Mark 9 – The Transfiguration, Unbelief, and the Path to Greatness
Mark 9 unveils the glory of Christ through the Transfiguration, reveals the struggle of unbelief, and redefines greatness as servanthood. This chapter is a call to trust fully in Jesus and walk in humility and purity.
From Glory on the Mountain to Humility in the Valley
Mark 9 transitions from one of the most divine revelations of Christ’s glory to the messy reality of broken faith and human weakness. Jesus teaches His disciples about faith, humility, and radical discipleship.
✔ Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John.
✔ He casts out a demon that the disciples could not.
✔ Jesus predicts His death and resurrection again.
✔ He teaches that the greatest in God’s kingdom is the servant of all.
✔ Jesus warns against causing others to stumble and calls for personal holiness.
📖 Key Verse: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” – Mark 9:23
🔎 Faith in Jesus brings power, while pride and unbelief hinder the walk of a true disciple.
Mark Chapter 9 - Overview
Mark 9:1-13 – The Transfiguration of Jesus
📖 Mark 9:2-3 – “He was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow.”
🔎 The word “transfigured” (Greek: metamorphoo) means to be changed into another form. Jesus’ divine glory shines through His humanity, offering the disciples a glimpse of His true nature as the eternal Son of God. This moment also foreshadows the glorified state believers will receive (Philippians 3:21).
📖 Mark 9:4 – “And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.”
🔎 Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets—God’s covenant and prophetic witness. Their presence affirms that Jesus is the fulfillment of all Scripture. Luke’s Gospel reveals they discussed His upcoming death (Luke 9:31), affirming the cross as central to God’s plan.
📖 Mark 9:5-6 – “Let us make three tabernacles… For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.”
🔎 Peter’s response reflects awe but also confusion. His desire to build tabernacles implies a wish to preserve the moment—but this isn’t the time to remain in glory. There is still a cross to bear. Fear often leads to impulsive or misguided actions.
📖 Mark 9:7 – “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
🔎 God’s voice interrupts Peter’s suggestion to elevate all three (Jesus, Moses, Elijah) equally. Instead, He emphasizes that Jesus alone has ultimate authority. This echoes the baptism scene (Mark 1:11) and reminds us that discipleship is grounded in obedience to Christ.
📖 Mark 9:8 – “Suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.”
🔎 When the cloud lifts, only Jesus remains. The age of the Law and the Prophets is fulfilled—now the spotlight rests solely on Christ.
📖 Mark 9:10 – “Questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.”
🔎 Despite witnessing this supernatural event, the disciples still do not grasp the resurrection. Their confusion reveals how difficult it was—even for those closest to Him—to understand that the Messiah must suffer before reigning in glory.
📖 Mark 9:12-13 – “Elias verily cometh first… Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed.”
🔎 Jesus clarifies that Elijah has come already in the person of John the Baptist (see Matthew 17:12-13). Just as John suffered and was rejected, so too will Jesus be. This underscores a major theme: glory must come through suffering.
🔎 Thematic Insights:
The Mountain and the Valley: The glory of the mountain prepares them for the trials in the valley. Christian faith is not just mountaintop experiences but walking with Jesus in everyday life.
Identity of Christ Confirmed: God Himself affirms who Jesus is—above all the prophets, priests, or kings.
The Cross is Central: Even in glory, the conversation pointed to the cross. There is no resurrection without suffering.
The Disciples’ Journey: The process of understanding Jesus’ mission is gradual. The transfiguration planted seeds they would later understand fully after the resurrection.
Mark 9:14-29 – Healing the Demon-Possessed Boy
📖 Mark 9:17-18 – “I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.”
🔎 The disciples’ inability to cast out the demon contrasts sharply with Jesus’ power. Despite being commissioned earlier (Mark 6:7), their authority had waned—highlighting the danger of relying on past experiences rather than ongoing dependence on God.
📖 Mark 9:19 – “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.”
🔎 Jesus rebukes the lack of faith not just in the disciples, but in the whole crowd. His words reflect both grief and urgency. Faith is not optional—it is foundational.
📖 Mark 9:20-22 – “He fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming… If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.”
🔎 The boy’s affliction is severe, symbolic of Satan’s destructive aim (John 10:10). The father’s plea shifts from accusation to desperation—a vital move toward faith.
📖 Mark 9:23-24 – “If thou canst believe, all things are possible… Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
🔎 This is one of the most honest prayers in all of Scripture. Faith is not the absence of doubt but the willingness to trust despite it. Jesus honors sincerity over perfection.
📖 Mark 9:25-27 – “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out… and he was as one dead… But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up.”
🔎 The boy appears dead—a picture of spiritual death—until Jesus raises him up, symbolizing resurrection power. This moment mirrors Christ’s power over both demons and death.
📖 Mark 9:28-29 – “Why could not we cast him out? And he said… This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
🔎 Some spiritual battles require deeper dependence. Prayer and fasting reflect humility, surrender, and alignment with the will of God—not ritual but relationship.
🔎 Thematic Insights:
Powerless Without Presence: The disciples’ failure underscores the danger of ministry without intimacy with God.
Deliverance Requires Faith: Authority in the spiritual realm is connected to trust in God, not formulaic actions.
The Role of the Intercessor: The father’s broken cry on behalf of his son is a powerful picture of intercessory prayer.
Spiritual Warfare Is Real: This passage reminds us that demonic oppression is real and must be faced with God’s authority, not human strength.
Mark 9:30-32 – Jesus Foretells His Death Again
📖 Mark 9:30-31 – “And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples… The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men.”
🔎 Jesus intentionally avoids public ministry during this time to focus on private instruction. This shows His commitment to preparing His disciples for what lies ahead.
📖 Mark 9:31 – “They shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.”
🔎 Jesus clearly outlines both His suffering and resurrection. Yet again, He shows that suffering is not the end—glory follows.
📖 Mark 9:32 – “But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”
🔎 Fear and confusion still cloud the disciples’ perception. Though Jesus is speaking plainly, they are not yet ready to grasp the full implications of the cross.
🔎 Thematic Insights:
The Hidden Path of the Messiah: Jesus doesn’t seek fame or fanfare—He moves with purpose toward the cross.
Spiritual Blindness Persists: Despite witnessing miracles and the Transfiguration, the disciples struggle to comprehend the central message of the gospel.
Fear Blocks Understanding: Instead of asking questions, the disciples retreat into silence. Intimacy with God requires boldness to seek truth, even when it challenges us.
Mark 9:33-37 – True Greatness in God’s Kingdom
📖 Mark 9:34 – “They had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.”
🔎 The disciples were focused on position, not servanthood.
📖 Mark 9:35 – “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
🔎 Jesus redefines greatness through humility.
📖 Mark 9:36-37 – “Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name… receiveth me.”
🔎 Welcoming the weak is the essence of true discipleship.
Mark 9:38-50 – Warnings, Temptation, and Fire
📖 Mark 9:38-40 – “We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us… For he that is not against us is on our part.”
🔎 The disciples reveal sectarian thinking—jealous of others doing ministry outside their circle. Jesus corrects them, teaching that unity in mission is more important than exclusivity.
📖 Mark 9:41 – “Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name… he shall not lose his reward.”
🔎 Small acts done in Jesus’ name are eternally significant. Nothing is overlooked in the kingdom of God.
📖 Mark 9:42 – “Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones… it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck.”
🔎 God takes spiritual influence seriously. Causing a believer to stumble invites severe judgment. This includes false teaching, bad example, or emotional harm.
📖 Mark 9:43-48 – “If thy hand offend thee, cut it off… it is better… to enter into life maimed, than… into hell.”
🔎 These graphic statements call for radical separation from sin. The cost of following Jesus is high, but the cost of sin is higher. The word “hell” here is Gehenna, a burning trash heap outside Jerusalem—symbolizing eternal destruction.
📖 Mark 9:49 – “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.”
🔎 Salt and fire symbolize purification and preservation. Disciples must endure testing (fire) and maintain their spiritual integrity (salt).
📖 Mark 9:50 – “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness… Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”
🔎 Believers must not only be holy (salty) but also peaceful. True discipleship balances truth and grace.
🔎 Thematic Insights:
Unity Over Competition: The kingdom is bigger than one group—Jesus welcomes faithful service, even from unexpected places.
Severity of Sin: Jesus’ words show that sin is not to be taken lightly. We must remove anything—habits, relationships, thoughts—that pull us from God.
Holiness & Sacrifice: To be a true disciple requires enduring refinement and maintaining integrity, even when it costs us.
Living Sacrifices: We are called not only to believe but to be transformed—salted, tested, and preserved for God’s glory.
Mark Chapter 9 - Deeper Study
Overview: Glory, Humility, and Holiness
🔹 Timeframe: As Jesus continues toward Jerusalem, His teachings grow more intense.
🔹 Setting: Mount of Transfiguration, Galilee, and Capernaum.
🔹 Theme: Faith over fear, humility over pride, and holiness over compromise.
Key Takeaways
🔑 Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets—He alone must be heard.
🔑 Even partial belief is powerful when surrendered to Christ.
🔑 True greatness is found in humble service.
🔑 Sin must be dealt with radically to avoid spiritual ruin.
🔑 Unity and personal holiness are vital in the life of a disciple.
Prophetic Patterns & Dual Fulfillment
🔮 The Glory of the Messiah – Foreshadowed in Exodus 34, where Moses’ face shone after encountering God.
🔮 The Suffering Servant – Echoes Isaiah 53, where Christ is handed over to die.
🔮 Childlike Faith – Resonates with Psalm 8:2, where strength comes from the mouths of children.
Historical & Cultural Context
📜 The Mountaintop Revelation – Mountaintop events were often linked to divine encounters (like Sinai).
📜 Demonic Affliction and Deliverance – Spiritual warfare was understood as real and intense in first-century Judaism.
📜 Rabbinic Hierarchies – Jesus overturns the typical pursuit of rank and prestige by elevating humility.
💡 Final Reflection: Are We Listening to Him?
Mark 9 confronts us with the question: Are we listening to Jesus or chasing our own agendas?
📌 Are we walking in faith, even when we struggle with unbelief?
📌 Are we serving others or seeking recognition?
📌 Are we cutting off sin before it destroys us or tolerating it in secret?
🚀 The glory is real. The cost is high. But Jesus is worth it.
Mar 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
The Transfiguration
Mar 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.
Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
Mar 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.
Mar 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mar 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Mar 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Mar 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
Mar 9:9 And 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.
Mar 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
Mar 9:11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mar 9:12 And 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.
Mar 9:13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
Mar 9:14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
Mar 9:15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
Mar 9:16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
Mar 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mar 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
Mar 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Mar 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
Mar 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mar 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mar 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Mar 9:26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
Mar 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
Mar 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
Mar 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
Mar 9:30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mar 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
Mar 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
Mar 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Mar 9:36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
Mar 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us
Mar 9:38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
Mar 9:39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
Mar 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
Mar 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
Temptations to Sin
Mar 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Mar 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Mar 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Mar 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
Mar 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Date Written
Around 55-65 A.D.
Written By
John Mark
Language
Greek
Verses
50