Will Elijah Come?

Mark 9:11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”   
 
JAMES, John and Peter are still with Jesus. They are walking to meet the other disciples after they have seen Elijah, Moses and Jesus clothed in heaven’s glory. As they try to understand all that has happened, the disciples ask Jesus why their teachers have said, “Elijah must come first and restore all things.” Since they had just seen Elijah, perhaps they are wondering if he will reappear for some specific purpose. What should they expect?
   As a reminder, Elijah was a prophet who lived around 850 BC. 1 Kings records God sent him to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, to convict the idolatrous people of their sin. Elijah performed about 12 remarkable miracles, including the resurrection of a widow’s son. At the end of his life on earth, God took him directly to heaven: 2 Kings 2:11 As Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. If he did not die, could he return?
   Then about 400 years before Jesus, Malachi prophesied: Malachi 4:5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
   The Jews expect Elijah’s return to open the door for Messiah. His work will cause some to repent and live more faithfully in God’s kingdom. Others would reject his ministry and reject the LORD’s salvation. Having just seen Elijah at the Transfiguration, the disciples are trying to confirm Malachi’s prophecy. They ask Jesus about Elijah’s role. Jesus answered:
 
Mark 9:13 “But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.” And from Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 He who has ears, let him hear. 
   John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy. The evidence is also in the angel Gabriel’s word to John’s father, Zechariah: Luke 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
   The disciples needed to set their minds on things above. Jesus helped them understand the prophecy regarding Elijah pointed to John the Baptist. This meant God’s kingdom plan was in motion.
   But then they were at the point of the most difficult prophecy of all: “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” He had to keep them focused on God’s ultimate redemptive plan.
   That is always to be our focus, isn’t it? Too many hard things can cause us to question the Scriptures or wonder about Jesus’ promises to save. His kingdom is in motion . The disciples learned this fact. They became apostles to preach that truth. We must continue to do the same.