20211211 IS JOHN THE BAPTIST, OR JESUS, THE ELIJAH TO COME?
11 December, 2021, Saturday, 2nd Week of Advent
First reading |
Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12 © |
The prophet Elijah will come again
The prophet Elijah arose like a fire,
his word flaring like a torch.
It was he who brought famine on the people,
and who decimated them in his zeal.
By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,
he also, three times, brought down fire.
How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!
Has anyone reason to boast as you have?
Taken up in the whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses;
designated in the prophecies of doom
to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks,
to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob,
Happy shall they be who see you,
and those who have fallen asleep in love.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19 © |
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again;
give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The day of the Lord is near;
Look, he comes to save us.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk3:4,6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight,
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 17:10-13 © |
Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him
As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.
IS JOHN THE BAPTIST, OR JESUS, THE ELIJAH TO COME?
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ECCL 48:1-4,9-11; PS 80:2-3,15-16,18-19; MT 17:10-13]
In the prophet Malachi, the last of the prophets in the Old Testament, he prophesied, “Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.” (Mal 4:5f) Within this context, we can appreciate the speculation of the Jews who were waiting for the Day of the Lord. Until Elijah comes again, the Messiah would not appear. Of course, the Day of the Lord was understood to be the Day when Israel would be restored to her glory as in the days of old under King David. They were thinking in terms of a powerful, military and triumphal Messiah.
In their minds, the Messiah would be even more powerful than Elijah whom we read in the first reading was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. He was a powerful preacher of the Word of God. His task was to bring the whole of Israel back to faith in God and the covenantal relationship with Him. He fought against King Ahab and his pagan Queen, Jezebel. He fought and slaughtered the false prophets of Baal when he held a competition with them by asking their gods to burn the holocaust and consume it. In spite of their prolonged prayer, screaming, shouting to their gods and mutilating their own bodies, their gods did not show up. Whereas Elijah soaked the holocaust with water a few times and when he called upon God to burn up the holocaust, it was done. So powerful was Elijah that when he predicted a drought in Israel as God’s punishment on them, it lasted for three years. Finally, we are told that at the end of his life, he was taken up in a chariot into the heavens.
There was thus great speculation as to John the Baptist’s real identity when he appeared on the scene. With him, prophecy, which was silent for 400 years since the prophet Malachi, was heard again in John the Baptist. He was a great preacher. Earlier on, our Lord praised John the Baptist. He told the crowds, “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt 11:7-11)
In the mind of our Lord, clearly, John the Baptist was the Elijah that was to come again before the Day of the Lord to prepare the way for the Messiah. He was the messenger that God said He would send ahead of the Messiah to prepare for the coming of the Day of the Lord. He confirmed this again in today’s gospel when the disciples, after seeing the Transfiguration where Elijah appeared, asked the Lord, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?” Jesus replied, “True, Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased.” Once again, the Lord reiterated that John the Baptist was the Elijah to come. If that were so, the inference to the disciples was therefore that He was the Messiah. More so, it was clearly confirmed in the Transfiguration when the Father said to them, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Mt 17:5) Further by alluding to His death, it showed that the people failed to recognize John the Baptist as the Elijah who was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. Just like the religious leaders, even the political leaders failed to understand that John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the Messiah to come. Their rejection of him of course would also lead to their rejection of our Lord as well. As the Lord said, “the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.”
But the confusion over the identity of John the Baptist was partially caused by John himself, for when he was asked, he denied that he was the Messiah or the Elijah, or even the prophet that Moses told the people to wait for. (Jn 1:19-22; Dt 18:15-21) However, the Lord affirmed John the Baptist as “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,'” (Jn 1:23; cf Isa 40:3) He came to prepare the way for the Lord. “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” (Jn 1:26)
Could Jesus then be the Messenger of the Lord? Indeed, some were speculating that if John the Baptist was not the Elijah, then perhaps Jesus was. We remember what the Lord asked His disciples at Caesarea Philippi, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:13-15) Even Herod shared the sentiments of the people. “King Herod in his guilt when he heard of Jesus said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’ For some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’ But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.'” (Mk 6:14-16)
The speculation that Jesus could be the Elijah was also due to the fact that Jesus was portrayed in similar ways like Elijah. Jesus also preached the Word of God with power and authority, albeit it was not the style of Elijah or John the Baptist, one of brimstone and fire. But Jesus also performed great miracles like Elijah who multiplied food and oil for the widow of Zarephath and revived her son who died. Most of all, the early Church, namely, St Luke portrayed the ascension of our Lord in the imagery of Elijah when He too was carried up into the heavens forty days after His resurrection. Of course, we remember Elijah also spent forty days at Mount Horeb in prayer before he encountered God in the silence.
Indeed, the early Church was clear that John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Lord, as seen in the prophecy of Zechariah when he said, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.” (Lk 1:76f) This was the same testimony given by John. When Jesus was baptized, he said, “Here is 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 ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” (Jn 1:29-34)
Consequently, we must affirm this truth about John the Baptist as the forerunner of our Lord. In turn, like John the Baptist, we must prepare the Way for the Lord to come into our lives and the lives of our people. We too have a duty like John the Baptist to make way for Him to enter into our lives by repenting of our sins and accepting the call to conversion. In our case, we are preparing not so much for the first coming of the Lord but in view of Christ’s second coming at the end of time. But it is not enough to prepare ourselves without calling others to meet the Lord. We must help others to recognize Him as St John did, always pointing out Jesus to them. As he said, “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:28-30) This should be our joy at Advent as we prepare for Christmas. Let us bring someone to encounter Jesus by our love, encouragement, joy and in our prayers and faith sharing. May we reveal the Lord in our lives and lead others to faith in Him.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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