The Lord's Messenger

Luke 1:68-79 / Malachi 3:1-4

Malachi’s Prophecy

The LORD is Coming!

HE will refine and purify (restoration)

This begins with the Advent, and completes in the age to come

4. This is preceded by the sending of a messenger to prepare the way of the Lord

John’s Ministry

Luke 1:76–79 ESV

76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Luke 3:1–6 ESV

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

There were already many claimed Messiahs

There were already baptisms / ritual washings

John came specifically to declare JESUS as Lord and Messiah

John 1:29 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Luke 7:22 ESV

22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

Our Message

Philippians 1:3–5 ESV

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

We are called to be God’s messengers today

We are called to spread the gospel of Jesus

We are not John, but His ministry of preparation parallels our calling today.

Church Family, if we believe that Jesus came in human flesh to be the savior of the world, then this season of advent ought to remind us that as assuredly as He came the first time, He is coming again, and that God has sent us to be His messengers, not wholly unlike John, preparing people to meet Him by spreading the gospel, and witnessing to it by loving God supremely and people genuinely.