Luke 9:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”

NIV: They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.'

NASB: They answered and said, 'John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.'

CSB: They answered, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back."

NLT: Well,' they replied, 'some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.'

KJV: They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

NKJV: So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

The topic of Jesus' identity has been a subject of much discussion over the last several chapters. When He raised a widow's son from the dead, the villagers declared, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" (Luke 7:16). When He forgave a sinful woman, onlookers scoffed, "Who is this, who even forgives sin?" (Luke 7:49). After Jesus calmed a violent storm, the disciples questioned, saying, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" (Luke 8:25). And when Herod Antipas heard all Jesus and His disciples had been doing, the entire court discussed the matter, positing that Jesus is Elijah, one of the other prophets of old or at least one like them, or even a resurrected John the Baptist (Luke 9:7–9).

Some of the people whom Jesus fed have grander ideas. They think Jesus is a prophet, but they want Jesus to be an earthly, immediate king (John 6:14–15). Anyone who can provide food so easily should be given greater authority. Jesus counters by telling them He is the bread of life, and to be saved they must "eat His flesh." In addition, He identifies Himself as the Son of God who has come down from heaven. The people quickly pivot, reminding themselves that Jesus is merely the son of Joseph—nothing special—and many abandon Him (John 6:22–66).

On the heels of this conversation, Jesus allows the disciples to reaffirm what they believe (John 6:65–69). Peter speaks for them stating that Jesus is not an Old Testament-era prophet, He is the One those prophets spoke of (Luke 9:20).

Luke 9:18–20 records Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah. It is the first of several passages in this portion of Luke that show the disciples being challenged to deeper faith. Herod Antipas wonders if Jesus is John the Baptist, back to haunt him for his murder (Mark 6:16). The people Jesus had just fed think He's their coming earthly king (John 6:15). Jesus asks the disciples what they think. Peter answers, "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:20). Mark 8:27–30 also records Peter's confession. Matthew 16:13–20 adds that Jesus will build His church on the "rock" of Peter's words.

Luke 9 completes Jesus' Galilean ministry and begins describing His journey towards Jerusalem. Jesus gives His disciples miraculous power and commissions them to preach. The empowerment thrills the disciples but confuses Herod Antipas. A hungry crowd of thousands and hard teachings about following Jesus, however, shows the disciples' faith is short-lived. The transfiguration and the demonized boy precede stories of the disciples' continued confusion. They still struggle to accurately represent Jesus. Luke 9:51–62 begins the "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) with examples of the patience and sacrifice needed to represent Jesus as His followers.

Luke 9 straddles the two major sections biblical scholars call "Jesus' Galilean Ministry" (Luke 4:14—9:50) and "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). The Galilean ministry alternates calls to discipleship with stories on Jesus' authority and teachings. The travelogue records what Jesus did and taught to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. After a final group of stories on how to respond to Jesus (Luke 9:51—11:13) and several examples of how the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus (Luke 11:14–54), Luke presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—19:27).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.