Why did Jesus say Elijah has already come in Mark 9:13? The Immediate Text (Mark 9:11-13) “Then they asked Him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ He replied, ‘Elijah does indeed come first and restores all things. Yet how then is it written about the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be rejected? But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.’” Jesus’ statement follows the Transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John had just seen Moses and Elijah with the glorified Christ. Their question reflects Malachi 4:5-6 and centuries of rabbinic teaching that Elijah would arrive before the Messianic age. Malachi’s Prophecy and Jewish Expectation Malachi 4:5-6 : “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers….” Second-Temple literature (Sirach 48:10; 1 Enoch 89-90; 4Q521 from Qumran) echoes this hope. Rabbis after A.D. 70 compiled it into the Passover Seder’s empty chair for Elijah and the phrase “May he come quickly.” In Jesus’ day, scribes routinely taught that Elijah would visibly precede Messiah to “restore all things.” John the Baptist: Announced in the “Spirit and Power of Elijah” Gabriel to Zechariah (Luke 1:17): “And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John’s desert locale (Luke 1:80), camel-hair garment, leather belt, diet of locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6) deliberately mirror Elijah’s description in 2 Kings 1:8. His fiery call to national repentance (Matthew 3:7-12) and confrontation of an apostate monarch (Herod/Herodias—paralleling Ahab/Jezebel) complete the prophetic parallel. Jesus’ Explicit Identification of John as Elijah Matthew 11:13-14 : “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who was to come.” Matthew 17:12-13 affirms the same immediately after the Transfiguration: “Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.” Why Did John Deny Being Elijah? (John 1:21) When priests and Levites asked, “Are you Elijah?” John answered, “I am not.” He rejected the idea of literal reincarnation. Scripture forbids such a notion (Hebrews 9:27). John knew he was not Elijah returned bodily; he was fulfilling Elijah’s role. Jesus spoke of identity in function; John spoke of identity in person. “They Did to Him Whatever They Wished” Mark 6:17-29 records Herod Antipas imprisoning and beheading John. Josephus (Antiquities 18.116-119) independently confirms John’s arrest and death at Machaerus. Thus Malachi’s cryptic phrase about the Day of the LORD being “great and fearful” finds a partial fulfillment in the rejection and martyrdom of John, prefiguring the suffering of the Messiah Himself. Restoration Accomplished and Anticipated John’s preaching restored covenant faithfulness by calling Israel back to repentance, baptizing multitudes (Mark 1:4-5). Yet the complete “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21) awaits Christ’s return (Acts 1:11). Many scholars therefore see a dual fulfillment: • First advent—John in Elijah’s role prepares hearts. • Second advent—Elijah may personally appear (e.g., Revelation 11’s two witnesses) before the “great and awesome Day.” Theological Significance a) Messianic Credentials—By linking John to Elijah, Jesus affirms His own Messianic identity: the forerunner has come, so the Messiah must now appear. b) Suffering Before Glory—Jesus juxtaposes Elijah’s coming with the Son of Man’s rejection, correcting a purely triumphalistic expectation. c) Sovereignty of God—Prophecy, providence, and persecution intertwine exactly “as it is written,” demonstrating divine orchestration of redemptive history. Practical Application for Believers and Skeptics Jesus’ words challenge modern hearers to examine prophecy, historical evidence, and personal repentance. If Elijah has come, Messiah has also come. The rightful response is to heed the call John proclaimed: “Prepare the way for the Lord” (Mark 1:3)—repent, believe, and be reconciled to the risen Christ. Summary Jesus said “Elijah has already come” because John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah’s foretold, preparatory ministry in the “spirit and power of Elijah,” was rejected and killed, and thus set the stage for the Messiah’s atoning death and victorious resurrection. This harmonizes prophecy, history, and theology, affirming the Scriptures’ cohesive reliability and God’s unfolding plan of redemption. |
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