4 And there came before them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tents; one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 6 Because he was not certain what to say, for they were in great fear. 7 And a cloud came over them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, give ear to him. 8 And suddenly looking round about, they saw no one any longer, but Jesus only with themselves. 9 And while they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to give word to any man of the things they had seen, till the Son of man had come back from the dead. 10 And they kept the saying, questioning among themselves what the coming back from the dead might be. 11 And they put a question to him, saying, Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first? 12 And he said to them, Truly, Elijah does come first, and puts all things in order; and how is it said in the Writings that the Son of man will go through much sorrow and be made as nothing? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they have done to him whatever they were pleased to do, even as the Writings say about him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 9:4-13
Commentary on Mark 9:1-13
(Read Mark 9:1-13)
Here is a prediction of the near approach Christ's kingdom. A glimpse of that kingdom was given in the transfiguration of Christ. It is good to be away from the world, and alone with Christ: and how good to be with Christ glorified in heaven with all the saints! But when it is well with us, we are apt not to care for others, and in the fulness of our enjoyments, we forget the many wants of our brethren. God owns Jesus, and accepts him as his beloved Son, and is ready to accept us in him. Therefore we must own and accept him as our beloved Saviour, and must give up ourselves to be ruled by him. Christ does not leave the soul, when joys and comforts leave it. Jesus explained to the disciples the prophecy about Elias. This was very suitable to the ill usage of John Baptist.