Please remain standing for the reading of scripture. Our New Testament lesson comes from Luke's gospel, chapter one, verses 67 to 80. This is one of the gospel canticles associated with Christmas. Of course, there's the song of Simeon, there is the song of Mary, and the song of the angels. We sang the song of the angels this morning, angels we have heard on high. Tonight we're going to read the song of Zechariah concerning his son, John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord Jesus. Now his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets. who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenants, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called the prophets of the highest. For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the day spring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. So the child grew. and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Turn now to our Old Testament lesson, which prophesies the coming of the prophet of the highest, prophesies John the Baptist coming. That's Malachi chapter three. Malachi 3, and we will read just the first three verses. Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming. says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. The grass withers, the flower fades. The word of our God stands forever. Amen. You may be seated. What is Christmas all about? We have this lengthy Christmas season, which seems lengthier every year. As you notice, even in the fall, the Christmas decorations are already starting to go up. This span of time in which even our secularized culture is talking about a holiday which has the name of the, rather the title of the Messiah built into it, Christ's Mass, Christmas. What is it all about? I think as Christians, we rightly say that it's about the birth of Jesus, putting Christ back into Christmas. And that's true, and yet we have to go further and ask, why was Jesus born? I think the quick answer that might come into our lips is that he was born to die. He was born to save us from our sins, and that is also true. But tonight, as We bring the Lord's Day to a close. I want us to broaden our view of Christ's coming and thus to deepen our view of Christmas. There's more going on. And to do that, we're going to turn to what might seem like an unlikely text. It's Malachi 3. Again, it might seem like an odd choice for a Christmas text, but there's a reason that the Anglican Charles Jennings included these verses in the libretto for Handel's Messiah, and he did so under the heading, The Prophecy of the Coming of Messiah. Jennings, like the Gospel writers, saw in Malachi 3, verses 1 to 3, a promise of Christmas. Now, before we dive into this text, let's briefly set it in some context. Malachi, the prophet, the end of at least our canon in the Old Testament, comes at the very end, right before that period of 400 years of silence, and he is prosecuting a covenant lawsuit against Israel. There's all sorts of problems. hypocrisy, unequal yoking in marriage, unrighteous divorce, refusal to tithe, false worship, and presumption. And the way Malachi seeks to probe the conscience of his hearers is to use a certain kind of formula. Throughout this book, he'll say, you have done such and such, sin, and the people respond, and he says, yet you say, in what way have we done this? Well, in that you have said or done this and that. That's how it goes. You've sinned in this way, yet you say, how have we sinned? And then he goes on to tell them exactly how they've sinned. Well, with that probing, questioning formula in mind, the end of chapter two ends with a question from the people. Where is the God of justice? Where is the God of justice? And in answer to that question, Micah, or rather Malachi, opens chapter three with an answer in which he prophesies a coming day of the Lord, a day of judgment and salvation. We could say he prophesies Christmas Day. The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. even the messenger of the covenant. Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, tonight I want to argue that Christmas is certainly all about Jesus. But more than that, it is about his coming in judgment and salvation with the purpose that his church would offer pure worship to the Father through the Son by the Spirit. My goal tonight is that we would broaden and deepen our Christmas meditations. And I want to do this by asking three questions of our text. First, who is coming? Second, who can endure the day of his coming? And then third, what is the purpose of his coming? And along the way, we will seek to uncover the heart of the Christmas mystery. First question, who is coming? Look at verse one. Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, saith the Lord of hosts. Now, if you read these verses carefully, there's actually three figures in view. There's Jehovah, the one true and living God, and then there are two messengers. We could say there's two angels. The word translated angel, malak in Hebrew, anglos in Greek, this word simply means a messenger. The word angel can refer at times to a kind of celestial being, but fundamentally the word simply speaks to a function or a title, a messenger sent from the courts of heaven with a message for God's people. Let's look at these figures. First of all, we see a Jehovah and a merely human messenger. He says, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And we know from the gospel accounts, even the set of verses we just read as part of our New Testament lesson, that this messenger was John the Baptist or John the Baptizer, the last Old Testament prophet or human angel, a human messenger sent to prepare the way of the Lord. We saw this even a few weeks ago with Isaiah 40 verse 3, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. And if you read Matthew 11, Mark 1 or Luke chapter 7, all of these gospel writers take the language of Malachi 3 and they apply it to John, the Elijah-like forerunner. Well, that's the first set of people. We see Jehovah and we see John the Baptist, the messenger, but there's a third person, a third figure on the scene where the Bible says, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant. This is a second messenger. There's Jehovah and a merely human messenger, John the Baptist. Here is a mysterious person whom Malachi calls the Lord or Adonai, as well as the angel or messenger of the covenant, a second messenger. He is the one who is coming. He is the one who is coming. And clearly, as we look at this verse in the broader spectrum of the Old Testament, this is a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah, the coming of God's anointed, who has been promised from of old. This is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the Lord, whom the Jews sought, who in the fullness of time suddenly came to his temple. For this Jesus was dedicated at the temple as an infant. Mary and Joseph brought him to that house of God and offered sacrifices of doves and dedicated him as a firstborn to the Lord in his temple. This is the one who throughout his earthly ministry attended the feasts, those great annual gatherings at the temple. He is the one who came and not only cleansed, but judged the house of God. He overturned tables. He drove out the money changers. He said, my father's house is meant to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. And this is the one who in AD 70, through the Roman legions, not only destroyed Jerusalem, but destroyed the temple brick by brick without one stone being left upon another. This is the one who suddenly came to his temple. He is the messenger, the angel of the covenants. And this makes sense when we think about it, because what is the promise of the covenant? Throughout the Bible, over and over again, there is a deep core to God's covenant promise, and it's simply this. I will be your God, and you will be my people. and I will dwell in your midst. I will be your God, you will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst. In other words, the promise of the covenant is God with us. It's the Emmanuel promise. Jesus is really not only the messenger of the covenant, he's the message of the covenant. He is Emmanuel. He is God with us. He is the eternal, only begotten Son of God, the Word made flesh, who tabernacled among us, and we beheld his glory. And unlike the first messenger, John, in this passage, who is a merely human messenger, Jesus is a divine human messenger. He's the God-man. As the Carol puts it, veiled in flesh, the Godhead see. Hail the incarnate deity, pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. That's who's coming. It's Christ. And what's remarkable, I think, as I've studied this passage, is that his identity as the eternal, only begotten Son of God is already hinted at in the prophecy of Malachi. If you read closely, it becomes clear that this third figure, this second messenger, is both distinguished from and identified with Jehovah. This happens over and over again throughout the Old Testament concerning this mysterious angel of the Lord, someone who is identified with the Lord of the covenant, and yet at the same time is distinguished from him. He's distinct from Jehovah because he is the messenger of the covenant. He is the sent one from heaven, but he's also identified with Jehovah. We know that John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. Mark 1, 2 makes that clear, as it is written in the prophets, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. Now, when Mark says that, he's quoting Malachi 3, verse 1, but he does so in an interesting manner. If you read the original, In our text, it says, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. In other words, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Mark took words. used of Jehovah, he will prepare the way before me and applied them directly to Jesus who will prepare your way before you. Jesus stands in the place of Jehovah in Malachi 3, at least as Mark records it. And not only that, even if you just look at Malachi on its own terms, the text points to Jesus' deity because although the first messenger prepares the way for Jehovah, later we see that someone distinct from Jehovah is coming. What Malachi hints at Mark and the other evangelists unveil that Jesus is not only Lord with small caps, he's Lord with all caps. Not only Adonai, but Jehovah. Not only the messenger of the covenant, but the Lord of the covenant. God the Son come in the flesh. And I think it's important, especially this time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, that we remember the importance of defending and proclaiming the full deity of the Son. If Jesus has not come in the flesh, then we are still in our sins. I love the Westminster Larger Catechism question, why was it requisite or why was it necessary that the mediator should be God? Listen to this answer, which summarizes so many different scripture passages. It was requisite that the mediator should be God that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God and the power of death, give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience and intercession, and to satisfy God's justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation. If all of those things are gonna be happening, then Jesus must be fully God. Yes, fully man, but also fully God. God the Son come in the flesh. For him to be a sufficient Savior, for him to be able to save to the uttermost all those who call upon him, he must be fully God. And I would say this tonight, that if you do not believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh, then you are still in your sins. There are people who want to claim to be Christian, but they deny that Jesus is God come in the flesh. And upon them, we must rightly place the anathema of the Apostle Paul. To deny Christ's identity is to deny his gospel. It is to preach a different Christ than the self-attesting Christ of Scripture. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, God, was manifested in the flesh. This is a blessed truth. This is a gospel truth to proclaim the God-man, Jesus Christ. We've answered the first question, who is coming? And it's Jesus, the messenger and Lord of the covenant. But that leads us to a second question, and that is, who can endure the day of his coming? Look at verse two. This is the question that Malachi himself asks. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. I think we often assume based on partial quotations from the Gospel of John, that Jesus came exclusively in his first advent, that he came exclusively for salvation. But if we look at the whole Bible, we realize that the day of his coming, whether it's his first advent or his second advent, is always marked by two intertwined realities, and that is judgment and salvation. The Lord comes. It is with a two-edged sword in his hands. Judgment and salvation, and even judgment itself, has two aspects to it. On the one hand, there is the condemnation of the wicked, but there's also the vindication of the righteous. And when God comes, he comes with both of these things in mind. This was true 2,000 years ago, and it will be true again when Jesus comes on the clouds of heaven a second time. Well, with that reality in mind, the operative question is, who can endure? Who can stand? When the Lord of the Covenant arrives, when he suddenly comes to his temple, and yes, Jesus came and cleansed and judged the house of God, who can stand? Who can endure? And the implied answer is, no one. No one. Four, Malachi says, he is like a refiner's fire and like launderer's soap. Fire burns away the dross. Soap removes the stains. That is what the judgment of God through Christ looks like when he sits in his judgment seats like fire, like launderer's soap. Who can endure? Who can stand? I said the implied answer is no one, but I need to add a qualifier. No one apart from the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Because the one who is judge of all the earth also passed through the judgment. The one who came as an infant in the manger lived a perfectly obedient life, fulfilling all the statutes of the law of Moses. He was indeed obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. And on Calvary's hill, on that accursed tree, the Son of Man was lifted up, and on the cross, he bore the wrath of God and the curse of the law for you. He passed through the judgment. He passed through the water. He passed through the fires. And only those who trust in Jesus may be assured that they too will pass through the judgment. If you trust in Jesus, you too will pass through the judgment because you are clothed in garments more protective more fire retardant than asbestos or a holocaust cloak, you will pass through the fires clothed in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. And unless you're united to Christ by faith, no one can stand. No one can endure the day of his coming apart from Jesus Christ. So I would, I said this morning, I feel the need, especially as we consider coming of Jesus into the world, and we think about his second coming, I would be remiss as a gospel minister if I did not call each and every one of you to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We never get over the need to be called to embrace Jesus Christ, because apart from him we cannot stand, but in him We will stand. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he's at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Though you pass through the fires, though you pass through the waters, I will be with you if you trust in Jesus. We've looked at who's coming. We've looked at who can endure the day of his coming. But as I think about even that last question, I think sometimes we think about judgment only in a destructive sense. A negative sense, but there is a positive component, and that leads us to our third and final question. What is the purpose of His coming? What is the goal of Jesus' coming? Look at verse three. And this is really important as we think about how we celebrate Christmas and how we bear witness to our neighbors when they ask us why we're in church on Sunday. Why did you worship God on Christmas Day? Well, this verse helps us explain why. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Fire and soap are purifying agents. They're not only destructive, They're also purifying. Fire destroys the dross, but it does so, so that what remains will come forth as pure silver and gold. And soap, even very harsh launderer's soap, eliminates the dirt and the stains so that what remains is a pure garment. Well, even so, Jesus came not merely to destroy the wicked, but to purify the saints, to purify and purge the corrupted sons of Levi, the wicked priesthoods. Because in Malachi's day, the priesthood had become corrupt. In chapter 2, verse 7, he says, For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and the people should seek the law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have departed from the way, you have caused many to stumble at the law, you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. And so the priesthood is corrupt, and if it was corrupt in Malachi's day, it's even more corrupt by Jesus' day. And so part of Jesus' coming is not only to pronounce woes upon the Pharisees, but he wants to purify and sanctify the sons of Levi. He's come to sanctify. And this is a side note application, but this passage gives us, as Christians, a remarkable perspective on trials, on tribulations, on afflictions, on hard and dark providences. What happens to carbon when it is brought through heat and intense pressure? It becomes a diamond. That's what sanctification is all about. That's what it means for Jesus to come, not just as a judge, but as one who is set on your sanctification, who wants to eliminate the dross, who wants to remove the stains, who wants to present his bride, a spotless bride to his father, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, who is willing to bring his people through severe mercies, even chastening, and discipline so that they will be pure. In the words of the hymn writer, God never moves without purpose or plan. When trying his servant or molding a man, give thanks to the Lord, though your testing seems long. In darkness, he giveth a song. Oh, rejoice in the Lord. He makes no mistake. He knoweth the end of each path that I take, for when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. Well, congregation, when you pass through the waters and you pass through the fires, if you're looking unto Jesus, this is not God's judgment upon you. This is God's way of testing you, trying you, purifying you, purging you, so that On that great marriage supper of the Lamb, you'll be clothed in fine white linen, which are the righteous deeds of the saints, so that you will come forth as gold, even as Job said with regard to his affliction. That's the initial purpose of Christ's coming, is to purify the sons of Levi. But there's a deeper purpose still. Why did he want to purify them? Why does he want to sanctify the priesthood? Well, what do priests do? You are a priestly people. You are a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priests. What do priests do? Priests offer sacrifices of worship to God. And that's fundamentally why Jesus came, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Yes, Jesus came to save, but why did Jesus come to save? To gather a people for his name that they may offer to the Lord and offering in righteousness. We can say that the omega point of Jesus' coming, the ultimate purpose of his coming is worship. Not merely the salvation of men, though that is true, but ultimately his eyes were set on the glory of God, the glory of heaven's As Jesus said to the woman at the well, the hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. Do you see that? We evangelize because the Father is seeking worshipers. God saves the people, why? That they might praise Him. that they might sing songs of deliverance, that they might worship the Lord, the King who bought them. That's why we're here tonight on Christmas Day. We're here tonight because Christmas is all about the coming of Jesus, and Jesus came not only to rescue a people, but that the redeemed of the Lord might say, blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. That's why we're here tonight, that we might offer to Jehovah an offering in righteousness, in gratitude, for his grace. He is worthy. Worthy is the lamb who is slain. Worthy is the infant in the manger. Worthy is the lion of the tribe of Judah to receive honor, glory, power, riches, dominion, and strength. For his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion one which sees no end. Congregation, as we bring this day to a close, Christmas is certainly No doubt about it, all about Jesus, but more than that, it is about His coming. Both His first advent and His second advent, His coming in judgment and salvation with the purpose that His church would offer pure worship to the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christmas should drive you to worship the Lord whom you seek, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight until he comes again on the clouds of glory. And on that day, he will not, as it were, come to his temple. He will come as the temple, because in that day, God will be with us. We will be with Him, and He will dwell in our midst. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.