Good evening.
Good to see everyone this evening.
We're in Mark chapter 9.
Mark chapter nine this evening.
Let's begin with a word prayer.
Gracious Father in heaven, we come before your throne, grateful for the day that you've blessed us with, mindful of all that you have done for us, with hearts heavy at the
actions that have taken place in our country.
and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Lord, we pray that you will be with the Kirk family, with those who are close to that family.
We pray for this nation that the hearts of individuals will be turned to your word, to open up your word and your will.
They might know both how to live, how to resolve conflicts, but also how to be obedient to you.
Lord, we pray for this nation and we pray for the people in it.
We pray for its leaders.
We pray for their safety.
We pray for peace throughout the world and throughout every nation.
We know this is not just an American situation or American problem.
Lord, we pray for boldness to preach the truth, to not allow our hearts to be turned to fear.
But always remember that this life is going to come to an end.
It matters rather how we live it and what we do in this life and not how quickly we leave it.
Lord, we pray that you be with us as we go through this period of study.
May the things that we say and do be those things which are right in accordance with your will.
All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen.
Jesus tells those who He has told to take up their cross and follow Him, those He has told that He is going to be betrayed, that He is going to die at the hands of His enemies, and
to those who He has said that...
Some of them will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God present with power.
He said all of these things, a couple of things about this chapter 9 verse 1.
What power was the kingdom going to present with?
Casting out of demons is something that uh was already present.
What was unique about Acts chapter 2 that was different from everything up until that point?
Speaking in tongues is part of it because the apostles, as they got up and spoke, everyone heard in their own languages.
But was it just speaking in tongues that occurred?
The key here, by the way, is Acts chapter 1.
What did Jesus tell the apostles to remain in Jerusalem and wait for?
All right, turn to Acts chapter 1 and notice this because this is exactly what Jesus is talking about when He describes the kingdom present with power.
In Acts chapter 1, before Jesus ascends back into heaven, we read in chapter 1 verse 6, therefore when they had come together, that being the 12 or the 11,
They asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea.
and Samaria and to the end of the earth.
Jesus will tell his disciples, he will tell the eleven, that they are to remain in Jerusalem and they are to do so until they receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, as you notice this, it is important
to identify the fact that this correlates directly with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Many times individuals will ask the question, well, wait a minute, what is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, okay?
This is a description and the reading is, you'll notice it, of,
what you read in the text of Acts chapter two is a description of the Holy Spirit baptism.
Doesn't have anything to do with salvation by way of an individual's personal salvation.
It rather had to do with God pouring out his Spirit upon the apostles in the first century.
And there is one other record of it.
We'll get into that in a moment.
But
When you see in Acts chapter 2, Jesus has just told them, you're going to stay in Jerusalem until you receive the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit.
He says, when the day of Pentecost, chapter 2, verse 1, had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven.
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused.
because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
Let's get down to verse 12.
So they were all amazed and perplexed saying to one another, what could this mean?
Others mocking said they are full of new wine.
But Peter standing up with the 11 raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words.
For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
And on my men servants and on my maid servants, I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Joel, over in Joel chapter 2 verses 28 through 32, as he's dealing with his
primary focus is the day of the Lord in the prophecy of Joel.
He's dealing with, in that context that is quoted by Peter, he is dealing with God's promise of the coming kingdom.
And he is dealing with the sign of the fact that it is when God would pour out his Spirit upon the people that this would be evidence of
that day.
Also, by the way, evidence of a judgment on Israel, because that's the greater view of the book of Joel, is God's judgment on a nation that had departed from him.
So Peter says, this is God's spirit.
This is the fulfillment of Joel 2.
Jesus says, you stay in Jerusalem.
until this occurs.
Mark 9, Jesus says, some of you will still be alive when this occurs.
But did you notice something about Joel chapter 2?
Joel chapter 2 says that I will pour out my spirit on all the Jews.
All flash.
you don't have the other part of the story concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of Joel 2 until you get to Acts chapter 10.
In Acts chapter 10,
Peter is called to the house of Cornelius.
And we read in verse 34, then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is
accepted by Him.
The word which God sent to the children of Israel preaching peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all.
that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
Him God raised up on the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from
the dead.
And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead."
To him all the prophets witness that through his name whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished.
As many as came with Peter,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit?
And notice his phrase, just as we have.
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
then they asked him to stay a few days.
Okay?
So then chapter 11, Peter is going to go back to Jerusalem and there's going to be a discussion as to whether or not this should have happened.
And there's going to be some who say, no, these Gentiles, they didn't do what they should have done.
Peter is going to point out in his discussion with them that these people did exactly what God showed.
should be done.
If you go into chapter 11, Peter's going to rehearse the events that occurred, what he saw there in Joppa, and then notice, let's see, verse 13, and he told us how he had seen an
angel, speaking of Cornelius, standing in his house who said to him, send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.
who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.
First point, did the pouring out of the Spirit upon the Gentiles in Cornelius' house save them?
No.
Why?
How do we know for sure?
First way we know for sure is over in Joel chapter two,
Joel said that those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
In the very context where the discussion is made of the pouring out of the Spirit, Joel identifies that it's not the pouring out of the Spirit that's going to save people, it's
going to be their actions in response to hearing the word of God.
Secondly, who was the Spirit poured out upon in Acts chapter two on the day of Pentecost?
Was it all the people or was it the 11?
The 11.
Were they currently, at the time it was poured out upon them, lost or saved?
Saved.
Did it make them more saved after the Spirit was poured out upon them than they were saved before it was poured out upon them?
No.
So it didn't save them and it was poured out on them.
They were already saved.
Third.
When Cornelius and his house had the spirit poured out upon them, what did Peter say it was confirmation of?
that they were already saved or that they should be told words by which they could be saved.
Peter says, was confirmation that we could tell them words by which they could be saved.
But then notice what we read, and as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them as upon us at the beginning.
He doesn't say as upon the Jews.
He doesn't say as upon
all those who have been saved, he says, this is as it was at the beginning.
What event was at the beginning of the kingdom and the church?
Acts chapter 2, in the day of Pentecost.
What event was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy that God's Spirit would be poured out on all flesh?
the day of Pentecost, when God's Spirit was poured out upon the apostles.
And now in Acts chapter 10, Cornelius' household, where God's Spirit is poured out upon the Gentiles.
All of this is part of the fulfillment of prophecy concerning what would occur when the kingdom had come.
but notice further.
you find in Acts chapter 11 verses 19 down through verse 26 that Paul, or Saul and Barnabas are in Antioch and they're doing the work in Antioch and as salvation has now
come to the Gentiles and the work in Antioch begins to grow and flourish where both there are both Jews and Gentiles in that congregation.
in that church and in that city, you read verse 27, And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Then one of them named Agabas stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius
Caesar.
Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Jerusalem.
This they did also and sent to the elders.
by the hands of Barnabas.
I, oh, that's because I wanted verse 26.
I knew I skipped something.
All right, verse 25, then Barnabas departed from Tarsus to seek, or for Tarsus to seek Saul.
And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch, that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.
And the disciples were first called what in Antioch?
Christians.
Part of the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah was that God would bring forth this work and then God would bring forth a new name by which his people were called.
But you notice that the new name did not get fulfilled, that being Christians, until after Jew and Gentile.
were both the recipients of the pouring out of the Spirit and entrance into the kingdom.
Jew, Jewish Christians as it were, were never referred to as Christians until there were Gentile Christians involved as well.
God's prophecies all line up, are all fulfilled in order to point out.
exactly what Jesus is saying here in Mark chapter 9, that the kingdom of God had come with power and that as it had been promised in the Old Testament prophets, that kingdom was not
just for Israel.
That kingdom was not just for the Jews.
That kingdom was for all flesh.
Okay?
Any questions about that?
Let me ask one more before we go too far.
And I don't wanna get into, this into a complete study of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but with baptism, what three roles are necessary for baptism to occur?
There's three different roles that have to exist in order for baptism to occur.
What are they?
All right, the person being baptized, the person doing it, and the third one's not a person.
the thing they're being immersed into, okay?
Three roles are necessary in order to have the function of immersion baptism.
The object or person being baptized, the one doing the baptizing, and the thing that they're immersed into, okay?
In water baptism or the baptism of salvation,
Who's being baptized?
Saved person or lost person?
Lost person.
Okay?
When they come back out of the water, what are they?
Saved person, okay?
Who's doing the baptizing?
The person who puts them in the water, okay?
In New Testament salvation and the command to be baptized for the remission of sins, is there any stipulation or qualification about the person who does the baptizing?
No, other than there will be someone who does it.
Okay, there's an instruction for there to be someone, but there's no qualification.
Matter of fact, Paul makes the point in 1 Corinthians chapter one, Christ sent me not to baptize.
He's not saying he didn't send me to preach baptism.
He says, Christ didn't give me an assignment to go around dunking people in the water personally.
It's unimportant.
And yet the church at Corinth,
were those who were calling themselves after the person who had baptized them.
So in water baptism, for the remission of sins, there's three roles, water, the person being baptized, and the person who does the baptizing.
All three of those things are necessary for immersion.
for the remission of sins.
But when you get to the Holy Spirit baptism, the same three roles exist, but the purpose is different and the ones involved are different.
In the Holy Spirit baptism, the text is very clear that the one doing the baptizing matters a lot because it is specifically stated that Christ
is the one who is doing the baptizing.
Secondly, that it is the spirit that is the object the individual is being immersed in.
Okay?
It is specifically stated that Christ is going to pour out the Spirit of God upon the individuals.
Okay?
And that they are immersed
in the Spirit.
So you have the person being baptized, they have no role or function in it whatsoever, right?
Did the apostles say, you know what, we're ready.
Whenever the Holy Spirit's ready, we're just gonna wait here.
No, it was entirely on God's determination as to when that would occur.
They didn't choose it and they didn't cause it, by the way, the house of Cornelius.
Were they standing around waiting for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them?
No!
They were listening to Peter preach.
God chose when it was going to occur.
God did it in the middle of Peter preaching and they stand up and start talking.
So the person who is, we'll say unimportant, but least important in Holy Spirit baptism is the person being baptized.
Because God is choosing when to act.
God is using it as a demonstration of His power, His authority, and His determination.
The only two occurrences that you find anywhere in the text.
of Holy Spirit baptism, Acts chapter two, Acts chapter 10.
There's no other occurrences of Holy Spirit baptism or promises of Holy Spirit baptism anywhere else in all of scripture.
Those are the only two.
And both of them, it was done without the individuals requesting it, having any say in it, or making any determination whatsoever.
It was the Spirit pouring out, being poured out upon them.
Now, the after effects, the byproducts of it are part of what Joel prophesied.
Joel said, daughters will see, and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions.
All of these things that Peter quotes are going to occur through the laying on of the apostles' hands, and some of them will occur.
through the very act of the Holy Spirit and them speaking uh on behalf of God.
But no determination, no stipulation is made by Joel or in the New Testament that the act of the Spirit being poured out upon them saved them.
As a matter of fact, Joel makes it very clear, they're not going to be saved by this pouring out of the Spirit.
They're going to be saved by calling upon
the name of the Lord.
Over in the book of Acts.
in Acts chapter 20.
Sorry, 22.
Paul is recounting his salvation before the Jewish mob in Jerusalem.
You find in Acts chapter 22 and in verse 12, Paul recounts, a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came
to me and he stood and said to me, brother Saul, receive your sight.
And at that same hour I looked up at him.
Then he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know his will and see the just one and hear the voice of his mouth, for you will be his witness to all men of
what you have seen and heard.
And now why are you waiting?
Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.
And what does Ananias describe that act of obedience as being?
calling on the name of
Joel says, God's gonna pour out his spirit upon all flesh.
Your young men are going to do these things.
Your young women are gonna do these things.
Your people are going to do these things.
Oh, and your salvation is going to come by calling upon the name of the Lord.
Over in Paul's recounting of his salvation, he identifies exactly what it was and even uses Joel's phrase.
for what he did in order to call upon the name of the Lord as being commanded.
He didn't say, I'm waiting for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on me.
By the way, never was.
Rather, he was there praying for three days.
That didn't do it.
So it wasn't belief and prayer.
The thing that uh Annanias said,
What are you waiting on?
Call upon the name of Lord.
How am I going to do that?
Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.
There's only one baptism, Ephesians chapter four tells us.
There's only one baptism in the New Testament that is commanded that Christians or that individuals participate in for salvation.
And that one baptism is the one that involves calling upon the name of Lord, and it is the baptism in water for the remission of sins, not the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Okay, so back to Mark chapter nine.
Jesus tells them, you're not going to see death until you see the kingdom of God come or present with power.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, by the way, the chapter should begin with now after six days, not with the statement connected to the prior chapter.
But anyway, leave the translating and the laying out of scripture to somebody else.
Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John,
and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them.
His clothes became shining, exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
and let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
Because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid." Mark, as he gives record concerning this event, which is also found in Matthew chapter 17, Mark will tell us
a number of things.
Number one, he describes their
He describes that the statement made by Peter was made out of their fear of the situation.
Matthew gives us a few more details.
Jesus goes up on the mountain.
Jesus takes just the three of these individuals with him as he goes up on the mountain.
Something that you see Jesus doing a number of different times.
These three became kind of the core.
of those who were closest to Jesus on these occasions.
And so they're going to go up on the mountain, the other apostles are going to remain down below.
As they go up into the mountain, Jesus is transfigured.
And Mark gives us perhaps a more clear picture of the transfiguration and what Jesus looked like than Matthew does.
Mark says that his appearance was shining.
and bright white, that his clothing was so white it was such that you could never have gotten clothing to be this color of white.
By the way, if you would like to know where the artist concept of how angels look comes from, right here.
The shining appearance, the white garments.
There are other, uh
where individuals appear in white garments, but this is the picture of Christ.
Now, as they're witnessing this, question.
What person who was not Christ had a physical appearance in history like this for a period of time?
Moses did.
When did Israel witness Moses with this appearance?
All right, when he came down from the mountain having been in the presence of God.
What did Moses do as a result of his shining face?
You remember?
He put a veil over it.
Why?
Nope.
ah They didn't cover his face because of the brightness.
They covered his face, he covered his face because as they saw the brightness diminish, they would have understood something about Israel.
The text tells us that his face was hidden so they would not see the diminishing and the fading as a sign that Israel before God would have that same thing occur.
Now, Jesus is going to stand transfigured before the apostles.
And who's going to show up with Jesus on the Mount?
Moses and Elijah.
What's unique about Elijah in Old Testament history?
Okay, he was taken and he did not see death in a standard way.
Okay, he was taken up by God.
Now Elijah had spent his time as a prophet working in what kingdom, northern or southern?
Northern.
The Northern Kingdom was known for its faithfulness or its rebellion against God.
It's rebellion against God.
Matter of fact, Elijah got the sheer joy of getting to prophesy during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel.
And as a result of all of the things that transpired, there becomes a point in time where Elijah perceives that
He's the only one in the entire nation that's faithful to God.
Now, is that the case?
All right, we know that after Elijah flees from the threat of Jezebel and departs from the northern kingdom, by the way, when he departs and when he flees and when he runs as
sustained by God and the food that he received from God, where does he go?
He goes all the way back to Sinai.
there in Sinai, God will tell him, you go back.
But you go back and you go anoint these three people.
Elijah stands as the shining example, if I can use the term, of the prophets.
The one who, no matter what, would not depart from God.
The one who spoke the truth and witnessed the departure
and the decline of Israel, but was so faithful and so represented the prophets that he did not see death, and it was prophesied that he would return again,
with the coming of the kingdom.
Over in Matthew's account, Matthew chapter 17, Jesus during this event will identify to the apostles who the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah's return actually was.
And who was it?
John the Baptist.
Okay?
That was the type, anti-type, and that was the fulfillment of the prophecy, not that Elijah
personally would return, but rather one like Elijah would return.
So Elijah stands out in Old Testament history as the representative of the prophets and the prophesied one that one like him would come with the kingdom.
Now go back to Moses.
Moses stands before God.
Moses is a prophet.
Moses is one
who though he died, what was unique about Moses' death?
God buried him and no one knew where he was buried.
God took him and buried him and no one knew where.
So Elijah's gone, God takes him.
Moses is buried and dies, but God buries him.
Nobody knows where he's buried.
But in Deuteronomy chapter 18, Moses is going to tell the people in the last year of his life before they go into the land to possess it,
that God was going to raise up one like Him, a lawgiver and a prophet.
And Moses tells Israel, you hear Him.
Who is going to be the fulfillment of that?
Jesus Christ.
All right?
So, Moses, there's gonna be one like you with the coming of the kingdom.
Elijah, there's gonna be one like you coming in the kingdom.
Both of them in their departure from this earth, God's special action toward them and removing them out of the hands of this world.
and the people in it.
And now they both appear.
Now, I love this.
What artist did Peter, James, and John have a record of his painting to know what Moses and Elijah looked like?
so they could recognize him when they showed up.
There wasn't one.
So how did they know it was Moses and Elijah?
That could be, but I got a better answer.
uh
All right, turn to Luke chapter 16.
Luke chapter 16 verse 19, there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.
Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.
So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.
The rich man also died and was buried.
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw
Abraham a foth, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Then he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." Any
indication, by the way, that this rich man and Lazarus lived during the time of Abraham?
No, every indication they didn't.
But in eternity, the text is quite clear.
You're going to know people and who they are who you never met.
and the rich man immediately knows Abraham.
and Peter, James, and John immediately know Moses, and they immediately know Elijah as they show up from eternity before them.
Sometimes I think people wonder, what's eternity gonna be like?
One of the things that you can draw from the text is eternity is going to be very interesting as you will know the people who are there.
And I love that fact because I forget names and faces like nobody else who I've ever met.
So I am quite glad that when we get there, either everybody's gonna be wearing a great big spiritual name tag.
or I'm going to have perfect recall.
Thank you for your attention.