Luke 9:19 “So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
Each of these represents a different perception of Christ. People who said He was John the Baptist were likely only repeating what they had heard elsewhere. Herod was of this opinion. It was of course a fanciful idea with no basis in fact. It was likely assumed by some only because they couldn’t accept that God would send two powerful prophets back to back. So it was a way to minimize the issue.
Those who believed he was Elijah either were unaware of the ministry of John the Baptist, or misunderstood his ministry completely. But, to be fair, saying Jesus was Elijah at least betrayed a good understanding of the Scriptures. Elijah returning was indeed a biblical idea, and was to be expected. However, John was the fit for this, not Jesus.
As for the rest, who assumed Jesus was one of the old prophets come back to life, there is little to say. They obviously also simply made assumptions based on rumors, but had not much of their own ideas mixed in.
All of this brings up a subject. Jesus obviously knew that people were confused about Him. So then why not give them very specific instruction to help them along in their understanding? Why did Jesus stay a step back in the shadows so to speak? Ah, here we find one of the most important concepts of Scripture. Without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the truth will not be seen clearly. Jesus expected Jewish people to go and consult the Scriptures, and to ask Almighty God to show them the truth concerning Christ. I sincerely believe that any Jewish person in that day who actually sought God on the issue of the identity of Jesus obtained the correct answer. But, the vast majority of the Jewish population looked to their leadership, the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, etc. to spoon feed them the truth.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the truth the way You do! We do not understand it at first, but when we study it, we see Your vast wisdom. You are the Expert. You know us better than we know You, and better than we know ourselves. You understand how we learn and grow. Thank You for ministering to us the way You do! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.