Mark 9:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

NIV: Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

NASB: And suddenly they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.

CSB: Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

NLT: Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

KJV: And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

NKJV: Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a high mountain to witness His transfiguration. Jesus' clothes become brilliantly white while He speaks with Moses and Elijah. The shekinah glory of God surrounds them, and God affirms Jesus' identity as His Son. Now, the three disciples are again alone with their rabbi.

Peter has acknowledged that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but the disciples aren't afraid of Him. They're afraid of Moses, Elijah, and the glory that surrounds Jesus. They're afraid when God speaks. When it's just Jesus, they're afraid of irritating Him (Mark 8:16), but they still don't understand that He is God with all the power and authority of the Jewish YWHW. It won't be until after the resurrection, when Jesus appears alive and whole and walking through walls that they will begin to understand that they are not to fear men like Moses and Elijah, but the Lord their God (Luke 24:25–27).

People today tend to act similarly. Jesus teaches that we should love our neighbor (Mark 12:31), serve those who can do nothing for us (Luke 14:12–14), and honor pure hearts over deep wallets (Mark 12:41–44). He suffered and died for our sins. Many people see Jesus as a gentle and loving teacher—which He is—but they stop there. They don't understand that the sinlessness of Jesus doesn't just mean He's kind, it means He's the all-holy God. Much of Jesus' ministry is to explain to His disciples who He is.

Mark 9:2–13 occurs six days after Jesus promised that some of the disciples would see God's kingdom with power (Mark 9:1). He takes Peter, James, and John to a mountain where He is transfigured with the glory of God. The presence of Elijah leads the disciples to think the Messiah's earthly reign is imminent, but Jesus reminds them that He will suffer first. The story of the transfiguration is also recorded in Matthew 17:1–13 and Luke 9:28–36.

Mark chapter 9 contains an account of Jesus' transfiguration, where three of the disciples witness Him in a glorified form. In this passage, Jesus also heals a demon-possessed boy. His teachings in this section include a prediction of His death and resurrection, and corrections to the disciples' errors on questions of pride and temptation.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.