Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 3:1-6 Philippians 1:3-11
This week I realized that it would be necessary, at the beginning of today’s message, to explain what a messenger does. To me, it seems obvious, but technology, cell phones, and phone and computer applications, or “apps,” have borrowed and popularized their own use of the language that the meaning that was once assumed might easily be misunderstood today. And so, as we read today’s scriptures, I want to be sure that everyone understands that a messenger is a person and not a piece of software or a cell phone application. Once upon a time, messages were carried, and delivered, by people much like the United States Postal Service still does.
If you were in a hurry, you could send a telegram through a company like Western Union. Telegrams were pioneered by the railroads in the 1850’s and originally employed the transmission of Morse Code, transcription on the receiving end, and then delivery by a human being. Western Union delivered many of the death notices for the United States military during the second world war, sold off the telegram business in 2006, and now exists only as a financial services company. Today, if we say that we sent something via messenger, many people will assume that we used text, email, or some kind of messaging app. on your phone. Electronic delivery is so common today that if you intend to hire a human being to carry your message, then you wouldn’t search online for a messenger, but for a “private courier,” or even for a “personal courier.” In any case, as obvious as it may seem, as we read scripture today, the word “messenger” should be understood as a human or angelic being and not simply a type of message.
We begin this morning by reading God’s words to the nation of Israel delivered by the prophet Malachi, whose name, literally translated, means, “my messenger.” We begin reading in Malachi 3:1-4 and hear this:
3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.
Malachi says that the job of God’s messenger will not only be to deliver a message, but to go ahead of God and prepare the people for God’s arrival. This preparation is necessary, we are told, because God’s arrival will be sudden and when he appears, he will refine his people with fire and heat just as silver and gold are purified.
Several hundred years later, Luke uses similar language to describe the arrival, and the mission, of John the Baptist and Luke describes John by quoting from the prophet Isaiah. As we read Luke 3:1-6 we hear this:
3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
Luke describes John’s mission as a preparation for Jesus’ arrival. It was common for kings to plan their journeys and before their arrival, roads would be repaired and improved, potholes filled, trash picked up, buildings cleaned, grass mowed, brass polished, etcetera. And that is what Luke says that John’s words were intended to do, to prepare the people, the hearts of the people, and to prepare the nation itself for the arrival of the Messiah so that “all people will see God’s salvation.”
Malachi warned that the messiah would come.
John warned that the messiah had already arrived.
And then, in Philippians 1:3-11, Paul writes to tell the church what they should do about it now that Jesus had risen from the dead and returned to his father’s house in heaven. Paul says…
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
There are several important things for us to note in this short passage. First. Paul is always filled with joy as he remembers the people in the church in Philippi because of the partnership that they had built and the work that they had done together. Because of all that they had done as partners, Paul was fully confident that God was not done with them and would continue to work in them and through them until the work that God intended to do had been completed. Next, Paul prays that the love of the church would be abundant and that their love would grow in knowledge, wisdom, and insight so that they would be discerning and choose a path forward that would bring about the best result possible and allow the people of the church to stand before Jesus on the day of judgement as people who were pure, blameless, and filled with righteousness because of their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Malachi told God’s people of the Messiah that was to come.
John told God’s people that the Messiah had already arrived.
And Paul tells us that the mission of the church, today, is to tell the world that the Messiah has come, to pray that we would grow in love, knowledge, wisdom, and insight so that we will be prepared to stand before Jesus Christ on the day of judgement.
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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org. These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com . All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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