In Luke 7:27, Jesus made a statement about John the Baptist's key role in God's plan:
"This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' "
In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on July 3, 2021, Kyle Kettering noted that Jesus' scriptural reference combined elements of both Exod 23:20 and Mal 3:1.
Exodus 23:20-22 describes an angel that God would send to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. (The description suggests that the angel was a visible manifestation of God, perhaps a Christophany.) But leaving aside the identity of this angel, in what way did John the Baptist resemble him?
Verse 21 says concerning this angel, "Do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him." Kyle mentioned a Jewish tradition, later recorded in Exodus Rabbah, that the angel represents "strict justice." He pointed out that John the Baptist brought a message of imminent judgment, calling upon Jews of his day to repent (Luke 3:`7-18).
Mal 3:1 predicts the coming of a messenger that would prepare the way for the appearance of the "messenger of the covenant"---i.e., the Messiah. Judgment and repentanct are also themes in Mal 3:1-7.
There is a continual call in the Bible for the people of God to return to him, a call that is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment