December 9, 2024
Today’s Reading: Malachi 3:1-7b
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 26:1-19; 1 John 3:1-24
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me…” (Malachi 3:1a)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The prophet Malachi holds a special place in the history of salvation: he was the last to prophesy in the Old Testament period. After God spoke through Malachi, the voice of the prophets was silent for nearly 400 years, until John the Baptist.
Through Malachi, God revealed His plan to send John the Baptist, saying, “Behold, I will send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me.” Look closely, and you will see how this text shows that Jesus is truly God. The prophet says the messenger will not come before Jesus, but before me, which identifies Jesus with the one inspiring these words, namely, the Lord Almighty.
Malachi also reveals the coming of a second messenger, “‘And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” This second messenger is identified as the Lord Himself. He is called “The Messenger of the Covenant,” and He will go to the Lord’s temple. “The Messenger of the Covenant” is none other than Jesus Christ.
Malachi describes Jesus’ work as a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. John the Baptist also spoke of Him this way: He would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit, separate the wheat from the chaff, and burn up those who did not produce fruit. Jesus worked this way because His job was to purify sinners. He worked like a launderer’s soap because He washed away the sins of sinners.
God would be justified in doing more to sinners than simply refining and washing them; He would be perfectly justified if He chose to destroy them. But the Lord is gracious. He does not delight in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn from their ways and live. (Ezekiel 18:23) In the same way, He prefers to refine His people rather than destroy them.
Christ is still refining His Church. His Word still confronts us and bids us to repent and rid ourselves of harmful sins that would destroy us. Sometimes, He even allows us to go through painful and difficult situations—not to harm us but to help us by cleaning us up and burning off some impurities.
Christ is truly God, and He has purchased you with His own precious blood. He has paid for all your sins. He loves you and desires only your good. He intends for you to spend eternity with Him. None of that changes no matter what you are going through, but it’s especially good to keep those things in mind when times are tough. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
When through fiery trials your pathway will lie, My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply. The flames will not hurt you; I only design Your dross to consume and your gold to refine. (LSB 728:4)
-Rev. Joel Shaltanis, pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Plano, TX.
Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.
What makes a church “good?” Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.
