Is It Possible?
The narrative goes like this—
- Peter, James, John, & Jesus came down from the mountain.
- Just a day earlier, a cloud had formed on the mountain, overshadowing these four.
“and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”
All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.”
(The Gospel According to Mark 9: 7b-8 NASB)
- Just a moment earlier, these men had seen Jesus transfigured.
“and His garments radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”
(Verse 3)
- Then they (Peter, James, & John) saw two men standing before them there on the mountain where Jesus had been transfigured right before them; they saw two dead men there: Elijah & Moses!
This narrative occurred after that, when the four returned to the other disciples.
Imagine coming down from that mountaintop, an almost ‘unbelievable’ sight. Peter might have looked at James and John, saying, “Guys, will anyone believe what we just saw? Do you think we should share this with the rest of the world?” Unbelievable, truly, but STILL THE TRUTH! STILL BELIEVABLE! STILL POSSIBLE!
This narrative comes right at the end of that miraculous event; one miracle perpetuated by a second.
“And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?”
And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.
And He answered them and said,
“O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you?
How long shall I put up with You?
Bring him to Me!”
They brought the boy to Him.
[They brought the demon-possessed boy to Jesus Christ the Messiah]
When he saw Him,
[When the demon saw Jesus Christ, the evil spirit recognized Him!]
immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion,
and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth.
And He asked his father,
[Jesus turned and asked the boy’s dad]
“How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood.
It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.
But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
And Jesus said to him,
“If You can?
All things are possible to him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said,
“I do believe; help my unbelief.”
(The Gospel According to Mark 9: 16-24 NASB)
- Jesus did not tell this boy’s father to go away and take the boy with him.
- Jesus did not instruct the boy’s dad to take the boy to a doctor so he might receive treatment.
- Jesus did not say anything about going away and returning when you completely understand everything.
NO! JESUS DID NOT DO ANYTHING BUT THIS—
Jesus just said—
“All things are possible to him who believes.”
The unbelieving, lost person only needs to believe—to receive Jesus as his Savior—
- The lost person needs to believe in the Lordship of Jesus.
- The lost person needs to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead after Jesus was crucified on the cross.
That’s It.
- That’s all a person needs to believe in order to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior!
- That’s all a person needs to believe in order to be saved for all eternity!
- That’s all a person needs to believe in order to go to heaven!
In the Bible, in the letter written to those living in Rome, we read this directive given to us by God Himself—
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 10: 9-13 NASB)
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness,
and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says,
“WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for
“WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
Is it Possible?
100% YES!
God placed within every single person an innate desire to BELIEVE in HIM.
“All things are possible to him who believes.”
(The Gospel According to Mark 9: 23b-24 NASB)
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said,
“I do believe; help my unbelief.”