Sermon Notes - June 30, 2024
Follow Me / Mark 9 / The Sign of Jonah
Chris Pletcher
We are at the halfway point of Mark! Some teachers believe that Mark’s Gospel is intentionally divided between 2 eight chapter sections:
Section 1 introduced us to the Deliverance King… an action-packed account of the dynamic and powerful ministry of this man from Nazareth who commands both demons and storms, who cleanses both skin diseases and sin, and who heals incurable maladies and even raises the dead to new life. NO ONE CAN DO WHAT THIS MAN DOES.
Section 2 of this eyewitness account takes a turn in what would have been the most unexpected direction for His followers at the time. And it’s buried here in this interaction about “a sign from heaven”. Matthew’s account gives us a little more insight here…
Matthew 16:1-4 // And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
THE SIGN OF JONAH //
Mark 8:31-38 // And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
“Take up your cross” // “Lose your life to save it”
At this point, the boys have to be thinking about John the Baptist, the first true martyr in the cause of Christ. Remember Mark 6? John calls out a political leader for breaking the law, and it literally costs him his head. These guys are probably still wrestling with the shock and grief of John’s death, and now Jesus begins to explicitly use language inviting them into the same fate.
They waited their entire lives to be SAVED BY THE MESSIAH. DELIVERANCE from tyrannical authorities was at the absolute center of their Messianic hope… that should tell us something.
Jesus is clear, and he takes this moment to outline the COST OF DISCIPLESHIP in no uncertain terms…
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
How can anyone sustain this cost? The answer is on the mountain…
Mark 9 // 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.”
2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
A few things to love about Mark 9:
Mark’s account is almost a handbook for deliverance ministry.
In the presence of Jesus, demons tremble.
Jesus again emphasizes that FAITH is the key to impossible things becoming normal.
Jesus sharply rebukes the demon, and He commands it BY NAME.
Rebuke - to exact a penalty from a place of authority
Name - you must know a creature’s name to command it
“Come out and never ENTER again”
This is house/temple language, which is critical for understanding demonic oppression. Unclean spirits gain access to your temple (your body) through sin and agreement… their nature is “unclean” and they gain entry through “unclean deeds”
These spirits become “unwanted company” in your home, bringing torment, heaviness and oppression, and they must be forcefully removed in many cases.
Entry/Exit language is crucial for understanding the nature of demons… we don’t know how/why this young boy was tormented, but there is always an entry point for demonization… the Good News is that once we identify the entry point, it almost always become the EXIT POINT as well!
Verses 30-32 highlight the importance that death & resurrection theology is a TEACHING that must be learned, absorbed and received.
Mark 9:30-32 // They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
It took time, repetition and a process for His followers to grasp the unique teaching of JONAH
JONAH AND THE MESSIAH DON’T EVEN BELONG IN THE SAME SENTENCE!
Unless they do…
John 12:23-26 // And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
From the parable of the sower to 2 different mass feedings using bread, God is using the agrarian cycle to show us something about His kingdom. But it is John that captures the cost so clearly… “unless a grain of wheat falls INTO the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Jonah went into the belly of a whale for 3 days… Jesus went into the belly of the earth for 3 days, and they both emerged, went to the cities they were commissioned to reach, and saw massive repentance and revival in response to their message.
But the method of sand, salt, stickiness, the smell of fish, and darkness… well, that’s pretty counterintuitive to our “survival instinct”... especially for us as comfy Americans.
Oh sure, we want to see revival… but we don’t want to pay the cost.
We want to see salvation, but we don’t want to lose our lives.
We want to see healing and deliverance, but we don’t want to pray and fast for it.
We want to be good soil! We want to see 30, 60 and 100-fold fruit!
But we don’t want to be the grain of wheat that dies.
WHAT IF, LIKE JESUS, YOUR DEATH MEANS LIFE FOR THE WORLD?
What if, like Jesus, your willingness to suffer is someone else’s doorway to be healed?
What if, like Jesus, your willingness to be rejected is the key to someone else's acceptance?
2 Corinthians 4:7-12 // But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
How can anyone sustain this cost?
Maybe the place of ENCOUNTER is not the goal, it’s just the fuel. Giving our lives away is the goal; encounters simply strengthen us so that we can die with courage.
He humbled Himself to the point of death. As much as I wish that the invitation and cost has changed since then, our bible is clear:
Mark 8:34-36 // “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
2 Corinthians 4:11-12 // “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”
Response //
Count the cost. Wrestle with the weight. And make up your mind that you aren’t going to waste your life by trying to save it. LOSE IT. GIVE IT ALL. Find a lane that you can lay down and die in… and watch the fruit that rises as you lay down your life in the soil of His Kingdom.