Matthew 17:9-13
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Jesus often called the era He was in as an era of disbelief. It wasn't just that the crowd who followed Jesus was in disbelief, but He was also speaking about His disciples. Very often the Lord explained spiritual matters to His disciples, but their hearts were slow and they always tried to interpret His word in human rationale. They wished that Jesus could restore the Jewish regime and become a king, so that they could also earn a position in the kingdom. They didn't understand what exactly the prophecies in the Bible about Messiah meant. When Jesus was talking about His resurrection, they discussed among themselves and didn't understand that the Lord needed to go through the path to the cross and die in flesh in order to enter into glory. They didn't understand that John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Messiah, and they didn't understand that John was the one prophesied in Malachi 4:5 - The Elijah who was to come. Therefore, when John the Baptist came, no one respected Him and some even killed Him. When the Son of Man came, He also suffered tremendously and was neglected.
Why couldn't the disciples understand? The main reason is that people often have preconceived notions that hinder their ability to accept the truth. To the disciples, the Messiah they were expecting was supposed to be a political liberator and a glorious king. No matter how much the Lord talked about His suffering, they just couldn't understand. Many people have the same attitude when they come before God. Some of us think that God is harsh, so we don't open the feelings deep down inside our hearts to the Lord. Some of us think God is the Santa Claus who fulfills all our wishes, and we don't know how to come before Him with reverence. The disciples back then didn't understand the matters of death and resurrection, so they were pondering how the death of Jesus could benefit them. When Jesus was alive, He could perform miracles, but if He was dead, what could He do?
In your life, do you still have many preconceived notions about Jesus that are preventing you from fully depending on Him? May the Spirit of God help us, remove the veil inside us and give us an open heart to welcome work of the Lord. Let us experience His abundance and glory each and every day!
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