COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 96
“ Mark 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. 11 And they asked Him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? 12 And He answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought. 13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.”
(Mark 9:9-13; Matt 17:9-13; John 1:19-21)
A QUESTION CONCERNING ELIJAH
INTRODUCTION
Jesus has been transfigured while praying. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him in glory, talking about the death He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter, James, and John have awakened as Moses and Elijah were leaving, and Peter has suggested that three tabernacles be built for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. A bright and frightening cloud overshadowed them, and God spoke out of the cloud identifying Jesus as His only begotten Son, and the One to whom they were to listen. The air cleared, Jesus touched them, and when they looked up, only Jesus was visible to them. It had certainly been an eventful day. They had been eye-witnesses of supernatural phenomenon. (1) Jesus transfigured. (2) Moses in glory. (3) Elijah in glory. (4) The talking and movement of Moses and Elijah. (5) A bright cloud overshadowing them. (6) God speaking audibly from heaven. (7) A strength-imparting touch from Jesus. We have every reason to believe that none of these things could have been experienced while separate from Jesus. We further observe from this experience that being with Jesus is not always about meeting the personal needs of the people. None of the events occurring on the mount of transfiguration focused on the disciples themselves. They were observers and learners, and no one from heaven or earth dialoged with the disciples about their perceived needs. Jesus was the whole point of what took place there. His prayer was the focus. His Person was the center of Moses and Elijah’s communication. The Father spoke of Him.
TELL NO MAN UNTIL THE SON OF MAN IS RISEN
“ Mk 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. 10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.”
THEY CAME DOWN. There are several occasions when it is written that Jesus came down from a mountain. After delivering the sermon on the mount, Jesus came down (Matt 8:1). When He came down He confronted a leper who was seeking to be healed (Matt 8:2-4). After praying in a mountain, Jesus came down to walk on the stormy waters to His disciples who were toiling in rowing (Matt 14:23-25). On that occasion He found His disciples fatigued and fearful (Matt 14:26). After praying and choosing the twelve disciples, He came down and “stood in the plain” (Lk 6:12-17). It was then that He faced a multitude of diseased and infirm people (Lk 6:17-19).
There does come a time when lofty experiences come to an end, and we reenter into the arena of conflict and challenge. It is there that our faith is put to the test, and growth takes place. Disappointment is the inevitable experience of those who imagine that life in Christ is one continuous mountain-top experience. That is not the manner of true spiritual life.
HE CHARGED THEM. Other versions read, “He commanded,” NKJV “gave them orders,” NASB “strictly forbad,” WEYMOUTH and “admonished and expressly ordered them. AMPLIFIED The word “charged” means to give express orders. These are the words of the King. They are not a suggestion or a mere consideration to be accepted or rejected. This is the Master speaking with His disciples. The truth of the matter is that every believer must learn to take orders from Christ without questioning them. Many professing Christians have never arrived at this point, and therefore have very little knowledge of Christ’s demands.
TELL NO MAN UNTIL. Although the things Peter, James, and John had seen were unparalleled, and never before experienced by any other person or persons, Jesus said they were not to tell “what things they had seen.” Matthew emphasizes the miraculous nature of the events by saying, “Tell the vision to no man” (Matt 17:9). That is, what they had seen was a supernatural revelation. God had pulled back the curtain covering invisible things, and allowed them to see realities for which mortal eyes and senses are not suited.
They were not to keep this mater quiet permanently, but only until Jesus was “risen from the dead.” Both Matthew and Mark say Jesus referred to Himself as “the Son of Man” (Mk 9:9; Matt 17:9). This confirms that the transfiguration related more to Christ’s resurrection and consequent glorification than to His death. The glory of Jesus was of the same order that would be fully realized with God “glorified” Him following His return to heaven (Acts 3:13). Moses and Elijah appeared with Him “in glory,” which was more closely related to the involvement of spirits on the other side of the veil.
Now, within a short period of time, Jesus has revealed things concerning Himself that had not yet dawned upon the understanding of the disciples – not even Peter, James, and John. The “Son of man” would (1) “suffer many things,” (2) “be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests, and scribes,” (3) “be killed,” and (4) “after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31; 9:9). These had more to do with why He came into the world than all of His preaching, teaching, and mighty miracles. A view of Jesus Christ that does not find its apex in His vicarious death, triumphant resurrection, and enthronement at the right hand of God is not correct. The focus of Jesus’ ministry is not the welfare of people in this world.
THEY KEPT THE SAYING. “They kept that saying with themselves.” Other versions read, “they seized upon that statement,” NASB “they kept the matter to themselves,” NIV “they kept that saying in their mind,” MRD “they observed the warning faithfully,” NJB “they obeyed and kept it,”IE “they held that caution fast in their minds,” WILLIAMS and “So they carefully and faithfully kept the matter to themselves.” AMPLIFIED
The idea is that they hid the saying in their hearts and minds, and would not let go of it. There did not come a time when they were tempted to relate what they saw that they did not recall the charge of their Master. Men do forget the words of the Lord when they do not take them seriously, hiding them in their hearts and pondering them. In a day that promotes scattered and fragmented thinking, keeping the sayings of Jesus is an exceedingly rare thing. This text touches upon something that is similar to letting the word of Christ dwell in us “richly” (Col 3:16).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The disciples did not testify to what they had seen, but they were “discussing it with one another.” NASB Jesus had already told them He was going to rise from the dead (Mk 8:31). Yet, this extended beyond the border of their understanding. That is one reason why they were not to relate what they had seen. Those who do not see the sense of Christ’s resurrection also have no adequate understanding of His death, glory, or His purpose. The resurrection of Christ is what puts everything together, confirming His Sonship (Rom 1:4), the validity of His death (Isa 53:11), and Him being “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
THE COMING OF ELIJAH
“ 11 And they asked Him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? 12 And He answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought.”
WHY? Having witnessed Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus, the minds of the disciples had been stirred up, particularly concerning Elijah, and what the scribes had said about him. Of course, if they had not been familiar with valid teaching, and with the Prophets themselves, they would not have asked this question. “Why,” they asked, were the scribes saying that “Elijah must first come?” They had just seen Elijah, and he had left. Surely that did not fulfill what they had heard about the coming of Elijah.
The scribes had based their teaching on a statement made by Malachi. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mal 4:6). Like many teachers of our day, the scribes thought the prophecy pertained to Christ’s first coming, when He dwelt among men. To them, this confirmed that Jesus was not the Christ, for Elijah had not come, turning the hearts of the people so that the Lord did not “smite the earth with a curse.” At this point, the disciples were apparently sure that Jesus was the Christ, as Peter had previously confessed (Mk 8:29). What, then, did the scribes mean in their teaching?
ELIJAH DOES COME FIRST. Christ’s answer is arresting. “Elijah is coming first and restores all things.” NKJV Matthew reads, “Elijah is coming first and will restore all things” NKJV (Matt 17:11). Thus, Jesus declares that turning the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, constitutes the restoring of “all things.” The idea here is that Elijah would bring the people back to the faith of Abraham, so that there would be no difference in their view and acceptance of the Messiah.
Malachi’s prophecy states that Elijah would come “before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal 4:5). This cannot be a description of the first appearance of the Lord, for that was not a “great and dreadful day.” Other versions read “great and terrible day” – a day filled with dread and fear: a frightening day. That is a day of judgment and accountability, of recompense and vengeance. However, that is not the kind of day that came to humanity when the Word was “made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In confirmation of this, Jesus Himself said, “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56). Again He said, “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). And again, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47).
Rather than Christ’s entrance into the world being one of dread and recompense, it was to “seek and save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10), “give His life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28), and “save that which was lost” (Matt 18:11). This is not the day of which Malachi spoke. Malachi’s own testimony of the day of reference makes this quite clear. “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Mal 4:1). Joel also spoke of that day. “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:31). The scribes thought Malachi was speaking of the coming of the Messiah to deliver Israel. Instead, he was prophesying of the punishment of the wicked, something that will occur at Christ’s second coming. His first coming was not for that purpose.
THE SON OF MAN. Jesus now speaks of Himself in a manner that confirms Malachi’s prophesy had been misunderstood by the scribes. “ . . . it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be set at nought,” “rejected,” NIV or “treated with contempt” NASB(Mark 9:12). This is not at all how Malachi spoke of the Messiah. He said the Lord would “tread down the wicked,” and that the righteous themselves would participate in their overthrow(Mal 4:3).
With the wisdom of the “Wonderful Counselor” (Isa 9:6), Jesus prepares His disciples for the events related to Him giving His “life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28). While His work will result in the sins of the world being taken away and the head of the serpent being mortally bruised, it will also reveal how desperately far the hearts of both the children and the fathers were from God.
Thus Jesus says, from a technical point of view, the scribes were correct: “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things.” NIV However, their understanding of the text was flawed, because they looked for the appearance of a saving Messiah to be preceded by a great renewal under the ministry of Elijah. Jesus will now answer the question, “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” NIV
ELIJAH IS COME ALREADY
“ 13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.”
ELIJAH IS INDEED COME. At this point, Jesus refers to another section of the book of Malachi that addresses the preparation of the people for His first appearance on the earth. “Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts” (Mal 3:1). This is also the messenger to whom Isaiah alluded: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God”(Isa 40:3).
There are some technical points to be noted here – points that were missed by the scribes. John the Baptist actually came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” His own father said of him, “And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). He also said that,“many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God” (Lk 1:16).
A significant number of Bible scholars feel that this exhausts the prophecy of Malachi. However, Jesus adds some additional information that confirms John the Baptist did not exhaust Malachi’s prophecy. He was a sort of type of the person in question, but not the fulfillment itself.
THEY HAVE DONE WHAT THEY LISTED. “They have done unto him whatever they listed,” or “whatever they wished.” NKJV (Mk 9:13). Rather than restoring all things, as Jesus said Elijah would do, John the Baptist was abused by the people. Matthew adds, “Elias is come already, and they knew him not” (Matt 17:12). That is not restoring all things.
But there is no need for conjecture here. We can call John himself to the witness stand on this matter. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, “even from His mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15). He knew his role in the Divine economy. What does he have to say about this matter.
During John’s ministry “the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who art thou?’” He informed them of three people he was not, and who he really was as well. First, “he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ” (John 1:20), for some had “mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not” (Lk 3:15). Therefore, he forthrightly denied that he was, removing all doubts from their minds. The inquirers, however, were not content, for they knew John was no ordinary man. They then pointedly asked him, “Are you Elijah?” NKJV John answered, “I am not!” (John 1:21). He also said he was not “that Prophet,” of whom Moses wrote (Deut 18:15,18). Nothing suggests John was wrong on this.
THE POINT. Matthew also draws our attention to Christ’s words concerning Himself. “Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them” (Matt 17:12). The point Jesus is making is that His appearance, both the first and the second, would be preceded by a forerunner who would participate in the same sort of reception Jesus had. John the Baptist, coming in “the spirit and power of Elijah” would experience the same kind of end at the hands of the people that Jesus Himself experienced. The end of his earthly life would be connected with what the people wanted to do to him. Jesus said it was “likewise” with the conclusion of the life of the Son of Man. His forerunner tasted of the same reaction of the people as the One whose way he had prepared.
Matthew adds, “Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist” (Matt 17:13). That is, for the time, their minds were to be occupied with what was going to happen to the Son of Man, and John the Baptist related to that. Nevertheless, Jesus left the door open for future consideration: “Elijah is coming first and restores all things.” NKJV A fuller understanding of that prophecy will be granted when the time arrives for its fulfillment. That is the manner of revelation, which is never granted for the sake of mere novelty.
Thus I have provided several reasons why the prophecy of Malachi did not realize its fulfillment in John the Baptist, who was a type of the prophecy. (1) Malachi spoke of a work that would immediately precede “the great and dreadful day of the Lord” – a description that is not at all appropriate for Christ’s first appearance. (2) John the Baptist did not “restore all things,” as Jesus said Elijah would do. He only provided a sampling of such a work. (3) The people did to John the Baptist whatever they wanted to do, confirming he did not “restore all things.” (4) John the Baptist himself said he was not Elijah. (5) Jesus spoke of the messenger sent before Him as partaking of the rejection that generation, just as He would do. (6) Christ’s first appearance was not to execute judgment or tread down the wicked, a work with which the “Elijah” of Malachi’s prophecy is associated.
The question of the disciples is much like the one they asked following His resurrection: “Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus’ answer confirmed it was not appropriate to reveal such things at that time. The same is true of this word.