The Elijah Dilemma
The Book of Mark
Mark 9:9-13
I. Eschatology, which is the study of the end times, is a source of great comfort to those who study and understand it.
A. It helps us understand events that take place even in our own day.
B. It gives us hope because we know the God has the future under control and by knowing that we can trust Him to have control of events that happen during our lifetime.
C. Studying prophecy can be a daunting and confusing study sometimes.
1. Especially if we misunderstand what is going on.
2. There are many, many different schools of thought concerning the future.
3. Much of the disagreement stems from a differing hermeneutic or interpretation of the prophecies.
D. Many times when we have been taught certain things by well meaning teachers they stay with us.
1. This can be both good and bad.
2. If it is a good and accurate interpretation it will be beneficial.
3. If it isn’t so good it will cause us to misunderstand and ultimately perpetrate an untruth which will lead others off the right track.
4. Once that happens it is very difficult for us to accept another perspective.
5. It takes great patience on the part of the teacher and willingness on the student’s part to change their interpretation.
E. That is the case of the three disciples here in our passage in Mark.
1. Remember they have been on a rollercoaster ride of emotions here in this section.
a) God revealed to them who Jesus really is.
b) Then Jesus immediately tells them that He is going to die.
c) They recoil in revulsion over this
2. In order to encourage them and impress on them the true purpose of Jesus’ presence here on earth He takes three of them up on the mountain and is transformed before them.
F. Here in the last 5 verses of this passage we can still see a general lack of understanding about what is about to happen in just a few short months.
G. Three parts.
1. Prohibition
2. Discussion
3. Explanation
II.Prohibition vs.9
A. Commanded them
1. Not an option.
2. He forbids them to tell about the glorious event that they had witnessed.
3. Imagine how hard that would be?
4. Put yourself in their shoes
5. I would want to be telling everyone I came into contact with.
B. Why did He forbid them?
1. This isn’t the only time that Jesus forbade someone to tell about what He had done.
a) Several times He told those He had healed not to tell anyone.
b) He also told the disciples not to say anything about Him being the Messiah in chapter 8.
2. Remember what the most important thing is here.
a) The cross.
b) He didn’t want the people to come and take Him and make Him King.
c) The Jews including the disciples were looking for a political solution to the situation they lived in.
(1) They were looking for a Messiah who would come and conquer the oppressive Roman Government.
(2) They had no concept of a suffering savior.
d) If Jesus had started to proclaim that He was the Messiah publicly the people would have missed the more important role that He had come to fulfill.
e) Jn.6:15
f) To announce it prematurely would be giving only half the message.
g) It would not be complete until He was crucified and had risen from the grave.
3. His command must have made quiet an impression on these three because they never said one word of it to anyone according to Luke 9:36.
III. Discussion vs.10
A. Jesus prohibition led to a discussion among the disciples.
B. What was this rising from the dead?
C. They weren’t ignorant about people rising from the dead.
1. They had seen Jesus raise people up.
2. The Jewish people in general with the exception of the Sadducees believed in a future resurrection
a) Dan.12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
b) Job 19:25-27. For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another…
c) Ezek.37:1-4 dry bones prophecy.
3. They know that the Messiah is connected with this resurrection.
4. They also know vs.11 that Elijah must come to prepare the way of the Messiah. (his appearance may have reminded them of this).
D. But Jesus was referring to His own resurrection apart from this future one.
E. All of this leads to the question asked in Vs.11.
F. If all of this is so.
1. If Jesus is the Messiah.
2. If He really must suffer and die.
3. If He is going to be resurrected right away.
G. How does this fit with what the Scribes had been teaching about Elijah coming to prepare the way of the Messiah?
H. The Elijah dilemma: how can you be the Messiah if Elijah hasn’t come? vs.11.
I. If Jesus is the Messiah what about Elijah?
IV. Explanation vs.12-13.
A. First He confirms the accuracy of the OT prophecy.
1. This is what the OT teaches.
a) Mal.3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.
(1) In Middle Eastern culture a king was always preceded by a forerunner or herald.
(2) Someone who would prepare the way and get things ready for the people to receive the king.
b) According to OT prophecy God was going to send someone to fulfill that role
c) Is.40:3-4 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth;
d) Mal.4:5 identifies the messenger as Elijah.
2. It is true that Elijah will come before Messiah.
a) The teaching that they had received was right.
b) The problem was that the teaching missed a most important aspect.
c) This resulted in their confusion.
B. Jesus reminds them about the other aspect of the Messianic prophecies vs.12b.
1. The suffering Messiah gets lots of coverage in OT prophecy.
a) Ps.22 is a graphic description of how He will die.
b) Ps.69 describes the reproach He will suffer.
c) Zech.12:10 Describes the scene at His death.
d) Last week we read Is.53 which clearly points to the suffering of the savior for our sake.
e) Dan.9:26 even tells us exactly when it would happen in history.
f) There is no doubt that this was God’s intention all along.
2. The problem is that this messes up the disciples’ eschatology.
a) Their teachers had ignored this aspect of the coming Messiah.
b) He had to be the savior before He could be the glorious conquering King of Kings.
C. The twofold view of prophecy vs.13.
1. Not only is Elijah coming but he also has come.
2. Sometimes in prophecy there are two aspects of the same event.
a) One comes before the other but is some what hidden because of the overshadowing of the bigger aspect of the event.
b) Such is the case here.
3. What is Jesus referring to?
a) The transfiguration?
b) Luke 1:17
4. John’s ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry.
a) Matt.17:12
b) He came in the Spirit of Elijah.
c) He wasn’t Elijah – he said so himself Jn.1:21.
5. The authenticity of John’s ministry Matt.11:7ff.
V. Conclusion:
A. Jesus gently continues to teach and nurture His disciples.
1. Their eschatology was off just a bit and they needed to be shown the right way.
2. This isn’t the last time Jesus does this; actually it is just the beginning this continues until after His resurrection.
B. What can we take from this?
1. It is clear that in order for us to really understand God’s word it is vital that we be good students of it. As Paul says “an approved worker rightly dividing the word of truth.
2. When we come into contact with someone who doesn’t understand God’s word accurately we need to be patient with them and work toward bringing them to a proper understanding of the Word.
