Jesus in our Gospel today quotes from the prophet Malachi: one of many references to the Old Testament prophets that are scattered through the Gospels. “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son” (Matt. 1:25), in reference to Jesus’ birth; “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (Matt. 3:3), applied to John the Baptist; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…” (Lk. 4:18), a description of Jesus’ ministry in its entirety. All of these are prophecies from the Old Testament recalled in the New. In each case, the Old Testament prophecy is a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world.
All these I’ve mentioned are from the prophet Isaiah, but today our gospel draws from Malachi, the very last book of the Old Testament. “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you”(Matt 11:10; cf. Mal. 3:1). Such is the gravitational force of our friend Isaiah, however, that the only other reference to this prophecy, in Mark’s Gospel, is attributed to Isaiah. If prophets can have inferiority complexes, then the misremembered Malachi would be entitled to his! On the other hand, there are a lot worse things than being mistaken for the great prophet Isaiah.
Malachi means “messenger,” and it’s this word that defines the prophecy, and also gives us our chief takeaway from this sermon. It’s significant that this last book of the Old Testament closes with the foretold messenger who will prepare the way of the Lord, for the God who is returning for judgment. Jesus doesn’t mention that part of the prophecy, but for his scripturally literate audience the reference would be understood. “Then I will draw near to you for judgment” (Mal. 3:5), God says to Israel through Malachi. “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Mal. 3:7), says the Lord.
For Malachi, the coming of the messenger is the return of Elijah (another prophet!), last seen in the Second Book of the Kings ascending into heaven in a whirlwind, with a chariot and horses of fire (2 Kgs 2:11). “Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord…” (Mal. 4:5), Malachi says. By the time of Jesus, the appearance of the messenger had become a widespread hope. For Jesus, John the Baptist is Elijah returned, as he points out a few verses on (Mt. 11:14): the last and greatest of the prophets. For Jesus, John the Baptist is the promised messenger who will appear before the coming of the Lord.
So that’s the messenger: what about the message? For Malachi, the message is “return”: return to the Covenant that God made with the People of Israel. “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Mal. 3:7). In other words, show the love and loyalty to God that God has shown to you. That’s what the Covenant is all about: God’s love and loyalty, and our response.
For the tradition of Israel, the steadfast love of God endures from age to age, while the People of God typically wander away and forget all about the things that God has done for them. God never forgets to show mercy and lovingkindness, while the People of God are as inconstant as the breeze. Malachi’s message is that now is the time to return, to be upstanding, to answer the call to the colors.
For John the Baptist, the message is “repent”: the same message in slightly different form. As we heard in last week’s Gospel, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 3:1). To repent is to return even when it requires turning around and heading in a different direction. This is not an easy task, especially if your life has been taking a well-worn path in a particular direction away from God. Grace, the power and presence of God in our lives, will need to be present, for repentance to be possible. God is coming in judgment, so evasive action is required.
The messenger has come to deliver the message. Now is the time to sit up and take notice. The one we should have in view is Jesus Christ himself. He is the One whom John the Baptist points to. He himself is the new covenant that God makes with all the peoples of the earth. By his death and resurrection, God places a new marker and establishes a new covenant. Jesus is the promise, the power and presence of God on which grace is premised, and action undertaken. He’s not only the power and presence but also the personification, of God.
Our Eucharist this morning reminds us of the new covenant that God makes with us in Jesus Christ. When Jesus sat with his disciples at the last supper, his words recalled God’s covenant in no uncertain terms. As we say in our Eucharist this morning, “This is my blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.” Remember, Jesus says: the steadfast love of God endures from age to age. God never forgets to show mercy and lovingkindness. He sends his messenger before him. That’s the message, on this third Sunday of Advent.
