seemed the hope that he had at the beginning of his journey had almost gone.
The confidence and certainty in the voice of Jesus lifted the dad’s spirit and he exclaimed, “I do believe, help me to overcome my unbelief.”
Jesus saw the crowd swelling in number, so he rebuked the unclean spirit and demanded that the spirit never enter the boy again. After convulsing the boy one last time, the spirit left, the boy recovered, and he and his dad were free of their torment.
Later that day his disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” As mentioned previously, the disciples had experience and they knew what to do. It would seem all the disciples had a turn to cast out the unclean spirit. They all failed. Even Andrew, Matthew, Phillip and Nathaniel failed. So the question was very real. They were genuinely perplexed. They’d “pressed all the right buttons” but without result.
But the answer Jesus gave must also have been perplexing. Jesus said, “This kind cannot come out except by prayer.” (Some manuscripts add “and fasting,” but for our purposes fasting is simply a more intense expression of prayer.) It’s perplexing because: What did Jesus mean by prayer? The disciples were familiar with Jewish formal prayers and would probably have often participated in them. But is this what Jesus meant? Or did he mean that at the time some were ministering deliverance, others should have been involved in extempore prayer to God? But what precisely should the disciples have been asking God for? Or did Jesus mean that the disciples’ lives should be so bathed in prayer that at any time they would be able to do deliverance ministry? Or did Jesus mean they needed to seek the filling of the Holy Spirit and when so anointed only then do the deliverance?
All these are good questions, but I think Jesus was referring to the practice of his own life. A life so in touch with his heavenly Father, he could say, “I only do the things I see my Heavenly Father do, and I only say the things I hear my Heavenly Father say.” This fellowship with the Father should be the desire of each believer. Then ministry of all types is done only in response to the prompting and leading of God himself. Man-generated ministry is bound to fail. As we know, God’s calling is always guaranteed by God’s provision.
Jesus now left Caesarea Philippi and passed through the region of Galilee, staying briefly in Capernaum. Jesus moved as privately as he could because he was in a teaching mode with his disciples. There was so much they needed to know. He told them he was going to be betrayed. Then he told them, again, he would be killed and after three days rise again. But his disciples still didn’t understand. The thinking that the Messiah of God, his very Son, would die at the hands of sinful men, was incomprehensible. The disciples now had such a high view of Jesus, and his awesome power, they couldn’t imagine how anyone could overpower him and subject him to death. It just wasn’t possible. Hence, they could not make sense of what Jesus had just told them.
Mark 9: 33 – 37 Who is the Greatest?
Jesus began his journey from Caesarea Philippi to Jerusalem. He managed to arrive at Capernaum for an overnight stop without attracting a crowd. He was indoors. During the journey south, which took about two or three days, the disciples had been engaged in a vigorous debate about who was the most important apostle. They had strung out in their walking and talked among themselves without Jesus overhearing. But Jesus may have known what they were in fact talking about, and so asked them the question, “What were you arguing about on the road?” The apostles are too embarrassed or ashamed to answer.
So Jesus taught the apostles through an enacted parable. But, first, before he draws attention to a child (probably one of the children living in the house where he is staying), Jesus makes another of his statements that has become famous, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
This statement is one of the most difficult to live out in practice. Our society expects the opposite. Leadership is usually demonstrated, today, by the presence of the great person having minions responding to his every beck and call. Even in the church, we often see leadership demonstrated in this worldly way.
The beautiful phrase, ‘Servant Leadership’, has come into the Christian vocabulary as a direct result of this statement of Jesus. All Christians should look at the way they implement this truth of Jesus. We need to model our leadership, whether pastoral, home group, youth group, crèche, or any other on these very words of Jesus. It is the only truly Christian form of leadership.
Jesus, with the child now in his arms, taught the importance of servanthood in leadership. In Jewish circles, to welcome someone into your house was not the casual affair we are accustomed to. It required giving the visitor your full attention, which included providing for their comfort. Remember, travellers were usually tired, dirty and hungry. To welcome a traveller was to meet those needs. To do so to a child, made the child very important. This was a powerful parable on the importance of servanthood. To welcome a child was to welcome Jesus. To welcome Jesus was to welcome God the Father. This was a really powerful illustration of the importance of servanthood. The trend today in Christian circles to ignore this truth is to the detriment of Christian ministry.
Mark 9: 38 – 39 Others Ministering
Apparently, there were other “followers of Jesus” who had seen some of the miraculous ministry of Jesus but who were not among the recognised apostles/disciples of Jesus. These people were putting into practice the things they’d seen Jesus do; namely casting out unclean spirits. They did so using the name and authority of Jesus. The apostles put a stop to it because they weren’t “one of us”. Jesus made it very clear it was OK for others to do the ministry of the Kingdom.
There is always a strong tendency for Christians in successful ministries to try and keep that ministry to themselves. This is pride. Instead, we should always rejoice others are involved in Kingdom ministry even if it is a clone of what we are doing. This reflects the servant ministry Jesus was teaching in the previous section.
Mark 9: 40 “Whoever is Not Against Us is For Us”
This statement from Jesus encouraged Christian brotherhood. Jesus taught there are others involved in Kingdom ministry. The ministry of others might be quite different from our own but if it is not antagonistic to what we are doing, we should welcome it. It is good to remember all true followers of Jesus only seek the glory of Jesus and not themselves.
Mark 9: 41 Cup of Water
This is a clear statement from Jesus that there was a reward for anyone who supported or cared for workers in God’s Kingdom. It showed Jesus was aware of the varying gifts, abilities and callings of people to work in his Kingdom; and that many of those tasks will appear menial. But they are all valuable to God in his kingdom. All that is required is we remain obedient to even the smallest request coming from the prompting of the Spirit of God.
Mark 9: 42 – 48 Sin and Its Consequences
Causing people to sin was the opposite of the previous statement. There is a serious judgement awaiting the opponents of those who are workers in the Kingdom. Verse 42 may have followed on from verse 37 where Jesus used a child as an object lesson of true servanthood. Here, the faith of even a child was promoted and highly valued by Jesus. This extends to the importance of children’s ministry. Children have a great capacity for faith. In a good household, a child learns intuitively to trust (have faith) in their parents and other family members. When they are lovingly introduced to Jesus, they have the capacity to believe and trust him. This childlike faith was used by Jesus to illustrate the simplicity of faith and to encourage adults to embrace Jesus in a similar manner.
Verses 43 – 48 are a trio of hyperbolic sayings to emphasise the dangers of sin.
Cut off the hand that sins; cut off the foot that sins; pluck out the eye that sins.
It is better to enter life maimed than with two hands go to hell.
It is better to enter life crippled than with two feet be thrown into hell.
It is better to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than have two eyes and be thrown into hell.
I’ll take a moment to explain an observation you may have had in reading the gospel narratives. In the synoptic gospels, you will have come across the phrase “Kingdom of God” repeatedly. For example, it is used over 70 times in Luke’s gospel. But outside Chapter 3 in John’s Gospel, the phrase doesn’t appear in John at all. Why is this when all four gospel writers are writing about the teaching of Jesus? The answer is simple and can easily be seen in the above verses. John uses the expression “life” or “eternal life” whereas Matthew uses the expression “Kingdom of Heaven”, and Mark and Luke use the phrase “Kingdom of God.” All these expressions were used by Jesus, and they all refer to the spiritual life that is lived in the Kingdom in which God reigns as King. (Devout Jews would avoid using the word “God” and substitute the word, “heaven” instead.)
So, what does this trio of sayings teach us?
· Life continues after physical death for everyone. It is eternal.
· There are alternate destinations: a) Life also described as Kingdom of God, and b) Hell.
· Hell is described three times with the expression, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”
· The whole of these sayings are exaggerations. Sin is not caused by one hand, one foot or one eye— as Jesus has already taught it is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. Furthermore, humans are not geckos which have independent eyes on either side of their head; humans have eyes that work together so it is impossible for only one eye to sin. For us, both eyes sin together, simultaneously.
This, therefore, is not a literal description of an eternal hell. It is an exaggerated statement in order to teach the horrors of not gaining entrance into God’s eternal Kingdom.
Mark 9: 49 – 50 Importance of Salt
Mark was the only gospel writer to include this metaphorical statement of Jesus. Salt and fire both have burning qualities. Salt and fire are both used symbolically for dedication and purification. But the emphasis, here, was on everyone. I think, therefore, as it follows on from the previous statements, Jesus was teaching that everyone will be judged to show the quality of their lives, faith and obedience to God. And in this process, a form of purification will occur. This could, therefore, be a clear reference to the coming atoning work of Jesus at Calvary.
The focus of the saying in verse 50 was on the disciples remaining sanctified. As people who had been cleansed through the purification of Jesus, the exhortation was to keep their purity by continuing to live lives honouring their status as disciples of Jesus. One such emphasis was the sense of unity. Jesus knew the propensity for people to argue and fight among themselves. A characteristic of the teaching of Jesus was the command to love one another and to love your brother. Lived out, this would bring peace between people.