Mark 9:23 (WEB)

Passage

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Nearby Context

Mark 9:21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood.

Mark 9:22 Often it has cast 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.”

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "jesus", "said", "believe", "possible", and "believes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "jesus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Often it has cast him both into..." into verse 24's "Immediately the father of the child cried...", so "all things" and "jesus" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "jesus" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.