#339 Local Justice & A National Awakening w/ Brenden Craig & Ohio Amy

Matthew 17:10-13

”His disciples asked him, “Why do all the religious scholars insist that Elijah must first appear before the Anointed One comes?” He answered them, “They’re right. Elijah must come first and restore all things. But Elijah has already appeared. And yet they didn’t recognize him, so they did to him whatever they pleased. And the Son of Man is destined to suffer the same abuse as what they did to him.” Then the disciples realized that Jesus was referring to John the Baptizer all along.“

The disciples were asking this of Jesus as they hiked down the mountain after Jesus’s transfiguration -- where Moses and Elijah both appeared. They were connecting Elijah’s appearance to the prophecy of the Messiah. They understood the scripture they’d been taught at face value, but Jesus explained to them that the Elijah mentioned really pointed to John the Baptist, because John the Baptist carried the same anointing that Elijah did. This is a great example of how the scriptures are living and have layers of meaning. With Jesus’s help, the disciples were able to understand the fullness of that prophecy. And we have Holy Spirit to call upon and ask for help in understanding the scriptures as we read them today. He turns on the light of revelation for us, and He leads us into all truth.