Do John 1:21 & Mark 9:13 Contradict?

In the Gospel of John, it seems to give the idea that John the Baptist is not the Prophet Elijah; however, in Mark, it seems to give this idea.

John 1:21

"They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No," (John 1:21 NASB1995).

Mark 9:13

"But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him,” (Mark 9:13 NASB1995).

This is a very complex moment, so we must go through it slowly. In Malachi 4, the Lord tells the people he will send Elijah before the great day of the Lord(Malachi 4:5). When the Jews asked the question to John, they were asking if he was literally Elijah. John noted he was not the person Elijah. In Mark 9, Elijah appears on the mountain as a spirit with Moses (Mark 9:1-3) thus meaning that John is not literally Elijah. "They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him," (Mark 9:11-13 NASB1995).

Jesus notes here that not only did Elijah come, but he came to restore things. When speaking of John's birth, we read: "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord," (Luke 1:17 NASB1995). John is not Elijah as he noted, but someone who came like Elijah. Someone "in the spirit and power of Elijah". It seems that John the Baptist is an archetype of Elijah, a symbol of Elijah and how he acts.

Works Cited:

Dr. Falk, David. Live Stream #120: What Are You Going To Do With Your Question? YouTube, YouTube, 19 Aug. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WXR_JFYsFQ. Accessed 23 Aug. 2023.