John's Identity Crisis

Jesus said that John the Baptist was the "Elijah" that should come and restore all things (Mark 9:11-13). However, when the Jewish delegation was sent from Jerusalem to investigate John and question if he was the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet, John denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21). What gives? Did John not understand his role? Did he not realize the prophecies concerning himself (Mal. 4:5-6)?

Perhaps there are two ways we can explain this conundrum:

1. Literal Elijah. How did Elijah's life on earth end? "He didn't die...he went to heaven in a chariot of fire!" That's partially correct: he did not experience physical death but the Bible actually says that a chariot of fire separated Elijah and Elisha and that a whirlwind carried Elijah to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Thus, if Elijah did not die but ascended to heaven, the Jews in the first century may have interpreted the prophecies to mean that Elijah would literally come back, descending from heaven physically just like he ascended! If so, John's statement could have been a denial that he was not the literal Elijah come back from heaven (though he dressed and acted remarkably like Elijah).

2. Humble Forerunner. John the Baptist never identified himself as Elijah. This does not require us to think he was unaware of his prophetic office. Another explanation that fits John's personality better is that John simply did not think as much of his ministry as Jesus did. He called himself "the voice" of Isaiah 40:3 that prepares the way of the Lord, but he was always pointing to Jesus as his superior (Matt. 3:14; John 1:19-34).

Neither option completely solves the problem but they both show that there are more possibilities than "John didn't know his office" or "John contradicted Jesus."