Mark 6:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But others said, "He is Elijah." And others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."

NIV: Others said, "He is Elijah." And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."

NASB: But others were saying, 'He is Elijah.' And others were saying, 'He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.'

CSB: But others said, "He’s Elijah." Still others said, "He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago."

NLT: Others said, 'He’s the prophet Elijah.' Still others said, 'He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.'

KJV: Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

NKJV: Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.”

When those close to Herod Antipas hear Jesus preaching the gospel of repentance, they immediately note the similarity to the gospel of John the Baptist. But John is dead, killed by Antipas via manipulation by his wife, Herodias. So the court is filled with speculation about who Jesus really is.

The idea that Jesus could be Elijah returned comes from Malachi 4:5. There, God says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes." Elijah did not die but was taken to heaven by a chariot of fire, so the expectation he would return is reasonable (2 Kings 2:11). What the people don't understand is that "Elijah" has already come, symbolically, in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:13–14). John was not literally Elijah returned from heaven nor Elijah reincarnated. John came in the "spirit and power of Elijah…to make ready for the Lord a people prepared" (Luke 1:17).

If Jesus isn't Elijah, the people posit, He might be a prophet like those who came to Israel before the four hundred years of silence. "Prophet" is from the Greek root word profetes and refers to someone who has hidden knowledge and can interpret oracles. In the Old Testament, a prophet was inspired by the Holy Spirit to spread God's truth. Some thought Jesus was a new prophet, while others thought he was Jeremiah returned (Matthew 16:14).

Islam, among other faith, still teaches that Jesus was "only" a prophet. C.S. Lewis pointed out the foolishness of this perspective, in what is often referred to as his "trilemma." Any person who claims to be God must either be a liar, a lunatic, or actually the Lord God. No other prophet preached God's message, performed miracles empowered by God, and claimed to be God.

Mark 6:14–29 follows the disciples' success in continuing John the Baptist's work with a flashback of John's execution. John was Jesus' cousin (Luke 1:36) and the herald of Jesus' ministry (John 1:19–28). He preached repentance to many, including Andrew and Peter (John 1:35–42). He also baptized Jesus (Mark 1:9–11). Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee, where Jesus was from, and Perea, near where John preached. Antipas was fascinated by John, but his wife felt threatened by John's condemnation of their incestuous marriage. This story is also found in Matthew 14:1–12, Luke 3:19–20, and Luke 9:7–9.

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, but the people there are faithless and skeptical. As a result, Jesus performs no more than a few minor miracles. He then assigns His twelve apostles to travel in pairs, preaching repentance and healing various conditions. Mark then takes a brief detour to explain the death of John the Baptist, beheaded after Herod Antipas is tricked by his wife. The focus then returns to Jesus, explaining His miraculous feeding of thousands of people, walking on water, and healing people in Gennesaret.

Even as the Twelve are given opportunity to wield some of Jesus' power and authority, they still struggle to understand. They misinterpret who He is, what He has come to do, and how much He will ask of them. They fear Jesus' display of deity, but seem to dismiss the murderous rejection of His hometown and the death of John the Baptist. It's easy to have faith in a prophet who seems poised to rescue Israel from foreign rule. It is still beyond them to understand that He is actually God.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.