"Some say that you are John the Baptist," they answered; "others say that you are Elijah, while others say that you are one of the prophets."

His answer was, "Elijah is indeed coming first in order to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected?

I tell you, however, that Elijah has already come and that people treated him just as they pleased, as the Scriptures say about him."

Some of the people there heard him and said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah!"

One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus' lips and said, "Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring him down from the cross!"

"But before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes, I will send you the prophet Elijah.

"Some say John the Baptist," they answered. "Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet."

Then the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

"Elijah is indeed coming first," answered Jesus, "and he will get everything ready.

He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord's people ready for him."

Others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.

"Some say that you are John the Baptist," they answered. "Others say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."

"Who are you, then?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No, I am not," John answered. "Are you the Prophet?" they asked. "No," he replied.

then asked John, "If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?"

"This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee," the crowds answered.

They all were filled with fear and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us!" they said; "God has come to save his people!"

When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!"

Seeing this miracle that Jesus had performed, the people there said, "Surely this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!"

Some of the people in the crowd heard him say this and said, "This man is really the Prophet!"

So the Pharisees asked the man once more, "You say he cured you of your blindness---well, what do you say about him?" "He is a prophet," the man answered.

For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will send you a prophet, just as he sent me, and he will be one of your own people. You are to obey everything that he tells you to do.

Anyone who does not obey that prophet shall be separated from God's people and destroyed.'