#borrowed knowledge

Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. Mark 9:9-15

What group of people do you most identity yourself with in this story? First, there were the disciples who were with Jesus, experiencing the amazing view of Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. Yet when it was all said and done, their hearts were no different than before. Instead of worshiping the Lord, basking in His glory and His presence, they had more questions they felt needed to be answered. And maybe some of you are that way; God has met with you and you know what it means to be a Christian, but instead of following Him and worshiping Him, you decide to not trust Him until you have all of your questions answered.

Another group of people were the rest of the disciples down the mountain. It appears that these guys didn't know what to do; they seemed helpless. Although Jesus had been with them, instructing them and investing His life into them, they seemed clueless and apathetic. They didn't know how to control the crowds and they didn't know how to adequately answer the scribes. Maybe some of you feel this way. Maybe you've been to church much of your life, but you really don't know the Scriptures, how to share your faith with others, or how to defend your faith. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Are you built up in the faith and in your relationship with the Lord to do this?  

The third group of people that Mark mentions were the scribes. It seems that all they wanted to do was to argue and pick theological fights with the people. May I encourage you to look to the Lord for your guidance, wisdom, and strength. Get into the Word of God and bring your questions to Him. When we don't understand things clearly, it seems so easy to start complaining or criticizing with others. Don't be like the scribes who just looked for fights.

The last group of people in this account were the crowds. These were the people who, when seeing Jesus, ran to Him and greeted Him. And I believe that this is the kind of people Jesusdesires. Jesus is with you and He desires to bless you. He doesn't want you to concern yourselves with theological arguments and questions that you cannot answer. He wants full and complete trust from you. Yes, He wants you to search the Scriptures and know what the Bible says. He wants you to share that, and your faith, with others. But He also wants you to run to Him and see Him as your Lord and Savior each and every day. 

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1

If God is calling you to do something for Him, expect to be tested.  Temptation challenges your convictions and exposes your weaknesses.  But it serves an important purpose.

Jesus, here in Matthew 4, is being led up into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  He was probably dreading the trip -- He hadn't eaten in 40 days, it was hot, and the terrain was rugged.  But it wasn't the devil who led Him up into the wilderness, it was the Spirit of God.

Yes, the Holy Spirit led Jesus. Notice that word "led."  The Greek word ("anago") means "to lead up into a higher place."  You see, the Holy Spirit was leading Jesus into a higher place.  And in the same way, testings from God will lead you into a higher place. Only there can He broaden your perspective and deepen your understanding. Only there can He give you the bigger picture.

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. Mark 7:31-32

Friendships are so important, and here we see another reminder of this. Remember in Mark 2:3; the paralyzed man was brought to Jesus by four friends. Now again, just a couple of chapters later, we see the importance of friends and friendships. Surely, this deaf man with speech impediments was frustrated, but with good friends such as he had, he could count on them. It was "they" who brought this man to Jesus. It was "they" who begged Jesus to heal him. Now that's true friendship!

Friendships aren't about getting together to vent or to gossip and complain about how rotten your life is. Friendships are about building strong relationships that are rooted in faith. You see, friends bring people to Jesus. They bring people to the place where Jesus can be seen and heard.