Elijah 2.0

 

Read Malachi 4

Elijah will come before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. 

Jesus said that Elijah has come. We get these words of Jesus right after he is transfigured standing between Moses and Elijah, but later in that chapter, it is clarified that Jesus did not mean this momentary appearance but that Elijah had come in the form of John the Baptist.

Why the disguise?

Consider John’s purpose.  He was the forerunner.  He prepared the way for the One who was the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Now imagine if people knew that John was Elijah.  People flocked to John at the Jordan.  Imagine how many more would have come to Elijah. Imagine how hard it would be to leave Elijah for Jesus.

This man by either name knew his own purpose. He was to prepare the way. John was Elijah 2.0.

Call him John or call him Elijah, but this man knew that he was not the focus of these few years.  Jesus was.  John knew that his ministry must lessen for that of the Messiah to increase.

The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord is on it’s way, but John or Elijah has come to prepare you for reconciliation.  God wants to see you raised up in righteousness so that the great and terrible day will be a day of joy for you.

One of my tendencies as pastor is to gravitate towards challenges.  What does God want us to do?  What did you do with what God gave you? 

Be a light in the world.

Be the God seasoning of the planet.  Let people taste God’s goodness every time they cross your path.

Be known by your love.

Those are legitimate challenges, but I have to remind myself to include some affirmations every once in a while.

Our behavior, our performance, our actions are all things that we want to please God, but we must remember that it is God alone who has made us right with him.

Our response to that great love can be manifested in our behavior and our performance and our actions but we must keep in mind that God did it all and he did it for us.

God did it.  I know that you might be thinking it was Tom’s sermons that let us turn the corner to righteousness, but it was and is all God.

God did it.  You might think that it was reading your chapter every day without missing a day, but it was and is all God.

There will be a Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.  When?  Soon.

In that day and on every day from now until then, know that God alone has made you right with him.

He has called you to obey his directives.  He has called you to be a living sacrifice.  He has called you to bring the whole tithe.  He has called you to reconciliation in the blood of Jesus.

There may be judgment taking place all around you but because of what God has done for you, you will have joy.  You will frolic like a young calf not concerned with the wickedness melting away all around you.

Do not lose hope because of the wickedness around you.  On the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, the wicked will be no more.  They will be like ashes under your feet and we can wash each other’s feet.

Malachi contains some tough prophecy and tough admonitions but it closes with reconciliation.  God sent his messenger who prepared the way.  He sent Jesus who died for your sins.  He will come and claim you.

Because of this we can live through our present suffering knowing that the glory in store for us is overwhelming. We can look forward to the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.

Amen.