Restore All Things
Peter, James, and John inquire as to why Elijah must first come in response to Jesus' command that they are to tell no one about their experience witnessing his transfiguration until after his resurrection.
This must have struck them as curious. They grew up hearing about a coming Messiah, but one who was preceded by the return of Elijah the Prophet. Of course, Elijah had not yet returned. But Jesus corrected them. Elijah had come - and was maligned and killed. The same would happen to the Messiah.
But Jesus makes a curious statement. He said that when Elijah comes, he will restore all things. This begs the question of what will be restored. Obviously, the world was still broken following John's ministry and he clearly wasn't the Messiah, so what does Jesus mean?
The "all things," I believe, is a reference to the cosmic importance of John's witness. He's not merely of spiritual significance, but cosmic in terms of both his spiritual importance and how he fits into God's redemptive history for the earth - not just the people of the earth, but all the earth, since redemptive history terminates with the heavens and the earth being joined and healed as an eternal playground for God's faithful children.
So what is it about John's ministry that restores all things? It is my opinion that John's ministry kick-starts redemptive history out of its 400-year holding pattern of silence by calling people to turn their hearts to God through sincere repentance. The conviction and confession of dead works is at play and the people of Israel, the sheep of God's house with whom the Messianic ministry begins, are the ones who will be a part of a new kind of Covenant, one written on hearts rather than just stone tablets.
So when Jesus says that John changed everything, he is not embellishing. John's faithful witness to point people to the Christ should give all of us, as followers of Jesus, the cue to point both our lives and the lives of others to the Messiah. To lean on his righteousness rather than their own. To believe on him and reject any other god or idol. To align their affections with Jesus. And to anticipate his glorious Second Coming when he will finish what John the Baptist started.
Created 11 months ago
