Who was Jesus talking about in Matthew chapter 17 verse11?

Answer 1

The disciples had just seen a preview of Christ's coming in power and glory.

But His forerunner had not appeared. Malachi had prophesied that Elijah must come prior to Messiah's arrival (Malachi 4:5-6), so His disciples asked Jesus about this. The Lord agreed that indeed Elijah had to come first as a reformer, but explained that Elijah had already come. Obviously He was referring to John the Baptist.

Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

John was not Elijah (John1:21), but had come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).

There is every reason to believe that before Christ's Second coming, a prophet will arise to prepare Israel for the coming King. Whether it will be Elijah personally or someone with a similar ministry is almost impossible to say.

Answer 2

Matthew chapter 17 consists of several seemingly unrelated pericopes.

1. The first one is the story of the Transfiguration, in which Jesus was said to have gone to a mountain where his appearance was changed and he was seen by Peter, James and John talking to Moses and Elias (Elijah). Arguably, this account can be better understood from Mark's Gospel, believed by some scholars to have been the first of the gospels and which the author of Matthew's Gospel used as his major source. In the earliest manuscripts of Mark, there were no Resurrection appearances by Jesus, and the Transfiguration was therefore the one great event that proved to the disciples that Jesus was truly the son of God.
2. The chapter also contains an exorcism, whereupon Jesus had the opportunity to discuss the power of this type of devil and the faith of his disciples. With enough faith, he said the disciples could do anything.
3. Jesus is also shown predicting his own betrayal and death.
4. Finally, Jesus talks of paying tribute to the Romans, but cleverly tells the disciples to find the money in a fish so as not to pay the hated tribute with their own money.