Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
Holy 🙂
There’s a lot of stuff in this chapter …
Anyone want to shed some light on “those who will not taste death until the kingdom of God comes with power”? What does He mean here? Didn’t the kingdom of God come with power with Christ? Does He mean Pentecost or does he mean when He returns? So are there may be those walking around who are two thousand yeas old?? Wouldn’t that be interesting … Maybe there is something to that TV show called ‘The Immortals’ … 🙂
Holy 🙂
There’s a lot of stuff in this chapter …
Anyone want to shed some light on “those who will not taste death until the kingdom of God comes with power”? What does He mean here? Didn’t the kingdom of God come with power with Christ? Does He mean Pentecost or does he mean when He returns? So are there may be those walking around who are two thousand yeas old?? Wouldn’t that be interesting … Maybe there is something to that TV show called ‘The Immortals’ … 🙂
Yes there is a lot of stuff in this chapter and while I haven’t been writing I have been thinking 🙂
I think “death” is like the word “yeast” in the previous chapter. That is not intended to be taken literally. v.1 follows on from 8:34 where Jesus talks about “denying himself”. So “death”, as I see it, is a denying of our plans, our ambitions, our dreams. The disciples didn’t really experience this kind of “death” until after the Ascension. Up until then they were still thinking about going fishing (John 21:3) or other options. At Pentecost they experienced the Kingdom of God with power. At last their hearts were not hardened!
The implications for us are huge. If we want to experience God’s power in our lives we need to “taste death” to our plans, our ambitions, our dreams …
Yes there is a lot of stuff in this chapter and while I haven’t been writing I have been thinking 🙂
I think “death” is like the word “yeast” in the previous chapter. That is not intended to be taken literally. v.1 follows on from 8:34 where Jesus talks about “denying himself”. So “death”, as I see it, is a denying of our plans, our ambitions, our dreams. The disciples didn’t really experience this kind of “death” until after the Ascension. Up until then they were still thinking about going fishing (John 21:3) or other options. At Pentecost they experienced the Kingdom of God with power. At last their hearts were not hardened!
The implications for us are huge. If we want to experience God’s power in our lives we need to “taste death” to our plans, our ambitions, our dreams …
As I’ve been thinking about this today I thought about the huge implication this has for church services.
I believe more mature believers need to be “tasting death” to their preferences for types of songs and style of services. Statistically most people come to faith before they are 25 so it seems to me that we should be aiming to reach teenagers and young adults with our church services. If you are over 25, like me, we can no longer expect church services to meet our needs. We ought to be mature enough to feed ourselves anyway. It is now about what we can give to encourage young people in their faith. It is also about learning to connect with God through whatever means the worship leader presents us with, whether that is songs, prayers, meditations etc. irrespective of whether we get our preferences or not, we ought to still be able to connect with God and worship Him.
Of course, church services is just one area where we “taste death” to our preferences. There are plenty of others.
As I’ve been thinking about this today I thought about the huge implication this has for church services.
I believe more mature believers need to be “tasting death” to their preferences for types of songs and style of services. Statistically most people come to faith before they are 25 so it seems to me that we should be aiming to reach teenagers and young adults with our church services. If you are over 25, like me, we can no longer expect church services to meet our needs. We ought to be mature enough to feed ourselves anyway. It is now about what we can give to encourage young people in their faith. It is also about learning to connect with God through whatever means the worship leader presents us with, whether that is songs, prayers, meditations etc. irrespective of whether we get our preferences or not, we ought to still be able to connect with God and worship Him.
Of course, church services is just one area where we “taste death” to our preferences. There are plenty of others.
Hmmm Yeast…. Death
I’m thinking not the same but yeast leads to death …
Let’s put the end of Mark 8 and the beginning of Mark 9 together …
The end of Mark 8
“For whoever wishes to 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? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels…. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” nasb
I believe that death means death here … if anyone can give evidence that it is figurative I will stand corrected. And the kingdom coming in power I believe from reading here, is in the future. Mark 8 tells us this. I believe that Jesus is talking about His return in Mark 9 which is interesting that He tells them of this before He tells them He is leaving them by the same death any ordinary human would suffer.
“Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. Mark 13
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
This is particularly insightful as far as the fact that there will be those who will still be alive when He returns.
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”….
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15
And back to this statement … “there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Either there were those standing there who are still with us today waiting for His return and have a role to play which would be the makings of a cool movie or maybe it is this …
The word of God is “living” and when we read what He is saying to the apostles He is speaking to us today as well … as if WE are standing there in front of Him… just in a different time …
But then again,there are those who did not taste death in the OT, Elijah and Enoch.
Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
Hebrews 11
2 KINGS 2:11
As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more.
Hmmm Yeast…. Death
I’m thinking not the same but yeast leads to death …
Let’s put the end of Mark 8 and the beginning of Mark 9 together …
The end of Mark 8
“For whoever wishes to 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? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels…. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” nasb
I believe that death means death here … if anyone can give evidence that it is figurative I will stand corrected. And the kingdom coming in power I believe from reading here, is in the future. Mark 8 tells us this. I believe that Jesus is talking about His return in Mark 9 which is interesting that He tells them of this before He tells them He is leaving them by the same death any ordinary human would suffer.
“Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. Mark 13
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
This is particularly insightful as far as the fact that there will be those who will still be alive when He returns.
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”….
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 15
And back to this statement … “there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Either there were those standing there who are still with us today waiting for His return and have a role to play which would be the makings of a cool movie or maybe it is this …
The word of God is “living” and when we read what He is saying to the apostles He is speaking to us today as well … as if WE are standing there in front of Him… just in a different time …
But then again,there are those who did not taste death in the OT, Elijah and Enoch.
Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
Hebrews 11
2 KINGS 2:11
As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more.
Another couple of verses that I find particularly interesting are in the story of the healing of the boy with an evil spirit.
v.20 intially as soon as they brought the boy to Jesus he had a convulsion and in v.26 intially the boy looked dead. It reminds me that sometimes when I first bring a situaion to Jesus in prayer, the first thing that happens is the situation gets worse. But this now encourages me to keep praying as I know that Jesus has showed up and the devil is on a short time span.
Another couple of verses that I find particularly interesting are in the story of the healing of the boy with an evil spirit.
v.20 intially as soon as they brought the boy to Jesus he had a convulsion and in v.26 intially the boy looked dead. It reminds me that sometimes when I first bring a situaion to Jesus in prayer, the first thing that happens is the situation gets worse. But this now encourages me to keep praying as I know that Jesus has showed up and the devil is on a short time span.
Wendy, I will have to try and ask my grandfather to translate that “Death” section from the greek. Often the translation doesn’t match the real intended
meaning. I will see what he says.
Wendy, I will have to try and ask my grandfather to translate that “Death” section from the greek. Often the translation doesn’t match the real intended
meaning. I will see what he says.
You know Susan … that is true .. I cannot tell you of the countless times I have been so discouraged when I pray sincerely about something only to immediately have it get worse … good point and thanks for pointing that out … perseverance in prayer.
Thanks Nate … 🙂
You know Susan … that is true .. I cannot tell you of the countless times I have been so discouraged when I pray sincerely about something only to immediately have it get worse … good point and thanks for pointing that out … perseverance in prayer.
Thanks Nate … 🙂
Always good to “Listen to Him”(v.7) when we don’t know what to say (v.6)!
Always good to “Listen to Him”(v.7) when we don’t know what to say (v.6)!
v.5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
The shelters Peter is referring to is probably like those the Israelites put up during the festival of tabernacles which lasted seven days. Peter wants to stay and bask in the glory.
v.5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
The shelters Peter is referring to is probably like those the Israelites put up during the festival of tabernacles which lasted seven days. Peter wants to stay and bask in the glory.
v. 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Prayer shows our dependency on God. We cannot rebuke demons in our own strengthen or cleverness, we must rely on God.
v. 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Prayer shows our dependency on God. We cannot rebuke demons in our own strengthen or cleverness, we must rely on God.
v.30-31 Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples.
Likewise we need to take time out to devote to learning from Jesus. Conferences, seminars, retreats are helpful in this way.
v.30-31 Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples.
Likewise we need to take time out to devote to learning from Jesus. Conferences, seminars, retreats are helpful in this way.
v.32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Mark has written about the hard heartedness of the disciples and here we see their reluctance to ask Jesus about something they don’t understand. Rather than ask they preferred to stay in their ignorance, a sign of their hard hearts.
How often are we comfortable in our ignorance and don't seek the Lord?
v.32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Mark has written about the hard heartedness of the disciples and here we see their reluctance to ask Jesus about something they don’t understand. Rather than ask they preferred to stay in their ignorance, a sign of their hard hearts.
How often are we comfortable in our ignorance and don't seek the Lord?
v.3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Interesting to note that in the Old Testament that bright light represented the glory of God.
v.3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Interesting to note that in the Old Testament that bright light represented the glory of God.