Chapter 2 

From the Gospel of Mark 

Rising from the Dead (Mark 9:9 10) 

     And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell 

no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the 

dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising 

from the dead meant.  (Mark 9:9 10). 

    Jesus explained to His disciples that He must rise from the dead. The 

disciples did not understand that Jesus had to suffer and die, nor did they 

understand that He would rise up in glory after His death. Christians who 

do not understand that the Church must suffer, also will not understand how 

great the glory of the Church on earth will be after that time of great 

suffering. 

Who Is the Greatest? (Mark 9:33 41) 

     And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked 

them, `What were you discussing on the way?' But they were silent; for on 

the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he 

sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, `If any one would be 

first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'   (Mark 9:33 35). 

    Capernaum symbolizes the time when the Church suffers its greatest 

trials. The argument among the twelve as to who is the greatest foreshadows 

a disagreement among the different parts of the Church as to which part is 

the greatest. Jesus corrects them by asking all of the apostles to be  last of all 

and servant of all.  This same saying applies to the different parts of the one 

Church. Jesus also encourages them to be like little children. So also should 

the leaders of every part of the Church strive, not for power and authority, 

but for humility and meekness. 

He That Is Not Against Us (Mark 9:38 41) 

     John said to him, `Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your 

name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.' But Jesus 

said, `Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name