Anchor My Faith

Elijah or John the Baptist?

Scripture: Matthew 17:12-13; Mark 9:10-13

We ended the previous lesson with Jesus instructing Peter, James and John, as they were coming down from the mountain, to tell no one about their experience up on the mountain. Some believe the use of the word “vision” implies that the transfiguration never took place in reality but occurred only as a vision in the minds of the three disciples. I believe this event happened as described, just as the time God appeared to Moses and spoke to him and the people from the mountain.

As Jesus and the three disciples came down the mountain, ^{Mk 9:10} “[The disciples questioned Jesus] what this rising from the dead might mean.” They wanted clarification on what Jesus meant, as the Jews expected a general resurrection at the end of history, not a specific resurrection within history. However, the disciples would not understand that Jesus was to rise again, while they were still alive, until they saw him alive after his resurrection.

If a general resurrection was to occur at the end of history, as they thought, they then wondered how this related to the coming of Elijah. ^{Mk 9:11} “And they asked [Jesus], “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”’ In relation to “rising from the dead” what is the connection to Elijah that the scribes are teaching about, the disciples wanted to know.

^{Mk 9:12} “And [Jesus] said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”’

Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, wrote in Malachi 4:5 ESV: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” As a result of this statement, the Jewish community waited for centuries for Elijah, knowing that his reappearance would be the forerunner of the breakthrough of the kingdom of God and the appearance of their Messiah. The scribes believed that this meant that Elijah would come first, and that when he came, he would lead the people into a spirit of repentance and would anoint the Messiah. Since the disciples saw Elijah on the mountain, they were curious why the scribes believed as they did.

It was John the Baptist that came and restored “all things” by preparing the way. It is John the Baptist that is the messenger in Malachi 3:1 ESV: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”

“[John the Baptist] will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:17 ESV) There is this connection between John the Baptist and the spirit and power of Elijah that is to be understood. It was misunderstood, from Malachi, that Elijah would return, not one in the spirit and power of Elijah. John the Baptist attempts to correct this when asked in John 1:21 if he was Elijah. His response was, “I am not.” By ministering in the spirit and power of Elijah, John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy.

Jesus then draws a connection between he and John the Baptist by saying that he also would suffer many things and be treated with contempt in the process of restoration. In Isaiah 53:1 – 12 “it is written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jesus says, ^{Mk 9:13} “But I tell you that Elijah has come, ^{Mt 17:12} and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased, ^{Mk 9:13} as it is written of him. ^{Mt 17:12} So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” I am sure there was more conversation about this as they walked along, but ^{Mt 17:13} “Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”