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Explanation for:
Matthew
11
:
14
And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The phrase, \\"If ye would know, he is Elijah,\\" presents a profound mystery that requires careful interpretation, as further dialogue from the Lord indicates: \\"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.\\" If the meaning were straightforward, there would be no need for preparation to comprehend it. Thus, John is referred to as Elijah not in the manner of certain heretics and irrational philosophers who claim a doctrine of soul transmigration, but rather as emphasized in another Gospel account (Luke 1:17; Matt. 17:12), indicating that he will arrive in the spirit and strength of Elijah—that is, he will be endowed with a similar measure of the Holy Spirit. The severity and temperance displayed in the lives of both Elijah and John mirror one another. Both were wilderness dwellers; Elijah donned a leather belt, and John followed suit. Elijah fled into the wilderness due to his condemnation of King Ahab and the wickedness of Jezebel (1 Kings 19), while John met a martyr's death for revealing Herod’s unlawful union with Herodias. It is proposed that John is labeled as Elijah because, as foretold by Malachi, Elijah will precede the Lord’s second coming, just as John heralded His first arrival. Both serve as proclaimers of the Lord’s coming—whether the first or the second. \\n\\nJohn embodies the prophecy in Malachi (Mal. 4:5) as the Elijah who must appear—not in the sense that he and Elijah share the same soul, as heretics argue, but because he possesses the same grace of the Holy Spirit. John lived in the wilderness, similarly endured persecution from Herodias as Elijah did from Jezebel, and, as the first Elijah was the forerunner of the second, John also heralded the Savior who was to manifest in the flesh—not only in the wilderness but also within the womb of his mother, joyfully proclaiming Him through the movement of his body."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Saviour offers further evidence by stating that if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who must come. As Scripture declares, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite, who will turn the heart of the father to the son (Malachi IV, 5, 6). Therefore, if you are attentive, you will recognize that he is also Elijah, for Scripture notes, I will send my messenger before your face (ibid., III, 1). The Saviour’s declaration that he wishes for us to receive serves to illustrate that He does not force anyone. I do not compel you, He states. Through these words, He prompts them to reflect earnestly and reveals that John is Elijah and Elijah is John: both embraced the same role as forerunners. Thus, He did not merely assert, This is Elijah, but rather, If you are willing to accept it, this is Elijah; that is, if you discern the unfolding events attentively."},{"author-name":"Caesarius of Nazianzus","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a176e0f4c3aeca7aee3_Caesarius%20of%20Nazianzus.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"What does the Lord mean when He refers to John saying, ‘And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come’? It is known that John faced execution at the hands of Herod. How can he be considered Elijah again? The response is that the Lord, in His divine manifestation, sent John ahead of Him in the spirit and power of Elijah. John is aptly referred to as Elijah, reflecting the equality of grace and a similar mission. He serves as both the conclusion of the Law and the introduction of the Good News, acting as a guide for a way of life that transcends the Law, much like Elijah, who is destined to precede God's second coming in the flesh. This event marks the conclusion of our current existence and the commencement of a new future. In a similar manner to John, Elijah also faces death for the sake of truth, at the hands of a rationally understood Herod."},{"author-name":"Apollinarius of Laodicea","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He refers to John as Elijah, equating him with Elijah in spirit and strength. The statement, being somewhat ambiguous, was intentionally left to the discernment of those capable of grasping its meaning. Furthermore, the angel Gabriel proclaimed about him, \\"And he shall precede before him in the spirit and power of Elijah\\" (Lk. 1:17), indicating that he is indeed Elijah, albeit in a different form."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord invites us to be receptive, which means to evaluate with righteousness and without envy. This describes the individual whom the prophet Malachi referred to as the impending Elijah. Both the Forerunner and Elijah share a similar purpose: one heralded the first Advent, while the other will announce the second. To illustrate that this is a parable revealing that John embodies Elijah, and to emphasize the need for contemplation to grasp this truth, He proclaims, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matt. 11:15)."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Jewish people anticipate the arrival of Christ to occur following the coming of Elijah who will herald His return. This expectation is rooted in the prophecy of Malachi, which states, “And behold, I will send you Elijah the Thessite... who shall turn the heart of the father to the son” (Mal. 4:5, 6). While it is true that Elijah will announce the second coming of Christ, John the Baptist paved the way for His first coming. In this context, Christ remarks, “If you are willing to accept what I now say—if you are attentive to the works—then John is the Elijah who is to come, as he fulfills his divine commission.” Just as the one who will prepare for My second coming will redirect the hearts of the Jewish people towards the apostles, for they are the forebears of the apostles, John also turns the hearts of those Jews who are destined to believe in Me prior to My coming, acknowledging that I am their Son. Christ, in His humanity, comes from the lineage of the Jews. Just as the first Elijah is recognized as the forerunner of the second coming, so too is the first forerunner regarded as the second Elijah due to the parallels in their ministries, as is affirmed."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After the departure of John's disciples, the Savior turned to the crowd and offered John the highest commendation possible for a man. \\"Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet,\\" Christ continued, \\"the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.\\" This means that, despite John's significant stature as a prophet of the Old Testament, any individual who directly listens to Christ and genuinely embraces faith in Him possesses a greater claim to enter the new kingdom than even this esteemed prophet, who was akin to a new Elijah announcing the arrival of that kingdom. \\"Let anyone who has ears to hear heed this!\\" the Savior concluded his profound remarks about John."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"I understand that what I say may seem improbable to you, but if you examine the occurrences with care, and if you are willing to accept the truth—if you think rationally and without bias—you will recognize that John is indeed the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Elijah. However, he is not the resurrected Elijah from ancient times who is to appear before My Second Glorious Coming at the Final Judgment. Instead, John came in the spirit and power of that ancient prophet. For those of you who can grasp the profound significance of certain events and the roles of specific sacred figures, which are not evident to everyone, reflect and comprehend this: if John, as My Forerunner, proclaims that I am the Christ and acknowledges Me as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, then it follows that I must truly be the Christ."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The phrase \\"If you are willing to accept\\" indicates that Christ's message was so distinct from the established beliefs of the Jews that it could provoke skepticism regarding His words. This was especially true given that John's imprisonment did not align with the Jewish understanding of what Jesus intended to convey about him. The reference to \\"He is Elijah\\" pertains to the great prophet who ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). The prophet Malachi prophesied that Elijah would be sent before the Messiah to prepare His way (Malachi 4:5, 6). This did not imply that the historical Elijah would return, but rather a figure analogous to him, or as described in the Gospel of Luke, someone who would come \\"in the spirit and power of Elijah\\" (Luke 1:17). Nonetheless, the Jewish people interpreted this prophecy literally; they anticipated the actual return of Elijah, Jeremiah, and other prophets to prepare the Messiah's arrival (Matthew 16:14, Matthew 17:10, John 1:21). The Lord clarifies the true significance of this prophecy by identifying John as Elijah, a revelation that was so contrary to Jewish beliefs that it might seem implausible. Therefore, He introduces this clarification with the phrase \\"if you are willing to accept.\\""},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In describing John as the final prophet, Jesus acknowledged a widely held Jewish belief that Elijah would return prior to the arrival of the Messiah. Malachi prophesied, \\"I will send Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the day of the Lord, great and terrible\\" (Malachi 4:5). This prophecy clearly pertains to the momentous day when God's final judgement upon humanity will occur, which is associated with the Second Coming of Christ. Malachi foretold of John as a messenger who would prepare the path for the Lord; this messenger would not be Elijah himself but would come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). This revelation was given to John's father, the priest Zacharias, by the archangel Gabriel. The anticipation for Elijah’s return was intensely fervent; however, with John's emergence, the prophetic voices had ceased, signaling that Elijah would not come in the expected manner. Hence, for the Jews who clung to this misunderstanding, it was essential to recognize John as Elijah in order to embrace Jesus as the Messiah. This is why Jesus urges them: If you interpret Malachi's prophecy regarding Elijah's return literally, understand that the one destined to precede the Messiah has already arrived, coming in the spirit and power of Elijah; thus, consider him to be Elijah if you are to accept him as a genuine messenger of God who prepares the way for the Lord."}]}
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