Bible Study Notes

Mark 9:1

As the Exemplary Person

Jesus Has Come To another point of no return.

 

Once And For All, He Has To Confront

1. The Secular And Humanistic Mind with

2. The Radical Claims Of The Gospel.

 

Having Told The Disciples What It Means For Him To Be The Christ,

He Calls The Crowd Around Him To Announce To

• The world and

• To all generations what it means to

• Confess the Christ and take his name.

 

The Laws Of Life.

Four Laws Of Life Are Given By Jesus Which Touch Upon The

1. Psychological,

2. Physical,

3. Economic,

4. And spiritual nature of man.

 

In Time Perspective, The Four Laws Extend From

1. The present moment,

2. Through the end of physical life,

3. Into eternity,

4. And on to the day of the lord.

 

In Content,  They Encompass All Of The Strivings That Make Up The

1. Human Mind—

2. Motives,

3. Aims,

4. Values,

5. And Goals.

 

By Time And Content, Then, Jesus Invokes

• The Four Laws Of Life To Sever

• The Mind Of Man From The Mind Of Christ.

 

A Secular And Humanistic Mind Is

1. Motivated By Selfishness;

2. It Needs Security,

3. Values Success,

4. And Sets A Goal On Status.

 

The Mind Of Christ, However,

1. Takes up the Cross,

2. Loses its life, gains its soul,

3. And glorifies God.

 

Never Again Can A Christian be confused with a worldling.

They Live Byconflicting laws and on a different time schedule.

 

 The Distinction Is Seenin the following chart:

The Laws of Life Mar_8:34-38

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The Test Of Life.

As Jesus Throws Down The Gauntlet on the mind of man in the Laws of Life,

He Puts His Hearers To a  fourfold test.

 

First, What Are Your Present Motives?

• Do You Deny The Desires For Immediate And Selfish Gratification in order to Take Up Your Cross And Follow Christ?

 

Second, What Are Your Future Aims?

• Are You Working To Avoid Death Or Willing To Lose Your Life for The Sake Of Christ And The Gospel?

 

Third, Where Are Your Eternal Values?

• Is Economic Success The Priority Of Your Life or are you putting the Premium Upon The Worth Of The Soul?

 

Fourth, What Is Your Ultimate Goal?

• Is It Limited To Earthly Status Or projected toward The Chief End Of Glorifying God?

 

Followers Of Christ Are Susceptible To

• The influences of the secular and humanistic mind.

 

Harry Blamires, In His Book The Christian Mind,

• Exposes Our Failure To Think Christianly.

 

The Marks Of A Christian Mind, According To Blamires,

1. Are an eternal time perspective,

2. An awareness of evil,

3. A concept of revealed truth,

4. An acceptance of God's Authority,

5. An incarnational concern for people,

6. And a sacramental cast.

 

 Ideally, Each Of Us Subscribes To

• These marks of a Christian mind.

 

In Practice, However, We Fall Far Short.

 

Unconscious Victims Of The "Me" Generation,

1. We Squeeze Time Into The Immediate,

2. Downplay the power of Evil,

3. Give Lip-Service to the great doctrines,

4. Negotiate God's Authority,

5. Excuse our lack of compassion,

6. And Seek Our Joy only in The Pleasures Of Life.

 

If We Are Consciously Or Unconsciously The Victims Of The Secular And Humanistic Mind Which Dominates Our Day,

• Jesus has something to say to us.

 

Every Time That We Repeat Our Confession That He is the Christ,

• The Echo of His voice comes back across the chasm between His mind and ours,

  • "Take up your cross, lose your life, gain your soul, and glorify your God." He takes away all of our excuses.

 

The Goal Of Life.

In The Last Of The Four Laws Of Life,

• Jesus Lifts The Veil on the doctrine of The Second Coming, when He adds,

  • "the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mar_8:38).

 

He Is Not Only Giving The Law That makes The Glory Of God The Ultimate Goal of THE MIND OF CHRIST,

• But He Is Also Pointing Forward To  The End Of Time When He Shall Return In Judgment.

 

 But As Quickly As He stretches time to its ultimate,

• Jesus pulls it back into the present by saying,

• "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power" (Mar_9:1).

 

The Meanings Are Multiple.

Jesus Puts An Urgency Upon The Admonition To

• "… watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mar_13:33).

 

He Also Foresees The Disciples As

• witnesses of His Resurrection.

 

 Perhaps He Refers To The Power Of the Holy Ghost which will carry the gospel from

• Jerusalem, to Judea, and unto The Uttermost Parts of the earth.

 

Even More Immediately,

• Jesus Anticipates the disciples joining Him in The Transfiguration that will take place in just Six Days.