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The Son Rises from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

The Lord Jesus Christ took Peter, James, and John up to a high mountain to pray, leaving nine other Apostles down in the valley with the multitudes of people. Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to pray, and this time, He took three of His Apostles with Him. The Apostles grew "heavy with sleep," as they often did while Jesus prayed (Luke 9:32, Matthew 26:43).

While they had their comfy little nap, incredible things were going on around them in the spirit realm, and they awoke to an amazing light show. As Peter and the others watched, Jesus was transformed before them, and His clothes became gleaming white like snow. The prophets, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus about upcoming events and His departure. Then a bright cloud overshadowed them, and God Almighty spoke out of it.

(Mark 9:2–4 NKJV)  Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

(Mark 9:5–8 NKJV)  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

Wow, they almost slept through it, and there are no telling how many experiences like that they did sleep through. For all we know, this commonly happened to Jesus when He withdrew to pray on the mountain alone. We only know that He chose to take Peter, James, and John with Him this time. Perhaps to show them the importance of spending time with our Heavenly Father away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. It had to be an eye-opening experience for them.

Then they came down from the mountain to find the other nine Apostles defeated and being heckled by a group of leering, self-satisfied scribes.

(Mark 9:14–16 NKJV)  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. And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"

There was a young boy there with a horrible affliction. Today we would call it epilepsy. He would have seizures, randomly fall into fires or water, and begin foaming at the mouth. Even the scribes recognized it was demonic. It was a particularly difficult case because the boy was also mute and couldn't speak.

Jewish exorcists at the time thought that in order to exorcise an evil spirit, you had to call it by its name. Being the boy couldn't speak, you couldn't learn the spirit's name and therefore couldn't cast it out. This was probably an intentional attack by the scribes to try and humiliate the disciples with a seemingly impossible task.

(Mark 9:17–18 NKJV)  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."

The nine Apostles had tried to make the demon leave the boy but failed. This had to be very disheartening for them. For Jesus had given them authority over evil spirits, and they had successfully cast out many during their mission trips (Mark 6:7). Yet, we know that demons are not all alike, for they come in different ranks (Ephesians 6:12). Also, this one had been living in this host since the boy was a small child, and he wasn't leaving without a fight. It was a tough challenge.

(Mark 9:19–20 NKJV)  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

When the evil spirit saw Jesus, he freaked out and did everything he could to avoid the confrontation. He caused the boy to fall to the ground, and he began wallowing and foaming at the mouth. I once witnessed a seventy-year-old lady do this in church while we were reciting the Apostle's creed. It was quite a distracting scene.

Jesus' response cracks me up every time I read it:

(Mark 9:21 NKJV)  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"

Picture this: The boy is lying on the ground in front of them, wallowing, squirming and foaming at the mouth, and Jesus calmly asks the father, "So, how long has this been happening?"

(Mark 9:21–24 NKJV) ...And he said, "From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

"All things are possible to him who believes." What an amazing statement, but I find that it's less "I believe I can do this" and more "He wants me to do this." When we live to accomplish His will, miracles happen. Jesus then spoke directly to the demon living inside of the boy:

(Mark 9:25–26 NKJV)  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."

You could hear the grumbling of the scribes, "Yea, He healed him. He's dead!"

(Mark 9:27–29 NKJV)  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Compare what has happened in the verses we just read with what Jesus told His disciples. Jesus went up to the mountain to pray as He often did, except this time He took Peter, James, and John with Him. When He came down, He found His remaining disciples wrestling with a demon they couldn't handle and being ridiculed by those around them.

Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the boy and enter him no more, for they tend to come back to their house. This is why it is so dangerous to return to something the Lord has delivered you from:

(Luke 11:24–26 NKJV)  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

Jesus told the disciples that this type of demon could only come out by prayer and fasting, but notice, He didn't pray for the boy there, and He didn't go and fast. He commanded it to come out, and it did. So He did these things beforehand. Jesus prepared Himself on the mountain before He came down into the valley. Scripture doesn't say if Jesus fasted on the mountain, but we know that He began His ministry with a forty-day fast, and He sometimes spent all night in prayer (Matthew 4:2, Luke 6:12). He lived as our example.

Behold, the Son rises within His people. Prepare thyself before the engagement by spending time in prayer and, if possible, fasting. The Lord will not waste a prepared vessel but will use you to make the enemy flee. Just like the disciples struggling with that demon and being ridiculed by those around them, it is always darkest before our breakthrough.

Are you the disciple on the mountain, in the valley, or somewhere in between? The Son rises on all of them.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me the grace to prepare myself. Help me see past the ordinary and behold Your glory just as Peter, James, and John did on the mountain. Light a fire inside me, Lord, and put me where I need to be. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!