“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6 ESV)
Silence. Over 400 years of deafening silence. After God spoke through the Prophets of the Old Testament, looking all the way back to His promise of the Garden of Eden, the Old Testament concludes with the Prophetic ministry of Malachi followed by over four centuries of prophetic silence in Israel. For some, perhaps it looked like God’s promise of a Redeemer would never come to pass. Sometimes we ignorantly assume that if God seems silent that He is no longer working… nothing was further from the truth.
The 39 books of the Old Testament end with the incredible promise found in Malachi 4:5-6. In this moment, God made one last promise concerning His coming Messiah and King. As our hearts meditate on Christ and the Christmas story, we should remember that it wasn’t just one incredible birth that took place that first Christmas season, but two. God promised that just before Christ would appear, that a great prophet would arise to prepare the way.
Based on the teaching of the New Testament, as we will see later in our devotion, it was John the Baptist who would come in a spirit like that of Elijah. Jesus would proclaim concerning the ministry of John: “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28 ESV) Tucked in God’s promise through the Prophet Malachi, we are reminded of God’s heart for reconciliation. The beautiful truth of Christmas is that God Himself left the splendor of heaven to enter into the world He created to save, and reconcile, the hearts of men to Himself.
In the four centuries that would pass between the end of Malachi’s ministry and the first moments of the Biblical Christmas narrative in the New Testament, God was patiently and carefully preparing to fulfill promises that had waited millennia for fulfillment. From Eve to the very last prophet of the Old Testament era, countless Godfearing saints had eagerly awaited the fulfillment of God’s promises. Many of them would go to their graves never fully seeing the promises of God fulfilled. Today, we have the great joy and blessing of being on the other side of the incarnation and resurrection.
I’ll end where our focal verses do today. Had Christ not come into the world, it wouldn’t just have been the land that was met with utter destruction but the very souls of men. Christmas isn’t just about a supernatural birth or a baby in a manager, it is about God’s rescue plan to redeem mankind. Never forget that the true reason for the Christmas season is the birth of Christ and His coming redemption for the human race through His atoning death on the cross of Calvary.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible, prophetic promises of the Christmas season. Lord, Your careful and patient preparation have much to teach us about faith, trust, and patiently waiting while You work. God, help us today to truly understand the rich beauty of Your plan of redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord. We are thankful for the reconciliation we have through Christ. This Christmas season, help our hearts dwell on the true meaning of this season. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
