Well, as I said, my text this
morning is Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1. I don't want to start
a new long series until the new year, so filling in from the
end of Revelation and the one-off that we did last week, just a
couple of messages around the theme of the incarnation, God
incarnate. God in Christ coming into this
world. Of course, there are very different
views of Christmas. I mean, clearly, mainly, it's
a pagan festival. Society all around goes mad to
try and brighten up the darkest days of winter, at least in the
Northern Hemisphere anyway. It is pagan, there's no question
about that, and I don't go along with those things. Some who are
true believers, who I strongly respect for their doctrinal standpoint,
claim that we should just have nothing to do with it, we should
just treat it as a normal day, but I'm inclined to think that
if there's an opportunity for your neighbours to ask you, as
we were thinking last week, the question, the reason for the
hope that is in us, that's what we were thinking about in 1 Peter
3.15 last week, then maybe we should do something to say that
not necessarily at this time of year God became man, Jesus
was born, we don't know the exact date, we don't know at all. It
seems like it was some time in the northern hemisphere winter,
but whether it was this day, I think we almost certainly don't
know that at all. But if there's an opportunity
for some who are without God and without Christ to stop and
think for a minute. You see, we live in a world today,
certainly in our Western society, very few, it seems, have faith. The Lord Jesus himself said in
Luke 18 verse 8, he said, when the son of man cometh, when he
comes back to earth as he surely will, shall he find faith on
the earth? The implication being that it's
a rare thing. The true faith of God is a very,
very rare thing. But God does speak to the ungodly. Don't ever lose hope. You know,
there are people that you would say they will never ever believe
the gospel of grace and find peace with God and a hope of
eternity. Don't ever lose hope that some
will, because God does speak to the ungodly. God does call
his elect. They don't know they're amongst
his elect at this stage, but he does call them out of darkness
into his marvelous light. I might give my own personal
testimony. In the 1960s, I was a teenager
growing up, and I had a totally worldly outlook. I was a member
of a group of godless, blasphemous friends. We really were. We would be unpleasant to the
society in which you would live. We were totally scornful of religion,
like the vast majority are today. like all of us in our natural
state. But you know, me, as godless
as I was, for some reason which I can only put down to his grace,
God set me thinking. In Psalm 39, look at verses four
to six. If you can turn there, do, but
you don't have to, because I'm going to read it anyway. But
Psalm 39, in verse four, Make me to know mine end, and the
measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. You know, I started to think
about things like that. What is it that I'm all about?
What is this consciousness that is me? Thou hast made my days
as an handbreadth. Not very much is what that means.
And mine age is as nothing before thee. Even when you've lived
an old age, it's just but a vapour, isn't it? It's just a flash in
the pan. Verily, every man at his best
state is altogether vanity. I started to think. God started
to prompt me to think. What are you? At my best state
I'm altogether vanishing. Surely every man walketh in a
vain show, don't they just? Look around in the world today.
Surely they are disquieted in vain. He heapeth up riches, and
knoweth not who shall gather them. He heapeth up riches. Everything
he does in this life, what does it come to? Nothing. And you
see, materialistic science couldn't explain my consciousness. Materialistic
science, which says, as so much of the scientific world today
says, that everything that we don't know about can be explained
by the stuff that we see, the matter that we see, the evidences
of the atoms that we see. Everything can be explained by
that and the laws of physics. But you know, that didn't give
me a satisfactory answer. You see, in Ecclesiastes chapter
three, I was going to read the time to be born and the time
to die in chapter three, but look down just at verse 11. He,
God, has made everything beautiful in his time. Also, he hath set
the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the
work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. That word
that is translated world, He hath set the world in their heart
is the Hebrew word heolam. Now, I'm no Hebrew scholar, I
just get this from looking up on the Interlinear Bible. Heolam. He has set heolam in their heart,
in the heart of man. And the word translates, strictly
speaking, as world or universe. But in the interlinear Bible,
it translates it as eternity. And some translations of the
scriptures translate it as eternity. It's that sense of the creation
of God, the something of God. He has set the something of God
in the heart of man. Something more than mere materialism. Something more than mere materialistic
science. Something that that just cannot
answer. It can't answer the question,
where am I from? This thing that is me, this consciousness,
what is my destiny? What is my, you know, death,
annihilation, pointlessness? You know, the philosophers, so
many of them committed suicide because they could find when
they did all of their high-powered thinking about the meaning of
life, they came to the conclusion that There was no point, and
the reason they came to that conclusion was they did not find
God. They did not find life in God.
The Greek philosophers wrestled with ideas to no conclusion other
than there is an unknown God. Turn back, as we did last week,
to Acts chapter 17, just for a moment. Acts chapter 17 and
verse 23. Paul says to the Athenian philosophers in the first century,
you know, they were renowned for their philosophy and their
high-level thinking. And he said, I passed by and
beheld your devotions. I found an altar with the inscription,
to the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare
I unto you. And he goes on to say that in
verse 26, he, God, has made of one blood all nations of men
for to dwell on the face of the earth. You know, no racism there,
is there? That's that God has made of one
set of genes, if you like, one genetic chunk of material, everybody
that lives on the earth, and has determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. Why? That,
verse 27, they should seek the Lord, if happily, if they might
happen to, find him, feel after him, find him. Though he's not
far from each and every one of us. that they should seek the
Lord, happily feel for him and find him. You see, in the unknown
God, what the Athenians called the unknown God, whom Paul declared
to them as the God of truth, in the unknown God lie the answers
to life's fundamental questions. In Psalm 68 and verse 20, it
says this, unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
Are these not the most important issues that you will ever face
in your conscious life? Where's the answer? Unto God,
the Lord, belong the issues from death. Psalm 31 and verse 15,
my times are in thy hand. Oh, I'm going to do this, that,
and the other. No, no, stop a moment. As James, the apostle says, think
about it like this. If God determines, you might
do this. If God determines otherwise,
you will not. My times are in thy hand. Seek
God. Find him and his truth, and you're
on the road to wisdom. You're on the road to abundant
life. I'm thinking of people that I
know, people that are dear to us, that have not the slightest
interest in the things of God, even though we testify that we
couldn't live without the truth of God. And yet there are those
who think this has got nothing to do with me, I'm just pursuing
the life I've always... Look, seek God. Find him. Find his truth and you're on
the road to true wisdom. Fear the Lord, for in the fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge.
And in this is abundant life. As Jesus said, I am come that
they might have life, his people who believe him, that they might
have life and have it more abundantly. Do you not want abundant life?
To know who you are, where you're from, where you're going to,
that you're in the arms of the everlasting God. says materialistic
science. There's no need for a God. Talk
to Richard Dawkins and he's like, oh, there's no need for a God.
We can explain everything, but it can't explain life. As I said
last week, what they say is so fantastically improbable as to
be practically impossible. There's an article on our website
in the article section about this, about intelligent design.
Have a look at it if you doubt this. Look at the utter impossibility
of life happening the way that the so-called scientific community
says it happened. So you would say, well, why do
they do that? Why do they do that? Why do they
say it if it's so wrong? scientists, so-called, fly in
the face of reality. I'll tell you why. Because of
what Romans 1, 28 says. I know I've said a lot of this
last week, but it's worth repeating. That man did not like to retain
God in his knowledge. I've told you this too. I remember
years ago in the 1970s, I used to debate about evolution and
teaching of it in schools with a dear biology teacher. But she
said to me, she said, I hope evolution is true, because if
it isn't true, it means I am accountable to God. And that
thought appalls me. Honestly, she wrote those words
down. That's what she said. It's accountability, not science. It's accountability that makes
them not want to retain God in their knowledge and not believe
this. Perhaps some unbelievers would agree with Paul. Perhaps
you, if you're an unbeliever, would agree with Paul that you
should seek the Lord. So what's stopping you? What's
stopping them? Some do seek, as our text says,
in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1. The Lord whom ye seek shall
suddenly come to his temple. The Lord whom ye seek. There
are some people who are seeking the Lord. The Lord whom ye seek
shall suddenly come to his temple. Well, you say, all right then.
I want to seek. How do I go about it? Well, let
me tell you, as I've told you so often. You can't just come. The way is barred. You cannot
seek and come to God and find God. Your iniquities, says Isaiah
59 verse two, have separated between you and your God, and
your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. God
is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. He cannot tolerate
sin. There is, as Exodus 33 verse
20 says, no sinful man It doesn't say sinful, but that's
the implication. No sinful man shall see God and
live. That's you and me in our natural
state. No sinful man shall see God and live. Again, a text I
quoted last week, Psalm 143 verse 2. In God's sight shall no man
living be justified. You, me, all of us, are under
a sentence from God of eternal condemnation, of banishment from
God, and the banishment from God for eternity is what the
scriptures call hell. That's the curse that we're under. And Job wrestled with this. Job,
the most righteous as people count righteousness man that
had ever existed. And God said to Satan, have you
considered my servant Job? There's none like him. Go and
try him. And Job was put through trials.
If any of us think we're going through trials, think of what
Job went through. And Job, he has his friends who tell him
it's all his own fault. And Job asks the question, how
should a man be just with God? As sinners, under the curse of
the law, how should a man be just with God? We certainly can't
do it by personal improvement. by turning over new leaves. We
can't work our way to liberty, freedom from the curse of sin.
The only thing that can accomplish it is redemption by a fitting
substitute. That's the only thing that can
accomplish it. Redemption means buying back. You know, the thing about pawn
shops, and I mean P-A-W-N shops, where people with not much money
would take something valuable when money got tight before their
wages were paid, and they'd take it to the pawn shop, and the
pawn shop would give them some money that they could use until
they next got paid. And then when they got paid,
they went to the pawn shop and redeemed the thing. They redeemed
it, they purchased it back from its bondage in the pawn shop,
so that it was theirs again. This is how alone a sinner can
be made right with God. Redemption by a fitting substitute.
That's the Bible's message from the start. The promised seed
in Genesis 3.15. Abel's lamb showing the way. The way to the tree of life was
guarded. The Shekinah guarded it. Look
at the end of Genesis 3. But Abel's lamb was the way because
it reflected, it spoke of. God who would come in the person
of his Son and redeem his people. Noah's Ark, when the justice
of God falls on the sin of man, there's only one place to be,
in that Ark, and that Ark is a picture of the Lamb of God,
of the Christ of God. Abraham's righteousness wasn't
his righteousness that he earned by what he did, or his believing,
it was what he believed in. He believed that the seed of
the woman would come, as promised in Genesis, the seed of the woman
would come and redeem him and all his people from the curse
of the law. The Passover lamb in the time
of Moses spoke of that one who would come and redeem his people
from the curse of death when the slaying angel came to the
land of Egypt. The blood of the Passover lamb,
which had died in the place of the Israelite firstborn, was
painted on the doorposts and the lintel. And the slaying angel,
as God said, when I see the blood, then I will pass over. In the
temple sacrifices it all spoke of him. Who alone can do this? I'm going to refer you back to
Revelation chapter 5. You don't need to turn there,
it's so familiar in our minds, but you know that's the chapter
with the seven sealed scroll on the hand of God. That scroll
is the plan of God for his kingdom to triumph, for his kingdom to
be populated with redeemed sinners, redeemed from the curse of the
law. In that chapter we see there a call go out for anybody that
is worthy to unloose anyone who's qualified to loose the seven
seals that that plan of the triumph of the kingdom of God of the
redemption of his people might be implemented and no one is
found worthy and John weeps because no one's found worthy and one
of the elders says no look look in the midst of the throne look
at the lion of the tribe of Judah and John looks at the lion of
the tribe of Judah but he sees a lamb as it had been slain.
Because it's only in the capacity of a lamb that is slain that
God is able to justify his people and make them just with God,
as Job required the answer to that question. You see, God alone
is big enough Infinite enough, I know, is a distortion of language. But God alone is big enough to
redeem a multitude of sinners from sin's curse and fit them
for his kingdom. Psalm 78 verse 35 says this,
the high God is his people's redeemer. Hear that? The high
God is his people's Redeemer. Nobody else, nobody else can
do it. Nobody else can stand in the
place of sinners. The high God is his people's
Redeemer. In Isaiah chapter 44, you keep
seeing this sort of thing. Verse six, and you don't need
to keep up with this, but just maybe just make a note of it
so you can look later. Isaiah 44, verse six, thus saith the
Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. Notice that? God, the King of
Israel, oh yes, God, God, the infinite God. Oh, and his Redeemer,
who is also the Lord, who is also God. This is the Trinity
that's being spoken of here. I am the first and I am the last,
and beside me there is no God. When you look at Jesus, the man
walking the earth, besides him there is no God. Restore to me
the glory that I had with you, says Jesus, before he goes to
the cross. And he quite rightly said that to God his Father,
who said, My glory I will not share with another. Who, as I
shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me,
since I appointed the ancient people, and the things that are
coming, and shall come, and let them show unto them? Fear not,
neither be afraid. Have not I told you from that
time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is
there a God beside me when Jesus walked the earth? No, there is
no God. I know not any. And in chapter
48 of Isaiah, chapter 48 and verse 17, Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth
thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst
go. This is speaking of God coming
to do the very thing that his people cannot do for themselves,
which is to redeem them, which is to make them just with God. Only the infinite God is sufficient
to purchase his people's liberty. The high God is his people's
redeemer. Only he is sufficient, because
he's infinite God, to purchase his people's liberty from sin's
curse and to fit them for heaven, that his kingdom might triumph.
But a spirit only God is not able. You say, how dare you say
God is not able to do something? God, as spirit only, is not able
to redeem sinners from the curse of the law. He's not able, as
God in spirit only, to pay his people's sin debt. so that they
don't have to pay it. They have a debt, we all have
a debt, to the just demands of God's character and righteousness,
his perfection, his law, as the scripture calls it. We have an
immense debt, a debt that we can never pay. And God is infinite,
but God cannot pay that debt, as he is in spirit. God must
become man. And as man, he must be legally
loaded with the sin debt of his elect multitude, and pay that
debt in the only way possible. How is that debt paid? The book
of God says, the soul that sins, it shall die. It shall lose its
life. And it also says, the life is
in the blood. That blood must be shed. Precious blood. Precious blood
of the God-man. Precious blood of God incarnate. Precious blood of God poured
out in the place of his people to pay their sin debts. Blood
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot as it was pictured
in the Passover lamb. And so thus, when we get to Isaiah
45, you read there about him being a just God, because sin
is punished, but punished in his son, and a savior of those
who are sinners, who cannot save themselves. And that is echoed
by Paul in Romans 3.26, that God might be just, and the justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus. Why was he called Jesus? Jesus,
or Joshua, is the Old Testament name which is identical, you
know, Joshua in the Old Testament. In fact, you read somewhere,
I think it's in Hebrews, where it talks about if Jesus could
have done this, he means Joshua in the Old Testament, it's just
the difference between the Hebrew and the Greek. Jesus, he was
to be called that because the angel told Joseph, the betrothed
husband of Mary, you shall call his name Jesus. Why? For he shall
save his people from their sins. But how, when, where and why
would God become man? The Old Testament sets the expectation,
it sets the expectation that sets the people in Malachi looking
and seeking. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly
come to his temple. We've mentioned it before, it's
mentioned throughout, and I'm not sure that for the sake of
time I can go through all of these scriptures, but look at
Genesis 3.15, that seed, that promised seed. Look at Genesis
49 verse 10, the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh
come, until God the Redeemer comes. In Numbers, one of the
prophecies of the false prophet Balaam, but he couldn't help
but speak the word of God, is talking about the Christ who
would come into time. In Psalm 2, that wonderful Psalm,
we there see him setting his king on his holy hill of Zion. This is the Son of God, the Son
of God. In Psalm 22, the very words of
that Son of God as he dies on the cross are there in Scripture. Hundreds of years, a thousand
years before he spoke them, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? And so much about it. All my
bones stick out, they pierce my hands and my feet. Psalm 69,
my sins have gone over me. Whose sins is Psalm 69 talking
about? It's talking about the sins of
his people when Christ was made the sin of his people. Did I
say that Christ committed sin? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Wouldn't dare. Christ never committed
any sin. He was without sin, yet it pleased
God. that he made him who knew no
sin to be sin for us. Which sin? The sins of his people.
Psalm 69, there he is, having been made, in prophecy, having
been made the sin of his people, talking about the judgments of
God overflowing him. That's the Messiah, the Christ,
made sin for his people. In Isaiah 1 and verse 27, Zion,
the people of God, shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts
with righteousness. You ask, but how is God coming
into time and space? You know, people love to sing
Handel's Messiah at this time of year, and I must say It is
a wonderful piece of music, but to be able to sing it, to sing
the words of just the scriptures, just the King James version of
the scriptures, and to be able to sing it is so good if you're
a child of God. But you know these texts ring
out, Isaiah 7, 14. I'll give you a sign, says God.
You're looking, you're seeking, you're wondering how we're gonna
know God. I'll give you a sign. A virgin shall conceive. Think about it. We say it so
glibly, don't we, because we've been taught it, if we've grown
up in this country with some sort of a Christian education.
A virgin shall conceive. I wonder how many actually believe
it. No, truly, a virgin shall conceive of the Holy Ghost, and
shall bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. And Matthew
1.23 tells us, Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with
us. Mary shall have a baby without
a human father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and that baby
shall be, when he grows, as he grows, God with us, Emmanuel. Chapter nine of Isaiah. For unto
us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. In Hebrews chapter two, we see
why he came. In Hebrews chapter two, verse
14. Why did God become man? Why did God take on him human
flesh? Verse 14 of Hebrews chapter two.
For as much then as the children his people, the many sons he's
bringing to glory, the elect chosen in Christ from before
the foundation of the world. For as much then as the children,
you and me if we believe him, as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, yes we are, when I prick my fingers to measure
my sugar, blood comes out. We're flesh and blood, we're
flesh and blood. He himself, God, took God, the
second person of the Trinity, Christ, the manifestation of
God. He took part of the same flesh
and blood. Why? That he might die. But through
death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that
is the devil. He destroyed him because he disarmed
him. He destroyed him because he took away his ability to accuse
the people of God of being sinners. He took away their sin, that
there be no more sin for them to account. He took away their
sin, that when judgment day comes there be no sin found on them.
And to deliver them, who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. But in Christ, there is no fear
of death. In Christ, There is just the
hope of eternal life. For verily, he took not on him
the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Who's the seed of Abraham? Oh,
the Jews, you say. No, no, no, no, no. Who's the
seed of Abraham? Those who have the same faith
as Abraham. Those who believe in Christ the
Redeemer, saving them from their sins. Read it in Galatians. You'll
see it there. Those that are of faith are the
children of Abraham. It couldn't be clearer. wherefore
in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren.
He took on in flesh and blood that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. This is God. This is God. We could go on.
I haven't got time. Isaiah 53, the whole chapter,
is the Lamb of God accomplishing the redemption of his people,
written 700 years before he actually came and did that. This is God,
by His Spirit, through His inspired Word, setting a clear expectation
to come into time as a man to redeem His people and qualify
them for eternal life, to cause His kingdom to be triumphant.
When would He come? When would He come? I'm not going
to get you to turn there because we haven't got the time. Daniel
chapter 9, you know, verses 24 to 27. The details are there
so clearly that it says the time when He would come. The Magi,
the wise men from the East as the scripture calls it, the Magi,
I believe that they lived in the Chaldean Babylonian area
and that there were copies in the libraries of the book of
Daniel and they studied and they They queried, and the Spirit
of God opened their eyes to show them that the time had come.
The weeks, the heptads, the years had come, and now was the time
that God, the King, would come to his people. And they wanted
to come and be there when God came into history, when God came
into this world, they wanted to be there. And when did he
come? Galatians 4, verse 4. When the fullness of the time
was come. When the fullness exactly as
God had prophesied by Daniel was come. At exactly that time,
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.
to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive
the adoption of sons. That's exactly when Jesus was
born of Mary. Whereabouts was he born? Whereabouts
was he born? You that seek him, the Lord whom
ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple. Where was he born?
Micah chapter five and verse two. If I can find it quickly,
yes, here we go. Micah chapter five. But thou
Bethlehem Ephrathah, you can visit it today. and they make
a great commercial thing of it. But there it was, out of all
the little towns and cities of Judah, though thou be little
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel. The city of David, Bethlehem,
the town of David, the house of bread. Who's coming forth
to be ruler in Israel? One whose goings forth have been
from old, from everlasting. The infinite, eternal God is
coming to Bethlehem. He is coming into history at
Bethlehem. When and where is all prophesied? As Matthew 1.22 says, all this
was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet. And there are so many more texts.
This one is the Lord whom ye seek, coming to his temple. You know, I just want to refer
you quickly to this. In the book of Haggai, which
is before Zechariah and chapter 2, So you go back, Malachi, Zechariah,
then Haggai, and verse nine, they were building they were restoring the destroyed
temple in Jerusalem. Solomon's temple had been destroyed
by Nebuchadnezzar and his forces, and it had lain waste for the
70 years of captivity, but then Cyrus sent them back to rebuild
it, and they're rebuilding it, and they're losing heart to continue,
and God raises up Haggai and Zechariah. And he says, the glory
of this latter house shall be greater. Now, many of the old,
Folk who'd been children when the first temple was destroyed
said you could never have a temple as good as that. You'd never
have a temple like Solomon's temple. And no doubt to look
upon, this temple that was rebuilt then about 450 years before Christ
came, it had none of the glory visibly of Solomon's temple.
But the prophet says the glory of this latter house shall be
greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this
place will I give peace, says the Lord of hosts. What happened?
450 years later, Jesus walked in Jerusalem in the temple. The
Lord of glory came to his temple, but not just a physical temple. Not just a physical temple. In
John chapter two and verse 18, The Jews said to him, what sign
are you going to show us? You've cleared out the temple
and all the market traders. And Jesus answered and said unto
them, destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it up.
They said, don't be daft, it took 46 years to build this temple.
How are you going to do that? But, verse 21, Jesus wasn't speaking
about that pile of stones. He was speaking of the temple
of his body. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly
come to his temple. The Lord whom ye seek, not only
will he walk in the physical temple in Jerusalem, but he will
take upon him a body in which he might destroy him that had
the power of death, in which he might pay redemption's price
in blood, the blood of a man, the blood of a perfect man, the
blood of the Lamb of God. And so the scripture encourages
us to seek and ye shall find. Jesus himself said that in the
Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7, verse 7. Seek and ye shall
find. You who do not know God who are
listening to this, but want to find him. The scripture is clear. Seek and you shall find. 400
years after Malachi, Many were seeking him, anticipating him,
as I've already said, the Magi, the wise men from the East. Then
at the start of his ministry, in Luke 3, verse 15, listen to
what it says. The people were in expectation. And all men mused in their hearts
of John the Baptist, whether he were the Christ or not. Because
why? Many were thinking, now must
be the time when the promised Christ of the scriptures is coming.
And in John's gospel and chapter one, in the passage that Stephen
read to us earlier, In John's Gospel chapter 1, why did I have
that read from verses 19 to 27? It's all the Pharisees and their
envoys coming out to John the Baptist to say, are you the Christ?
Well, where is he? Because why? Because the scriptures
were expecting him. They were expecting him. The
Lord whom ye seek, the Lord whom ye seek. The Pharisees and others
were asking John if he were the Christ. 2,000 years ago in Judea,
in the modern state of Israel, which is a complete disaster
politically, but we won't go there at the moment. But then
many were expecting Christ to suddenly come to his temple. And we now look back and we can
see that he did indeed come. The infinite God. We sang it
twice in the first hymn and then in the second hymn. God contracted
to a span. Infinite God, the heavens cannot
contain him, contracted to the span of a little baby boy. Boggles
your mind that, doesn't it? God contracted to a span. growing
in sinless perfection, because he was the son of Mary, but not
the son of Joseph. They presumed he was. They traced
his ancestry through Joseph, as well as through Mary in Luke's
gospel. But he perfectly fulfilled the
type of the Passover lamb, without sin. They kept it for 14 days
to make sure it was without blemish and without spot. And he preached
the truth of God from heaven. And he laid aside heaven's glory
in order to do that. Let me just read you these words,
which I know you know well, but you know, there is something
awesome about the word of God. There is something that should
cause us to stop and be silent. Just listen to this, Philippians
chapter two, five to 11. Let this mind be in you. which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man He humbled
himself, this is the infinite God, humbled himself and became
obedient unto death. He became obedient unto death,
which death? Even the death of the cross,
the most cursed, shameful death. Wherefore, God also hath highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. that
at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, whether you do it
now or not, you will certainly do it before long. Every knee
should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth, and that every tongue, oh, he's got nothing
to do with me, every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This is God, the Messiah. God manifest. There was, as Isaiah
keeps saying, no strange God with you. Read those chapters
in the middle of Isaiah, chapters 40 to 45. God the Lord who came
in time to his temple. This is him, the Lord, whom ye
seek, shall suddenly come to his temple. Even the messenger
of the covenant, the covenant of grace, whom ye delight in,
whom ye delight in, the desire of all nations, Haggai calls
him, the desire of all nations shall come. They were seeking
him to come, and he shall come. Should you not seek him until
you find him he's promised that if you do seek you will find
and not only will you find him but you will find the the abundant
eternal life that is in him alone