We want the great prophet to return — the one who will clear a path, call out our sins, and make everything right. But what if God comes in a way we didn’t expect: in a voice we don’t like, in weakness, or in suffering? The disciples ask Jesus about Elijah because the human heart longs for swift vindication and tidy vindication; the Gospel answers with a paradox that unsettles and heals.
In Matthew 17:10–13 and Mark 9:11–13 (this conversation follows the Transfiguration), the disciples ask why the teachers say Elijah must come first. Jesus replies that Elijah does come to “restore all things,” but then clarifies that Elijah has already come — pointing to John the Baptist. Matthew explicitly adds that the disciples then understood Jesus spoke of John; Mark emphasizes that John came and was treated harshly, fulfilling what was written. This exchange appears in Matthew and Mark; Luke’s Transfiguration account does not include this specific question-and-answer about Elijah.
This moment reveals something essential: God’s restoration often comes not as spectacular triumph but through a prophetic voice that prepares the way — and that voice can be rejected. Jesus links the prophetic role of Elijah (fulfilled in John) to the suffering of the Son of Man, forcing us to see that redemption moves through vulnerability and sacrifice, not merely through power displays. Don’t miss the weight: the Kingdom overturns expectations. The challenge is sharp — will you follow a Messiah who wears suffering as the path to restoration? The grace is real — even the rejection and suffering are woven into God’s redeeming work; God brings restoration through means we might have dismissed.
Today, practice a small but concrete obedience: identify one place you expect God to “fix” things quickly — a strained relationship, a stalled job, an anxious habit. For fifteen minutes, read an account of John the Baptist (e.g., Matthew 3 or Mark 1), pray for humility to receive hard truth, and write one honest sentence confessing where you’ve resisted correction. Then pick one concrete act of restoration you can do this week (an apology, a phone call, a realistic small step at work) and do it. Let the humble, prophetic way of God shape your hope — it may not look like triumph at first, but it leads to true restoration.
In Matthew 17:10–13 and Mark 9:11–13 (this conversation follows the Transfiguration), the disciples ask why the teachers say Elijah must come first. Jesus replies that Elijah does come to “restore all things,” but then clarifies that Elijah has already come — pointing to John the Baptist. Matthew explicitly adds that the disciples then understood Jesus spoke of John; Mark emphasizes that John came and was treated harshly, fulfilling what was written. This exchange appears in Matthew and Mark; Luke’s Transfiguration account does not include this specific question-and-answer about Elijah.
This moment reveals something essential: God’s restoration often comes not as spectacular triumph but through a prophetic voice that prepares the way — and that voice can be rejected. Jesus links the prophetic role of Elijah (fulfilled in John) to the suffering of the Son of Man, forcing us to see that redemption moves through vulnerability and sacrifice, not merely through power displays. Don’t miss the weight: the Kingdom overturns expectations. The challenge is sharp — will you follow a Messiah who wears suffering as the path to restoration? The grace is real — even the rejection and suffering are woven into God’s redeeming work; God brings restoration through means we might have dismissed.
Today, practice a small but concrete obedience: identify one place you expect God to “fix” things quickly — a strained relationship, a stalled job, an anxious habit. For fifteen minutes, read an account of John the Baptist (e.g., Matthew 3 or Mark 1), pray for humility to receive hard truth, and write one honest sentence confessing where you’ve resisted correction. Then pick one concrete act of restoration you can do this week (an apology, a phone call, a realistic small step at work) and do it. Let the humble, prophetic way of God shape your hope — it may not look like triumph at first, but it leads to true restoration.
Matthew: 17:10-13
When the disciples ask why the scribes say Elijah must come first, Jesus replies that Elijah will come to restore all things but has already come in the person of John the Baptist, whom people failed to recognize, and he warns that the Son of Man will likewise suffer. The disciples then realize Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist.
Open VerseMark: 9:11-13
After the Transfiguration the disciples ask why Scripture says Elijah must come first. Jesus replies that Elijah will come to restore all things and that he has already come (fulfilled in John the Baptist) and was mistreated, as Scripture foretold.
Open Verse