in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the coming of elijah & a...

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

The Coming of Elijah &A Demoniac Child

December 6, 2009

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THE COMING OF ELIJAH

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Matthew’s Account• Matthew 17:9-13

– 9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.


Mark’s Account• Mark 9:9-13

– 9As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 11They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”


For Discussion• Why would Jesus not want His disciples

talking about the Transfiguration and what they saw?– Why wait until after He has risen?

• They still do not have the correct understanding of who the Messiah is and what He is about– Jesus does not need them talking about this

heavenly episode when there is an earthly mission to be accomplished


For Discussion• “They seized upon that statement,

discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant.”– How can it be that the disciples still do not

understand what Jesus has been telling them?

• In their defense, how could you witness the power and majesty of the Transfiguration and possibly grasp how the works of men could have any impact whatsoever of the Son of God?


For Discussion• “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah

must come first?”• Malachi 4:5-6

– 5“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

• Further scribal teachings added “restore the tribes of Judah”


For Discussion• Now that they have seen Elijah, they must

be wondering: “What happens next?”• “I say to you ...”

– Elijah has already come ...– The restoration has begun ...– Jesus clarifies the prophecy for them and

directs their thinking to John the Baptist– And to his suffering, persecution and ultimate

death• Jesus then goes on to link his own fate to

that of John (cf. Isaiah 53)www.FootstepsOfTheMaster.info 8

THE HEALING OF A DEMONIAC CHILD



– 14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.


Luke’s Account• Luke 9:37-43

– 37On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, 39and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.



– 14When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.”



Mark’s Account (cont.)• Mark 9:19-22

– 19And He answered* them and said*, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

Mark’s Account (cont.)• Mark 9:23-26

– 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up.


For Discussion• Consider the scene:

– Jesus and Peter, James & John have been away from the rest of the group

– They return to find the rest of the disciples arguing with some scribes (perhaps from Jerusalem?)

– Jesus asks (probably of the scribes) what they are discussing

– The answer that comes is from the father of a demon-possessed child, whom the other disciples could not heal


For Discussion• Why could the disciples not heal this

child?– They had been given power over “unclean

spirits” (Mark 6:7)– They had been successful (Mark 6:13)

• Perhaps they had become self-reliant based on past success and failed to acknowledge the source of the power?– Note Jesus’ later reference to “only through

prayer”


For Discussion• The father provides a complete description

of the child’s situation• Jesus asks that the child be brought to him

– What happens when the child sees Jesus?– “The demons believe and tremble” (James

2:19)• What is the father’s request?

– “But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”

• And Jesus’ response?– “If You can????”


For Discussion• Pause for a moment and consider those

words: “If You can ...”– Have you ever approached God in that way?– How do you think He reacts?– How did Jesus react here?

• “All things are possible for those who believe ...”– Not because of what we believe, but because

of Who we believe in


For Discussion• What is the Father’s response?

– “Help my unbelief ...”– What a powerful prayer!

• Note the interesting parallel that the removal of the demon from the child leaves him “like a corpse”– Jesus figuratively raises him from the dead to

overpower Satan and his angels– Jesus will literally go through the same

process


ONLY BY PRAYER



– 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20And He said* to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”



– 28When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”


For Discussion• Privately, the disciples ask Jesus why they

couldn’t drive out the demon– And what is His answer?– Lack of faith

• Why the reference to prayer(and fasting)?



Next Week• Payment of the Tribute

in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ the coming of elijah & a...

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