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A Battle With Satan’s Spirits
This chapter is based on Matthew 17:19-21; Mark 9:9-29; Luke
9:37-45.
As the sun arose, Jesus and His disciples went down the moun-
tain to the plain. Absorbed in thought, the disciples were awed and
silent. They would gladly have lingered in that holy place, but there
was work to be done.
At the foot of the mountain a large group of people had gathered.
As the Savior came near to them, He instructed His three companions
to keep silent about what they had witnessed, saying, “Tell the vision
to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” To relate the
revelation to the crowds would stir up only ridicule or idle wonder.
Even the three favored disciples were slow to understand, as we can
see from the fact that they questioned among themselves what the
rising from the dead might mean. Yet they asked no explanation
from Jesus.
As the people on the plain caught sight of Jesus, they ran to greet
Him. Yet His quick eye recognized that something had happened
that had caused the disciples bitter disappointment and humiliation.
A father had brought his son to be delivered from a mute spirit that
tormented him. Jesus had given His disciples authority to cast out
unclean spirits when He sent them to preach through Galilee. As
they went out, strong in faith, the evil spirits had obeyed their word.
Now in the name of Christ they commanded the torturing spirit to
leave his victim, but the demon only mocked them. The disciples
could not find a reason for their defeat. They felt they were bringing
dishonor on themselves and their Master. And in the crowd were
scribes who were trying to prove that they and their Master were
deceivers. Here was an evil spirit that neither the disciples nor Christ
Himself could conquer! A feeling of contempt and scorn swept
through the crowd.
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