Mark 9:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

NIV: And they asked him, 'Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?'

NASB: And they asked Him, saying, 'Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'

CSB: Then they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? "

NLT: Then they asked him, 'Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? '

KJV: And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

NKJV: And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

As non-Sadducee Jews, Peter, James, and John would have believed in the resurrection, but they're confused about the timing of Jesus' words. Jesus says the Son of Man will be resurrected three days after His death instead of in the end times. They can't figure out how that fits with the Old Testament prophecy that Elijah will return. According to the timeline Jesus seems to be giving, Elijah will return, God will declare the day of the Lord when the Messiah will be revealed, then the Messiah will die. The tangle is partially unwound when Jesus explains that "Elijah" was actually John the Baptist. The situation will be completely clarified when they fully understand that the Messiah's death and resurrection are for forgiveness of sins, not to extricate Israel from the rule of pagan Rome.

In the Seder dinner, the Jews drink to the four promises God gave Moses in Exodus 6:6–7: He will bring them out, deliver them from slavery, redeem them, and take them to be His people. A fifth cup of wine is reserved for the prophecy in Exodus 6:8: God will bring the Jews to the Promised Land. According to Jewish scribes, Elijah is supposed to let the Jews know when they can drink that fifth cup of wine. At the end of the Sabbath, Jews pray that Elijah will come with the Anointed One.

The prophecy that the disciples are thinking about is found in Malachi 4:5–6: "'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…'" John the Baptist's message of repentance was designed to accomplish this but didn't completely succeed. Therefore, the last part of Malachi 4:6 applies: "'…lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.'" Less than forty years after the transfiguration, Rome destroys Jerusalem and scatters the Jews from their homeland.

Between the confusion in the timeline and Elijah's appearance, Peter, James, and John most likely think the day of the Lord is near, and the Messiah will come into His kingdom. It's no wonder the disciples will soon start vying for position (Mark 9:33–34; 10:35–37).

Mark 9:2–13 occurs six days after Jesus promised that some of the disciples would see God's kingdom with power (Mark 9:1). He takes Peter, James, and John to a mountain where He is transfigured with the glory of God. The presence of Elijah leads the disciples to think the Messiah's earthly reign is imminent, but Jesus reminds them that He will suffer first. The story of the transfiguration is also recorded in Matthew 17:1–13 and Luke 9:28–36.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

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.