Mark 9:12

And he answered, and told them, Elias verely commeth first, and restoreth al things, and how it is written of the Sonne of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. Mark 9:12 (KJV)

In this passage Jesus is responding to the disciples’ question about the prophetic expectation that Elijah (Elias) must precede the Messiah. He affirms that Elijah indeed comes first “to restore all things,” thereby confirming the traditional teaching while also indicating that the fulfillment has taken a different form.

The expectation of an Elijah before the coming of the Lord is rooted in Malachi 4:5‑6: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord…”. Jesus interprets this prophecy in terms of John the Baptist, who had already appeared “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (cf. Mark 1:2‑4). John’s mission was to call people to repentance and to turn the hearts of fathers to children and vice‑versa, thereby preparing the way for the Messiah.

While Mark 9:12 itself does not elaborate on the suffering of the Son of Man, the broader Gospel records Jesus teaching that “the Son of man must suffer many things” (see Mark 8:31; 9:31). The verse quoted in the opening block does include that language, linking the Elijah prophecy with the inevitable suffering and rejection that the Son of Man would endure, culminating in His crucifixion and resurrection.

Thus the passage highlights the dual nature of Jesus’ mission: John the Baptist fulfills the Elijah role by preparing the people, and Jesus Himself fulfills the prophetic suffering of the Son of Man. The disciples, having just witnessed the transfiguration where Moses and Elijah appeared with Him, must grapple with the reality that the long‑awaited Messiah would face rejection and suffering before His ultimate triumph.