Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

¹¹  They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

¹²  And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things.  And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

¹³  “But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”

We have seen in prior Scriptures that Jesus had been preparing His disciples for His suffering, rejection, and death.  “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”  Mark 8:31. 

Despite Jesus’ plain and repeated statements of what would occur, the disciples were not happy to hear this prophesy.  “And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.”  Mark 8:32. 

Here, in this Scripture for today, it seems to me that the disciples are trying to find an extension of time before Jesus would die.  “They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”  Mark 9:11.  It seems as if the disciples were saying that before Jesus could die, Elijah must come first.

Jesus did confirm that the prophesy about Elijah was true, but it was not going to help the disciples extend the time of His death.  We see here and elsewhere in Scripture that John the Baptist is a type of Elijah and a fulfillment of the prophesy.  (See, for example, Matthew 11:14)   In this Scripture for today, Jesus said:  “And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things.  And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”  Mark 8:12.  Jesus confirms once again that He will suffer many things through this different way of using this paradox. 

This is another way in which Jesus prepared the disciples for the hardest events that they would face which would be Jesus’ suffering, rejection, and death.  And yet, the disciples did flee when these events started with the arrest of Jesus.  But, they remembered Jesus’ words and came back.  In another incident, Jesus described his upcoming death and resurrection with these words:  “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  John 2:19.  “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”  John 2:22. 

In conclusion, I see a primary lesson and great encouragement for us in this Scripture.  Jesus prepares us for the future and has great patience with us in teaching us again and again and in different ways.  We may not hear clear and direct words like the disciples did, but Jesus will send to us Scriptures and experiences through which He patiently prepares us and teaches us.  Even when we fall or flee or stray, God will lead us back to the paths of righteousness.  We see this throughout Scripture from Adam through Jonah to these disciples.  I like the calming confidence of what is written in Philippians 3:15:  “Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude;  and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;”