Sabbath, July 26, 2008
Matthew 17:9-13
And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. (ESV)
by Leota Stevens
One more mystery of history is solved in this passage. The disciples were instructed by Jesus to refrain from broadcasting this information to the general public. That must have been a very difficult assignment to be given to three men just bursting at the seams with adulation, wonderment and praise. However, their obedience was the important issue in their relationship with their teacher and their Lord. The scribes had expounded on the scripture about the Messiah and stated that Elijah would precede the appearance of God’s anointed, but no one had observed him—or had they? The man with the true bold spirit of Elijah had been declaring the arrival of the Messiah. John the Baptist was the voice crying in the wilderness to make plain the paths of the Lord. The disciples saw that the word of God had been validated before their very eyes.
Copyright Information
Daily Bible Meditations are taken from The Helping Hand,a Sabbath School student quarterly for youth and adults. Copyright © 2008, Seventh Day Baptist Board of Christian Education, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "ESV" are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service .
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