A Look at What Jesus Will Be Like ^(A)

9 Jesus said to them, “For sure I tell you, some standing here will not die until they see the holy nation of God come with power!”

² Six days later Jesus took Peter and James and John with Him. He led them up to a high mountain by themselves. Jesus was changed as they looked at Him. ³ His clothes did shine. They were as white as snow. No one on earth could clean them so white. ⁴ Moses and Elijah were seen talking to Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents to worship in. One will be for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ Peter did not know what to say. They were very much afraid.

⁷ A cloud came over them and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My much-loved Son. Listen to Him.” ⁸ At once they looked around but saw no one there but Jesus.

⁹ They came down from the mountain. Then Jesus said with strong words that they should tell no one what they had seen. They should wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ So they kept those words to themselves, talking to each other about what He meant by being raised from the dead.

¹¹ They asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?” ¹² He said to them, “For sure, Elijah will come first and get things ready. Is it not written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and that men will have nothing to do with Him? ^{(B) 13} But I say to you, Elijah has already come. They did to him whatever they wanted to do. It is written that they would.”

A Boy with a Demon Is Healed ^(C)

¹⁴ When Jesus came back to His followers, He saw many people standing around them. The teachers of the Law were arguing with them. ¹⁵ The people saw Jesus and were surprised and ran to greet Him. ¹⁶ Jesus asked the teachers of the Law, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ One of the people said, “Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has a demon in him and cannot talk. ¹⁸ Wherever the demon takes him, it throws him down. Spit runs from his mouth. He grinds his teeth. He is getting weaker. I asked Your followers to put the demon out but they could not.”

¹⁹ He said, “You people of this day have no faith. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.” ²⁰ They brought the boy to Jesus. The demon saw Jesus and at once held the boy in his power. The boy fell to the ground with spit running from his mouth. ²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” The father said, “From the time he was a child. ²² Many times it throws him into the fire and into the water to kill him. If You can do anything to help us, take pity on us!” ²³ Jesus said to him, “Why do you ask Me that? The one who has faith can do all things.” ²⁴ At once the father cried out. He said with tears in his eyes, “Lord, I have faith. Help my weak faith to be stronger!” ²⁵ Jesus saw that many people were gathering together in a hurry. He spoke sharp words to the demon. He said, “Demon! You who cannot speak or hear, I say to you, come out of him! Do not ever go into him again.” ²⁶ The demon gave a cry. It threw the boy down and came out of him. The boy was so much like a dead man that people said, “He is dead!” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him and he stood up.

²⁸ When Jesus went into the house, His followers asked Him when He was alone, “Why could we not put out the demon?” ²⁹ He said to them, “The only way this kind of demon is put out is by prayer and by going without food so you can pray better.”

Jesus Tells of His Death the Second Time ^(D)

³⁰ From there Jesus and His followers went through the country of Galilee. He did not want anyone to know where He was. ³¹ He taught His followers, saying, “The Son of Man will be handed over to men. They will kill Him. Three days after He is killed, He will be raised from the dead.” ³² They did not understand what He said and were afraid to ask Him.

Jesus Teaches about the Faith of a Child ^(E)

³³ They came to the city of Capernaum and were in the house. Jesus asked His followers, “What were you arguing about along the road?” ³⁴ They did not answer. They had been arguing along the road about who was the greatest. ³⁵ Jesus sat down and called the followers to Him. He said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all. He will be the one to care for all.”

³⁶ Jesus took a child and stood it among them. Then He took the child up in His arms and said to the followers, ³⁷ “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name, receives Me. Whoever will receive Me, receives not Me, but Him Who sent Me.”

Jesus Speaks Sharp Words against the Followers

³⁸ John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone putting out demons in Your name. We told him to stop because he was not following us.” ³⁹ Jesus said, “Do not stop him. No one who does a powerful work in My name can say anything bad about Me soon after. ⁴⁰ The person who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ For sure, I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name because you belong to Christ will not lose his reward from God. ⁴² Whoever is the reason for one of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large stone put around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. ⁴³ If your hand is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life without a hand, than to have two hands and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. ⁴⁴ *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. ⁴⁵ If your foot is the reason you fall into sin, cut it off. It is better to go into life with only one foot, than to have two feet and go into the fire of hell that cannot be put out. ⁴⁶ *There is where their worm never dies and the fire cannot be put out. ⁴⁷ If your eye is the reason you fall into sin, take it out. It is better to go into the holy nation of God with only one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. ⁴⁸ There is where their worm never dies and the fire is never put out.

⁴⁹ “Everyone will be made cleaner and stronger with fire. ⁵⁰ Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other.”