Mark 9:9-13

Mark 9:9-13 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Elijah of the Old Testament was a prophet who performed great miracles. He was a man to be feared, for the Spirit of God was powerfully upon him. The disciples were concerned about Jesus' death talk, so they asked Jesus about Elijah's role in the last days. Wasn't he going to prepare the way for the Messiah? But Jesus deflects their assumptions by telling them that Elijah of the Old Testament suffered during his life, before his own ascension, and so will the Son of Man suffer. Jesus was also referring to his present Elijah, John the Baptist. Elijah had been harassed all of his life by an evil king and queen; John had been beheaded by evil king. However, John's mission on Earth was to prepare the way for the King of kings and his kingdom. When John baptizes Jesus, his was a baptism of contrition; in other words, I have sinned, forgive me, let your will be my will, let my life be your life. Of course, Jesus was sinless, but at that time the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, infilling Him with the will of God. From that time on, He does only what the Father God tells him to do. John the Baptist was a servant of God, chosen to fulfill a specific role on Earth: "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:11) Of all men, he alone could baptize the Son of God. He had proven his outward righteousness by his lifestyle; however, even though John was the greatest of those born of women, he still was not redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. He was still not part of the new covenant Kingdom of God. Nevertheless, by faith he baptized Jesus, and he fulfilled his role, even though he knew Jesus, THE TRULY RIGHTEOUS ONE, should have baptized him.

Today, each of you, if you are in Christ, have been chosen. You might not be in a role as powerful as Elijah or John the Baptist, but you have been chosen to live for Christ. To be chosen does not mean that you live without some suffering. Jesus was telling the disciples that to be chosen by God does not eliminate suffering. Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Son of God were chosen to serve God in specific ways. Their lives were not easy, they were hard. Today, you might feel that your life is too hard. When your feet hit the floor after another a long night in a sleepless bed, you might think, why am I doing all of this? What is life about! But, I want to tell you that you have been chosen. You have been chosen to talk to that person today, you have been chosen to give someone a smile, you have been chosen to give a gift to a lonely person. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! God is counting up your life, and my friend the accounting is all on the positive side of the ledger. You are laying up treasures in heaven.

THIS LIFE IS WORTH IT. Your children are worth it. Your grandchildren are worth it. Your friends are worth it. You might not be baptizing Jesus today, but surely you are representing him wherever you go. You might not see a dove descend today, but you will see the effects of the presence of God when you bring him to people and share his love. Yes, the world might do everything they wished to you, but they can't take away your divine mission, your divine role. God is with HIS CHILDREN: what more can be said about your role? Follow him, even to the cross. Paul said, I die daily, this is my reasonable service. So it is with you: You die daily, your bones might hurt, your vision might be dim, but your life is a shining light in dark places, rising up to the heavenlies. We are those who live by faith. So live, count your blessings, and thank God you have light and life and breath to serve him while it is yet day, for the night cometh when no man or woman can serve.