IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Jesus Heals a Young Boy

Date: Apr. 5, 2016

Passage

Mark 9:14-29  (ESV)

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 9:23

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

First, everything is possible for one who believes (14-23). The scene at the foot of the mountain was very different than it was at the top of the mountain. There was an argument between the disciples and the teachers of the law, and a man with a son possessed by a spirt. It was a picture of the unbelieving generation. Jesus came to bear the unbelief of this generation on himself. When the spirit saw Jesus he threw the young boy into a convulsion. But Jesus addressed the father. The violent convulsion created fear and doubt in the man. Jesus taught him in the midst of his son's crisis, "Everything is possible for one who believes."

Second, help me overcome my unbelief (24-29). The man accepted Jesus' word and confessed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" He recognized Jesus as the one who came to bear his sin of unbelief. He entrusted the matter of his unbelief to Jesus there, while his son was before him, foaming at the mouth. This is belief. Jesus healed the boy. His healing was not a show, but a matter of prayer. He came to bear our burden of unbelief on himself.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus who bears the unbelief of this sinful world. Help me to confess my sin to him, and overcome my unbelief.

One Word: Jesus heals unbelief

Daily Bread

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Revelation 7:1-17

Key Verse: 7:9-10

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

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