Mark 9:12 kjv
And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Mark 9:12 nkjv
Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Mark 9:12 niv
Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?
Mark 9:12 esv
And he said to them, "Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?
Mark 9:12 nlt
Jesus responded, "Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt?
Mark 9 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mal 4:5-6 | “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers..." | Prophecy of Elijah's preparatory role. |
| Matt 17:10-13 | Then the disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things...Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.” | Identifies John the Baptist as Elijah. |
| Lk 1:17 | "...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." | John the Baptist's role in Elijah's spirit. |
| Isa 40:3-5 | A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up..." | Prophetic foreshadowing of John's ministry. |
| Acts 3:21 | "...whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all things that God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago." | "Restoring all things" points to future fulfillment. |
| Matt 19:28 | Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” | "Regeneration" (παλιγγενεσίᾳ) relates to restoration. |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. | Direct prophecy of the Messiah's contempt. |
| Ps 22:6 | But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. | Prophecy of the Messiah's humiliation. |
| Ps 118:22 | The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. | Rejection and ultimate exaltation. |
| Mk 8:31 | And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. | Jesus' first prediction of His suffering. |
| Mk 10:45 | For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. | Messiah's purpose involved suffering unto death. |
| Lk 24:25-27 | And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets... | Christ's suffering was a divine necessity in Scripture. |
| 1 Cor 15:3 | For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. | Suffering and death according to the Scriptures. |
| Heb 2:9-10 | But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death...it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. | Necessity of Christ's suffering for perfection. |
| 1 Pet 2:21-24 | For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example...By his wounds you have been healed. | Christ's suffering is a redemptive example. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself...And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Messiah's humiliation as part of God's plan. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man...and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him...” | Source of "Son of Man" title, points to glory. |
| Zech 11:12-13 | Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the handsome price at which they valued me! | Foreshadows contempt for Messiah's value. |
| Lk 23:11 | And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. | Fulfillment of being treated with contempt. |
| Rom 15:3 | For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” | Messiah bore the reproaches of others. |
Mark 9 verses
Mark 9 12 Meaning
Mark 9:12 explains the necessary fulfillment of prophecy regarding both the coming of Elijah and the suffering of the Son of Man. Jesus affirms that Elijah indeed comes first to restore all things, addressing the disciples' expectation of this preparatory work. However, He immediately juxtaposes this with the equally Scriptural truth that the Son of Man, the Messiah, must endure great suffering and be despised, challenging their incomplete understanding of the Messiah's role. It reveals the paradoxical divine plan: restoration through suffering, and glory through humility and rejection.
Mark 9 12 Context
Mark 9:12 occurs immediately after Jesus' transfiguration and His descent from the mountain with Peter, James, and John. The disciples, awe-struck by the vision of Elijah and Moses with Jesus, ask about the scribes' teaching that Elijah must come first before the Messiah. They are trying to reconcile their Messianic expectations (a glorious king) with the pre-appearance of Elijah and the seemingly un-Messianic event of Jesus speaking of His own suffering (already mentioned in Mk 8:31). Jesus' response clarifies the dual nature of prophecy concerning Elijah's coming and the Messiah's suffering, pointing out that both are "written" and necessary parts of God's redemptive plan. It highlights the tension between the disciples' expectation of a victorious Messiah and the divine reality of a suffering servant who precedes His glory.
Mark 9 12 Word analysis
- He replied: Refers to Jesus, directly answering the disciples' question from Mark 9:11. This signifies His authoritative teaching.
- "Elijah": (Greek: Ēlias) Refers to the prophet Elijah of the Old Testament. The disciples' question stemmed from the expectation, rooted in Mal 4:5-6, that Elijah would appear before the Messianic age to prepare the way.
- does come first: (Greek: ἔρχεται πρῶτον, erchetai prōton) Jesus affirms the scribal teaching about Elijah's pre-Messianic coming. The present tense verb implies certainty or an ongoing/fulfilled event, pointing to John the Baptist as fulfilling this role, though not in the exact physical return the disciples anticipated. It highlights divine certainty regarding prophecy.
- and restore all things: (Greek: ἀποκαθιστάνει πάντα, apokathistanei panta) This phrase is crucial. Apokathistanei means "to restore," "to bring back to a former state," or "to establish in a rightful condition." It carries the connotation of setting things right, preparing hearts, and rectifying spiritual order, as described in Mal 4:6. This is Elijah's preparatory role for the Messiah's kingdom. "All things" suggests a comprehensive spiritual and moral restoration, not necessarily a political one at this stage.
Words-Group Analysis
- How then is it written about the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?: This entire clause expresses Jesus' core teaching. It introduces a challenging paradox to the disciples' understanding.
- How then is it written: (Greek: πῶς γέγραπται, pōs gegraptai) This rhetorical question emphasizes that the Messiah's suffering is equally revealed in Scripture as Elijah's coming and restoration. It is a divine necessity and a prophetic fulfillment, often overlooked or misinterpreted.
- Son of Man: (Greek: τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ton Hyion tou anthrōpou) This self-designation for Jesus links Him to Daniel 7:13-14, which describes a glorious, divine figure, yet also encompasses humility and humanity. In Jesus' usage, it often introduces His suffering. It underscores His unique Messianic identity, rooted in both human weakness and divine authority.
- that he must suffer many things: (Greek: πολλὰ παθεῖν, polla pathein) "Must" (δεῖ, dei) indicates divine necessity and fulfillment of prophecy, not just an unfortunate event. "Many things" (πολλὰ, polla) points to the scope and intensity of the suffering—physical, emotional, spiritual—foretold in places like Isaiah 53.
- and be treated with contempt: (Greek: ἐξουθενηθῇ, exouthenēthē) This strong verb means "to be despised," "to be treated as worthless or insignificant." It captures the humiliation and rejection Jesus would face from religious and political authorities, and the public. This contrasts sharply with the disciples' expectation of a glorious Messiah.
Mark 9 12 Bonus section
The seemingly paradoxical nature of Jesus' response in Mark 9:12 points to the concept of divine necessity in prophecy. The Greek word dei ("must") implies a binding obligation rooted in God's will and previously revealed Scripture. This indicates that Messiah's suffering was not an accident but part of the predetermined, necessary plan for salvation. The Jewish interpretive tradition often wrestled with the "two comings" or "two figures" of Messiah – one suffering (Messiah ben Joseph) and one conquering (Messiah ben David). Jesus, in this verse, clearly consolidates both roles into His single identity, showing that His path to ultimate glory includes rejection and suffering as a divine prerequisite. This highlights a key aspect of Christian theology: God's ultimate victory is achieved not through brute force, but through humble self-sacrifice.
Mark 9 12 Commentary
Mark 9:12 unpacks a pivotal theological paradox. Jesus directly affirms the prophetic role of Elijah to "restore all things," acknowledging the correct scribal expectation. This refers to John the Baptist's ministry (as clarified in Mt 17:13) of spiritual preparation and turning hearts back to God before the Messiah's public advent. However, Jesus immediately pivots, introducing the stark counter-expectation: "How then is it written about the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?" This rhetorical question highlights that Messianic prophecy included both glorious restoration and deep suffering.
The disciples, like most contemporary Jews, focused on the glorious, conquering aspect of the Messiah and overlooked or simply could not comprehend the necessity of suffering and rejection. Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and other passages clearly prophesied a suffering Messiah, but popular interpretation preferred a purely victorious one. Jesus corrects this narrow understanding, revealing that the "Son of Man"—a title of both glory (Dan 7) and humility—must suffer according to divine plan. This was not an unfortunate detour, but the predestined path to salvation. The contempt He would endure underscores the radical nature of His self-emptying love and obedience, setting the foundation for true restoration which is primarily spiritual before ultimate physical renewal. The teaching implicitly challenges His disciples to shift their expectations from an earthly political triumph to a divine, sacrificial victory achieved through suffering.