He came in the spirit of Elijah

Matthew 11:13-19

“For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  It was John who introduced the Jewish world to the Messiah, and this happened the day after the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask, “Who are you?”  He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, I am not the Christ.”  And they asked him, “What then?  Are you Elijah?” He said, I am not.” Are you the Prophet?”  And he answer, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you?  We need to give an answer to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”  (John 1:19-23)

It’s one day later, and John sees Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”  And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29b-34)

Now some have said that John seemed to not be in agreement with Jesus about whose spirit was living in him, but the angel Gabriel gave us this insight in Luke’s gospel chapter 1:16-17, “And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” The Jews were looking for Elijah the Tishbite, in person, and John answered correctly that he was not him, but it was the spirit of Elijah that was living inside of him, as prophesize in Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” 

Jesus understood the minds and hearts of the Jews that were listening and He also has a complete understanding of your thoughts, and that is why He said; “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  So the question is being asked once more, are you willing to accept that Jesus tells the truth?  Could what Jesus said about that generation not also be said about ours?  “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice