Mark 9:26-30

Mark 9:26 (KJB)
And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

With one final desperate attempt to destroy the boy, the devil in him threw him into a final devastating convulsion while shrieking and screaming, and finally obeyed Jesus and came out of the boy. Then the boy looked so calm and peaceful that he actually looked like he was dead. He may have been in such a catatonic state that he resembled a corpse and maybe his color also was ashen like a corpse. Many of the people had thought the boy died under that amazing exorcism by Jesus.

Mark 9:27 (KJB)
But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Then in a very compassionate moment, Jesus touched the boy and took him by the hand and lifted him up and then the boy arose. What was being seen here is a picture of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He too would soon die and then be resurrected to never die again. I am sure that boy was forever grateful to Jesus for freeing him from a life of torture which would have eventually culminated in his death but now the boy lives without any fear of the devil indwelling him again. He was truly free!

Mark 9:28 (KJB)
And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

The disciples did not make any attempt to hide the fact that they could not cast out this devil but they had asked Jesus as to why they were unable to cast out this devil. It sounded like they had previous success in casting out devils because here it almost sounds like a surprise why they could not.

Mark 9:29 (KJB)
And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Jesus then tells them that this kind of devil, which teaches us that some of the devils are much more wicked than others. (Mat 12:45 KJV) Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. The type of devil which had this boy was of the type who stayed in the person for a long period of time and was of the most evil type in that his goal seemed to want to kill that boy. What seemed lacking with the disciples was that since their faith was lacking and they were in unbelief, they would also have had very weak prayers, if they prayed at all. Then Jesus adds fasting in there which means they would have denied themselves food and water until the devil had left the boy. The fast means they would have been more concentrated on the situation at hand rather than praying for him and then taking lunch. Then there is the other kind of fast which the Bible speaks about and that is a spiritual fast. (Isa 58:5-7 KJV) Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? {6} Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? {7} Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? The fast which the believer must partake in goes back to the principle of the believer utterly denying themselves for the purpose of following Christ. A Christian denies self to help bring the Gospel to others and when they become saved they are freed from any satanic oppression.

Mark 9:30 (KJB)
And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

This was the beginning of the first leg of the journey from the area of Caesarea Philippi through Galilee and Peraea which was leading toward Jerusalem. While they were on this leg of the journey Jesus did not want anyone to know about the exorcism of the boy because again He did not want his earthly ministry identified as a miracle only ministry since that was not the essence of His ministry.

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