Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
[Intro]
“On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry – announces that the Lord is nigh; – Awake and hearken for he brings – Glad tidings of the King of kings!” (On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry, LSB 344, stanza 1)
“Behold, I will send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1a).
Here, the Prophet Malachi explains how God is going to intervene in human affairs. He is not a faraway God, but a God who will be near His people. To prepare humanity, God will send His messenger to “prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” (Luke 3:4b).
This messenger did not appear instantly, but at God’s appointed time.
Some centuries after Malachi’s proclamation, this messenger finally appeared in the wilderness as John the Baptist. He proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
[Repent]
Throughout the book of Malachi, the prophet warns those in his community who have a false understanding of God’s will and God’s ways. Malachi is calling everyone to not just feel sorry for their sins, but to repent by changing their ways of thinking and living.
Likewise, John the Baptist did much of the same. He warned the crowds to prepare for the coming wrath.
John proclaimed to the crowds: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:7-8a).
John isn’t just telling the crowds to be sorry. He is informing the crowds to change from their sinful desires. He is telling them to prepare themselves for the coming of the One who is much greater than him.
He is preparing them for the First Advent of Emmanuel – God in with us.
Jesus the Christ is the Messenger of the New Covenant that Malachi proclaims. Jesus the Christ is the Messenger of the New Covenant that John proclaims.
[Today]
This leads us to today.
Christ has come to proclaim good news to all nations. He has come to give the entire world His grace through His sacrificial death upon the cross and His resurrection from the grave that gives all who believe and trust in Him salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Christ also promises to come again in glory. When He comes again descending from the clouds, He will draw near to us in judgment. He will thrust everyone away who does not fear Him. He will bring near everyone who fears Him. He will separate the goats from His sheep.
Like Malachi and John the Baptist, we have a role as well. As followers of Christ, we are to prepare the way for Christ’s Second Advent – His second coming.
We prepare by living out the Christian life. We prepare by telling others of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We prepare by baptizing and teaching all what Christ has commanded us. We make the paths straight by following Christian virtues and not by bringing in false doctrine from the world.
We prepare by knowing that “the Lord does not change” (Malachi 3:6a).
The Triune God continues to condemn sin – even if we may justify our sin, but at the same time His mercy endures forever.
As children of God, the Lord promises to never forsake His children as long as we remain loyal to Him as our Lord. We remain loyal by repenting of our sins of thought, word and deed against God. Then in His Fatherly grace, we are forgiven of those sins and He sees us as spotless. He sees us as He sees His Son – righteous.
And so in expectation of Christ’s arrival, we are to be vigilant about the wrath to come, but also bear fruits of repentance as we wait for Christ’s second coming. For this is when we will truly be set free from sin, death and Satan as all in Christ will be made new with a sinless body and soul.
“All praise, eternal Son, to Thee – Whose advent sets Thy people free, – Whom with the Father we adore – And Holy Spirit evermore.” (LSB 344, stanza 5)
Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
T SOLI DEO GLORIA T
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