TEXTS FOR Second Sunday Of Advent,
December 6, 2009
Malachi 3:1-4 * Luke 1:68-79 * Philippians 1:3-11 * Luke 3:1-6
“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. 4 Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.
A Place of Transformation
This is the second week of Advent and again you will see by the scripture that we are continuing to prepare our hearts for the coming Christ. Here the prophet Malachi is reminding the people that two are coming. The first is a messenger (whom God will reveal as John the Baptist.) The second is the Lord (or Jesus). What strikes me here is that we often think of the baby Christ child, but Jesus is the Lord. As I write this, there is one time during Jesus’ time on earth that this happened and it came when he cleansed the temple. I’m sure that those who were buying and selling were afraid.
This is what Jesus brings when he comes. He brings transformation. The beauty in Jesus coming to earth, is that when we have an encounter with Him, we will be changed. Purification is not easy — purification is not even simple. The fire is hot — it burns away the things that don’t belong in our lives. But notice what happens in verses 3 and 4. Because of the transformation — the purification, our sacrifices are again acceptable to God.
Perhaps the Lord is prompting a change in your life during this Advent season. You might not even be looking forward to it. But take this time of preparation, prepare your heart for the coming Jesus.
