Canon and Culture

“Where theology meets life.”

  • The Ark of Advent: God’s Presence in a Weary World Part 4

    Week 4: Luke 1:26-45 “Lesson of Joy for a Listening People”

    The past few weeks we have been looking at the Ark of Advent. So far, we have heard: 

    “A Wake-up Call for a Wandering People,” 

    “A Call to Return for a Restless People,” and

    “A Stirring of Hope for a Searching People.”

    Malachi foretells the coming of a messenger (identified as John the Baptist) who will prepare the way for the Messiah. Then comes silence. It would be 400 years before God spoke broadly to His people again. But history did not stop. 

    Between the end of the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people experienced the Maccabean Revolt. A foreign king tried to erase Jewish faith by forcing Greek customs and worship on the people. But one family—the Maccabees—refused to bow. 

    Their courage sparked a surprising military victory, the cleansing of the Temple, and a century of Jewish self-rule. This moment, still remembered at Hanukkah, renewed Israel’s pride, strengthened their identity, and deepened their longing for God’s deliverance.

    By the time Jesus was born, Rome had taken control. The people once again lived under oppression, and they longed for another Maccabean-type hero—someone who would break the yoke of their enemies. 

    Their hope was real, but too small. 

    They expected a warrior. 

    God was sending a Savior.

    The world Jesus entered was marked by waiting, wandering, and wondering. It was a world where God had seemed silent for centuries – where people longed for something new, something holy, something hopeful. But the excitement had faded. Hearts were broken. Expectations had collapsed into quiet hopelessness.

    And yet—that is exactly where God showed up.


    This is the world Luke writes into. The earliest Christians understood the birth of Christ not as God sending a message, but as God sending Himself. God broke His long silence with His presence. It is in that same space—waiting, longing, hoping—that we find ourselves.

    The Jewish people where in a time of waiting, wandering, and wondering. They faced spiritual apathy, patrial renewal, feelings of longing, and the desire for something new. Emotions and feelings of excitement had turned to brokenness and hurt. It is in this time of waiting that we find ourselves now. 

    We call this season Advent. We remember the longing of the Jews for a Messiah and we prepare for the arrival of Christ in our own lives. We express our own longing for forgiveness, salvation, and a new beginning. Advent is a“Lesson of Joy for a Listening People.”

    As we look toward Christmas, we are going to look at someone else who had a to live “In the waiting…” Someone else who had to find joy in the ordinary. Her name is Mary.

     Through her life we see that joy begins with a movement from God toward humanity. Her story begins when she receives a 2-part greeting from the angel Gabrial:

     “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 

    “Greetings, You who are highly favored” is just two words in the Greek – and interestingly they share the same root word – “chairo” – meaning grace, favor, kindness, and blessing. Gabrial, sent on behalf of God, greets Mary with words of peace and hope that bring joy.

     “Greetings” is not a casual hello. It is a proclamation of grace that demands a response of rejoicing and gladness – a grateful response to a benevolent action. Luke uses this same word when he records Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd ninety-nine sheep to go after the one lost sheep. When he finds it, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Joy is proclaimed when what was lost is found.

    The second part of the greeting is even more remarkable. This is the only place in scripture where this verb appears in the singular form. “You who are highly favored” is a declaration of grace that is complete and enduring. Luke’s language steps outside of the narrative language, becoming elevated, solemn, and almost liturgical in tone. This highlights the complete and enduring nature of God’s grace toward Mary. 

    Gabrial then adds, “the Lord is with you.” This echo’s the greeting Gideon received in Judges – “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” – before commissioning him to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. This is a greeting of immediate and ongoing presence. This is not merely descriptive it is the announcement of grace revealed.

    In other words,Joy begins here and God is with you for what comes next.

    But Mary is troubled by these words. Not because she is afraid, but rather she knows the implications are massive, unimaginable, and heavy. Mary is not being asked to prepare for a worldwide flood, to lead Israel out of Egypt, or even rebuild and restore Israel after the exile. Those where all mindboggling acts of obedience, however they all pale in comparison to Mary’s call. 

    This greeting disrupted her life and reveals a complex problem – combining immense privilege, unprecedented responsibility, and massive risk all at once.  Mary is being asked to carry Good Himself. This complexity uncovers something profound about joy —it’s not immediate, easy, or sentimental. God has spoken grace over Mary and is present with her, but she is still troubled.

     This raises the question: If this is joy, then why doesn’t it feel happy? Why are people not celebrating this announcement? Why no baby showers with those little tea cake things? Why is it not rainbows and unicorns? Because joy is not feeling or emotion to be expressed.  

    Joy is not natural to us or happens instinctively. Happiness is an emotion, but joy is a choice. The Psalms tells us that “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” And in Philippians 4 we read “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

    As we see with Mary, joy begins with a movement from God to humanity and is complete when Mary responds faithfully to God’s call. This faithfulness is modeled when Mary asks, “How will this be since I am a virgin?” She is not being defiant or doubtful. She is just honest. Her question is not rejection. It is her humanity wrestling with the divine power of God. 

    Her response shows that joy grows through trust and divine presence.  Joy begins with a movement from God toward humanity. Joy is made complete when humanity chooses to respond.

    Gabrial answers her question saying, “The Holy Spirit will overtake you, bringing the power of God to you; this means the one born to you will be called the Son of God.” Don’t miss this. This is the Trinity at work. The Father sending, the Spririt empowering, and the Son embodying. With out the involvement of all Persons of the Trinity, the incarnation would not have happened. Mary is being asked to participate in a divine plan she cannot fully understand.

    Pregnancy outside marriage could bring public shame, ostracism, or worse. And yet, Mary responds faithfully saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word be fulfilled.” Mary sets herself apart as slave – a bondservant –defined complete and total faithfulness. Mary now finds her identity completely in the Lord. She then confirms her trust saying, “May your word to me be fulfilled.” In essence, Mary is saying “May I become who you have said I am.” 

    This trust is joy – choosing to give up control or certainty so that we can see things the way God sees them. Rather than finding her self-worth and identity in shame or feeling like an outcast, Mary is choosing to see herself as the one who God has given value to – the one who will become the mother of God. Mary shows us that Joy is a choice to trust God’s word over your circumstances. That’s why joy is faith.

    Choosing Joy is choosing to be faithful to Jesus – seeing the world the way He does. Joy is seeing the good and hopeful, not always calling out what is wrong. Mary knew the calling was going to be difficult, but she chose to see the good and the bigger picture of God was doing, not selfishly focusing on her situation and circumstance. 

    I imagine Mary after Gabriel’s visit, heart racing, mind full of questions. And yet, she chose joy. She trusted God’s presence and promises. Mary reminds us that joy is active. Even in the waiting, joy is a choice – choosing to see the goodness of God. Like Mary, we are called to live ‘in the waiting.’ 

    God’s grace has already come to us, but we are invited to respond—to trust, to obey, and to rejoice. We are not spectators of Advent. We are participants. The same God who moved toward Mary moves toward us. 

    Advent reminds us that joy is not about ease, happiness, or certainty. Joy comes when God shows up, even in the ordinary. As we continue towards the Ark of Advent, may we embrace the same posture as Mary: open hearts, willing hands, and eyes looking for God’s work in the world around us.

    This Advent, may we choose joy, even when life is uncertain. The God who came for Mary has come for us too. I challenge you to find joy, not in what’s easy, but in what God is doing in and through you. 

    Rejoice in God’s presence. Rejoice in God’s calling. Rejoice, because He is with you – right now, and always. This week, as we go about our ordinary lives, may we take Mary’s example with us – choosing joy, trusting God, and seeing the extraordinary in the midst of waiting.

    I want to leave you today with Mary’s song. See yourself sitting with Mary just a few days after she hears from Gabrial. You are talking together, but things get a little quiet, and then she begins to speak saying:

    “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

  • The Ark of Advent: God’s Presence in a Weary World Part 3

    Week 3: Mark 1:1-8 “A Stirring of Hope for a Searching People”

    The past two weeks we have looked at the prophecy of Malachi as he challenges the Jewish people to examine their lives, confront their errors, and turn to God for mercy. He confronts the priests for despising God’s name and challenges the people to give God their best – not the “leftovers” of their time, treasure, and talents. Malachi’s prophecy sets the framework for the anticipated Messiah – would arrive 400 years later. 

    Yet in the silence God is still moving. God is still acting. God is still faithful. This is a spiritual and historical moment where a nation had been rescued, rebuilt, and restored, but not renewed. Through Esther, God intervened to rescue the Jewish people from Haman’s plot of destruction. Through Ezra the temple was rebuilt and the covenant was restored. And through Nehemiah, the city walls were rebuilt, providing security and stability for the community. A period of national confession and covenant renewal had begun, but it was not complete. The people promised faithfulness, but their zeal faded. God’s covenant faithfulness is evident, yet the hearts of the Jewish people still drift as they longed for more than the law and walls—they needed a Savior.

    It is in this context that Malachi confronts the corruption, foreign influence, and political survival of the Jewish people. Malachi wants his readers to pay attention. God was preparing His people for the Messiah, reminding them thatGod is calling them back to Himself. 

    Malachi’s prophecy includes a warning of judgment for the unrighteous and word of hope for the faithful. He tells of the coming of a messenger, John the Baptist, who will prepare the way for the Messiah. The hope and anticipation build, and then silence. It would be 400 years before God spoke broadly to His people again. 

    For the Jewish people, the biggest event is this silence was the Maccabean Revolt. A foreign King tried to erase Jewish faith and culture by forcing everyone follow Greek customs and religion. The Maccabees – a Jewish priest and his 5 sons –refused to give in. When Greek soldiers tried to force them to break God’s law, they fought back. 

    Their small, surprise-attack army pushed back the powerful Greek forces. After several battles, the Maccabees won back Jerusalem. They reclaimed the Temple and rededicated it to God. This event is remembered every year at Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.

    After the Maccabean victory, the Jewish people ruled themselves for about 100 years. This led the Jewish people to be proud of their identity. They became more determined than ever to stay faithful to God. But eventually, the Romans conquered Israel, leading to rule that was strict and sometimes cruel. 

    Without the Maccabean Revolt, the world Jesus entered would look completely different. Building on the prophets, the revolt shaped the political tensions, set the hopes for a Messiah, and started the religious groups that surrounded Jesus’ ministry. By the time Jesus was born, many Jews were still longing for another leader like the Maccabees. People expected the Messiah to be a military hero who would defeat Rome and set Israel free again. 

    The Maccabean Revolt shaped the Jewish people, reminding them that God rescues His people. Keeping hope alive the revolt grew the anticipation that God would send someone even greater to deliverer them. Then hope slowly shifted. Their hope began to be shaped through fear, occupation, and survival. They still longed for deliverance, but now they imagined it being political or military restoration rather than spiritual renewal. They still had hope, but their picture of the Messiah as too small – they were looking for a warrior, not a savior. 

    When Mark writes his Gospel, these memories and expectations were still alive. That is why he begins his gospel very clearly and confidently. There is no opening that builds, or any background given. Mark doesn’t ease into his gospel. He grounds it in hope, by proclaiming, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…….” Mark boldly announces that God is breaking the long silence – not just with words, but with His presence. This is the Good News – a stirring of hope for a searching people.

    In Romans, Paul tells the believers, “Let us boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but let us also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

    Hope is worth boasting about. Hope does not put us to shame. But hope is born in barren places, partial renewal, and lingering spiritual apathy. In those undesirable places, hope prepares the way. Hope calls us home to the Father. It is in these desperate places that hope works on the human heart, drawing us to God through Jesus, the Messiah. This is the hope of Advent.

    The Hope of Advent is an active hope. It causes us to think differently about sin and to turn toward God. It is transformational hope that makes all things new. In hope, we think differently, feel differently, and live differently. It is in hope  of Advent that we make room for the Messiah – setting our hearts in order, align our lives with God, and preparing ourselves for His arrival. This is the “The beginning of the good news about Jesus” – God is calling His people back to Himself.  

     Mark then turns our attention to the messenger, John the Baptist – the voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord.” John speaks to those who should have recognized Jesus – the religious leaders. These where the very people who had been waiting in expectation of the coming Messiah. Among these leaders, a debate was happening and it was rumored that John the Baptist could be Jesus, so they sent some of their own to find out. But John’s testimony was clear – “after me comes the one more powerful.”

    Everything in John’s ministry is incomplete until Jesus arrives. John can wash with water, but he cannot transform the human heart. So, John starts with those who had been following him and shifts their focus toward Jesus. Then, with clarity and purpose, John the Baptist turns the attention of the religious leaders. By describing himself as the one calling in the wilderness – the voice calling to humanity to prepare for Jesus – he reminds them that they must live with the eagerness and expectation of hope. God is still moving. God is still acting. God is still faithful. 

    Hope is not satisfied with what is; it longs for the One who is coming. The season of Advent reminds us of this longing and shifts our eyes forward. With eagerness and expectation, this season focuses our attention on the coming Messiah. John’s message creates anticipation and hope for someone greater. And this hope should shape how we live today. God is still moving. God is still acting. God is still faithful.

    Our hope ultimately rests in the Person of Jesus, not a preacher, a prophet, or a ritual. Hope finds its fulfillment only in Christ. Advent hope is active expectation. Each step moves our hearts closer to God and points lives to Jesus. It’s a journey of preparation and a call to surrender. Hope calls us home and calls us to confess. But ultimately, hope call us to pay attention with eagerness and expectation, because God is breaking the long silence – not just with words, but with His presence. 

    Listen and prepare. Repent and be ready. Be humble and fulfilled. Mark begins his gospel by getting straight to the point. “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…….” The King is coming and hope prepares you for His arrival. 

    Malachi’s warning, the long silence, the revolt of the Maccabees, and finally to John’s voice in the wilderness – tells one story. A story of hope. God was never absent. He was preparing His people to recognize the Messiah. Hope kept calling them forward. Hope kept telling them, “Don’t settle. Don’t stop. Don’t lose sight of what God has promised. It is in this hope that we now call Advent, that John was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. But preparation was never the final goal – Messiah was. 

    The same hope that calls us home, calls us to confess, and calls us to surrender. God is still preparing His people to encounter Him. And that is what we are invited to today – to step into hope. In hope we humble ourselves, admit our need for a savior, and receive the One who transforms us. May we be reminded that Jesus is the Messiah, the source of life, and the One who fills us with His Spirit.” 

  • On the Trinity and Jesus

    How does the doctrine of the Trinity establish for us a “definition” of the very essence of God’s eternal nature? What would that definition of God’s essence be? What is How is Trinitarian thought the result of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection? How we are to understand the relationship that exists between the One Essence and 3 Persons of the Trinity? How they are One and how they are Three? 

    In the doctrine of the Trinity, we are taking about a Holy Mystery – One Essence Three Persons. God’s singular essence is eternal, transcendent, infinite, undefined, and unbound. God’s essence is expressed in Three Persons. Each of the Three Persons are distinct but being homoousios – of the same substance – in nature, they are not different. 

    The Oneness of God means that He is complete in Himself. The Trinity is not limited or defined by anything outside of the shared Oneness of God. God is uncreated, self-referential, and self-relational. The Three Persons of the Trinity share in the same reality of Oneness. Therefore, the Trinity is defined as being One in essence expressed in Three Persons. However, this oneness does not exist merely in thought for scholarly discussion – it exists in the very Person of Jesus. 

    The one essence and Three Persons of the Trinity are revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Throughout His life, Jesus performed many miracles demonstrating His transcendent nature. He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk, calms a storm, and even casts demons into pigs. However, these miracles are more than simply demonstrating the transcendent nature of Jesus. By acting in obedience to the Father and through the Spirit, these miracles show Jesus’ direct connection to the Trinity. As Kinlaw points out, “God, then is one, but he is not alone. There is an otherness in the oneness, and that otherness can be described as the Word.[1]” Therefore, the full participation of the Trinity in miracles shows the singular, mutually shared essence of the Trinity. 

    The obedient life of Jesus reveals the Trinity. We see His Trinitarian nature through the claims of oneness with God, the testimony of others, and the ability to forgive sin. Jesus directly claims to be one with the Father. When asked, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly,” Jesus responds, claiming unity with the Father, by saying, “I and the Father are one.[2]” At the baptism of Jesus, others give testimony to and experience the Trinity. Luke tells us that “heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’[3]” While interacting with a woman who washed His feet, Jesus claims to forgive sins, which is only possible if He is of the same essence as God. The obedience of Jesus to the Trinitarian nature extends beyond just His life into His death and resurrection.

    Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we again see all three connections to the Trinity. Luke records Jesus’ claim of being God when He tells the criminal “Today you will be with me in paradise.[4]” Mark and Matthew record the testimony of others when those who were guarding Him said “Surely He was the Son of God.[5]” Luke documents Jesus forgiving sin when He says, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.[6]” The record of the resurrection affirms these claims as well. Luke records all three when Jesus appears to His disciples. In his account, Jesus says that He is the Messiah and is going to send what His Father promised. Jesus tells the disciples that they will be witnesses to these things, and He says that “repentance of sins will be preached in his name.[7]” 

    While Jesus was still with the disciples, He makes them aware of the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. John records Jesus saying, “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.[8]” In these words, we see a full picture of the Trinity. Here we see the Father sending the Holy Spirit to teach and remind the disciples of Jesus. The disciples participate in this reality by being open to the presence of the Holy Spirit. After the resurrection, the fullness of the Trinity is revealed to humanity allowing humanity to participate in the singular divine reality of the Trinity and experience the fullness of God. The Holy Spirit makes humanity aware of God’s presence, restores humanity to a relationship with God, and recreates humanity into the Imago Dei. Simply, the Holy Spirit is the divine presence in humanity, expressing the essence of God’s Oneness. 

    Trinitarian thought is the result of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The early believers recognized the one essence of God and the distinct presence of the Three Persons. They realize this distinction of the Three Persons, however, exists without a difference. From this realization, Trinitarian thought emerges. The Three Persons being coequals, coeternal, and interdependent leads to the understanding that all Three Persons of the Trinity are a singular divine reality. Being of the same substance and essence, all are part of the oneness of God. No Person of the Trinity is detached from the others, meaning for one to be all three must be and all Three Persons must mutually share in the life of the others.

    [1] Kinlaw, Dennis F. Let’s Start With Jesus Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan by The Francis Asbury Society, 2005 p. 31

    [2] Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV Biblica, Inc. 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 https://biblehub.com John 10:30

    [3] Holy Bible Luke 3:22

    [4] Holy Bible Luke 23:43

    [5] Holy Bible Matthew 27:54

    [6] Holy Bible Luke 23:34

    [7] Holy Bible Luke 24:47

    [8] Holy Bible John 14:26

  • The Ark of Advent: God’s Presence in a Weary World Part 2

    Week 2: Malachi 3-4: “A Call to Return for a Restless People.”

    Just as the Ark once carried God’s presence through the wilderness, Malachi carries God’s final word through a season of spiritual drift—preserving hope until the Messiah arrives.

    The book was written between 445–425 BC, about one hundred years after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile, during the same general period as Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. This was a time of significant historical and cultural development around the world. However, the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, had been exiled for seventy years. But God began restoring His people. 

    The Jewish people return to Jerusalem, setting the stage for physical and spiritual renewal. The people promise faithfulness, but their zeal fades. The hearts of the Jewish people drift as they longed for more than the law and walls – they needed a Savior. This period of revival and renewal God was preparing His people for the ultimate redemption to come – the Messiah.

    In this context of partial renewal and lingering spiritual apathy the prophet Malachi speaks. Malachi is the final prophetic voice before the 400 years of silence that bridge the Old and New Testaments. His message closes the Old Testament – exposing Israel’s spiritual weariness and by pointing forward to the one who would prepare the way of the Lord. 

    Malachi’s readers hear the call to pay attention to the word of the Lord – reminding them that the love of the Lord is not proven by what He gives but by His faithful presence and mercy. The first half of Malachi is centered on a wandering people. Israel questioned God’s love, and the result was spiritual apathy. When their heart drifts, their worship loses sincerity, passion, and gratitude. 

    But the beginning of chapter 3, something changes. Malachi’s prophecy moves from the spiritual inconsistency of the Jewish people to the unchanging nature of the Lord. Rather than continuing to focus on partial renewal and lingering spiritual apathy, Malachi turns his attention to spiritual restoration. The second part of Malachi is centered on “the day” that the Lord will send the messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah – a day that will bring judgment and spiritual restoration. 

    Remember, Israel has become spiritual indifferent, lazy, and apathetic. After the exile, they felt that evil people prospered while they, the righteous, suffered. They even ask, “Where is the God of justice?” implying that the Lord is absent because He was not punishing the wicked. Yet Jewish people, Israel, had forgotten that they have become the wicked They have made themselves rebels and betrayers of – putting themselves against the Lord. Rather than being mindful to God and faithful to His covenant, Israel has made the grave mistake of thinking God is on their side. This is the lens through which they develop their expectations for the Messiah. 

    But Malachi raises the stakes. Showing the urgency of his prophecy, Malichi asks, “But who can endure the day of His coming?” The Messiah will purify and refine. He will cleanse, test, purge, and remove. The Messiah will remove those who bring unrighteous offerings, cheap, and careless sacrifice – worship that misrepresents greatness of the Lord as God and King. The Lord has come near with a purpose – to bring justice to those withholding themselves from Him.

    The Lord is coming to judge against those who do not fear Him. The fear of the Lord – the reverence of His name – and the obedience to His word is what makes worship, sacrifices, and offerings righteous. It is in the Name of the Lord that worship becomes reflective of the Lord.

    Yet even in His warning, the Lord’s purpose is not abandonment. God’s judgment is not arbitrary or reactionary. His judgment is an invitation – an urgent call for His people to turn back before unfaithfulness hardens into ruin.

    The Lord stands against those who do not fear Him – but He does not remain silent. It is the necessary response of a holy God to a people whose worship and lives no longer reflect His Name. When reverence disappears, judgment follows—not to destroy, but to call His people back. His desire is restoration – faithful worship flowing from reverent hearts. His judgment is a call to return for a restless people.

    To return to the Lord we must return with wholehearted repentance to faithful worship. The Jewish people were withholding their tithes and offerings – robbing God and violating the covenant. This was a bold, intentional, and deceitful act revealed a lack of trust in God. Speaking arrogantly against the Lord, they had become firmly opposed offering sacrifices and worship. They even declared serving God to be useless, claiming that brought no benefit. They saw the wicked as recipients of God’s blessings and envied them. Ultimately, they withheld themselves from God. 

    Their worship became a transaction rather than trust, revealing the fact that their lives were no longer fully given to the Lord. This is the danger of spiritual apathy: we may still offer something to God while quietly keeping ourselves back. Repentance requires more than resumed rituals – it requires a surrendered heart.

    With a surrendered heart we honor God and affirm His covenant. Repentance and return prepare our hearts for wholehearted worship. Sacrifice that the Lord demands is full surrender of our lives and our complete trust Him. And this full surrender and complete trust can only happen in community. 

    For Jewish people, there emerges a remnant – a small number – who take seriously the call to return to the Lord. They leave behind partial renewal and lingering spiritual apathy. The remnant gathers and makes a promise – a covenant – with each other, declaring that they will honor the Lord. And the Lord says He will remember this remnant.

     Malachi records theses words of the Lord, “And they shall be mine. On the day that I make them my jewel, I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” What a promise! What a hope! The Lord continues saying, “You will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” 

    Don’t miss this! There is no neutral option. You are either righteous or wicked. You are either His treasured position or destroyed. By returning to community that declares its intent to honor the Lord, we honor Him and affirm His covenant. In our gathering, we prepare ourselves to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah. And we do so out of joyful obedience.         

    Returning to the Lord shapes more than our identity—it shapes our daily lives. To be God’s treasured possession is not merely a status—it is a way of life. Returning to the community of faith means returning to obedience shaped by reverence for the Lord.

    But community without obedience becomes empty, and worship without faithfulness collapses under judgment. Those who belong to the Lord are marked not only by their gathering, but by their obedience. And this is why there is no neutral ground.

    Malachi declares the sun of justice will rise. Again, don’t miss this. Both the treasured possession and the wicked experience the same sun of justice that burns like a furnace. The difference is the outcome of the experience. 

    The sun of justice destroys the wicked; but the righteousness – those who have returned to wholehearted worship and joyful obedience – experience the day as healing and freedom. 

    Remember this: God’s people are never left wandering without hope. The same day that brings judgment also brings healing. The Lord calls us to return – wholeheartedly, faithfully, and together in community. He invites us to repentance, to joyful obedience, and to covenant faithfulness.

    The Messiah is coming. The One who refines and purifies, is the one who also redeems and restores. We must prepare our hearts by responding with wholehearted surrender, faithful worship, and joyful obedience. And heart preparation is essential Advent. 

    This week, as we reflect on Malachi, let us examine our hearts: are we returning to God fully, honoring Him in our worship, in our community, and in our obedience? When the Day comes, the difference between destruction and healing, between chaff and treasured possession, will not be God’s choice—it will be ours.

    Let us pray that He would give us the courage to return, the faith to trust Him, and the joy to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah.

  • The Ark of Advent: God’s Presence in a Weary World Part 1

    Week 1 – Malachi 1-2: “A Wake-up Call for a Wandering People”

    Just as the Ark once carried God’s presence through the wilderness, Malachi carries God’s final word through a season of spiritual drift—preserving hope until the Messiah arrives.

    The name Malachi means “my messenger.” The book was written between 445–425 BC, about one hundred years after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile, during the same general period as Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. This was a time of significant historical and cultural development around the world. In Greece, Athens and Sparta were engaged in a thirty-year conflict, yet Athens itself flourished as a center of art, philosophy, and democracy. The construction of the Parthenon began and was completed during this era. 

    Prominent thinkers such as Democritus, who proposed that matter is made of tiny, invisible atoms, and Socrates, whose method of questioning shaped Western philosophy, were active. Plato, Socrates’ student, was born towards the end of this time period, and Hippocrates—known as the father of modern medicine and to whom the Hippocratic Oath is attributed—lived during this same period. In the broader scope, the Persian Empire faced the Egyptian revolt, and the Roman Republic publicly displayed its first set of codified laws. At the 86th Olympiad in 440 BC, Crission won the Stadion race (a 200-yard sprint) for the third consecutive time.

    However, during this time historical and cultural development, the nation of Israel, the Jewish people, had been exiled for seventy years. But God began restoring His people. In 538 BC, Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem, setting the stage for physical and spiritual renewal. In Persia, Esther rose to become queen “for such a time as this,” and courageously intervened to save her people, the Jews, from Haman’s plot of destruction.

    In Jerusalem, Ezra, the priest-scribe, led the rebuilding of the temple and called the people to return to the covenant of God. He publicly read and explained the Law of Moses, and the Levites helped guide the assembly into repentance and renewed devotion. Later, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls, providing security and stability for the community. 

    Ezra and Nehemiah lead national confession and covenant renewal. The public reading of the Law leads to deep conviction and national repentance. The people promise faithfulness, but their zeal fades. Yet, through these efforts, God’s covenant faithfulness is evident. The people are home, the temple is rebuilt, God restored His people both physically and spiritually. Yet their hearts still drift as they longed for more than the law and walls—they needed a Savior. It is in this period of revival and renewal; God was preparing His people for the ultimate redemption to come in the Messiah.

    This is the context – partial renewal and lingering spiritual apathy – that the prophet Malachi speaks. Malachi is the final prophetic voice before the 400 years of silence that bridge the Old and New Testaments. His message closes the Old Testament by exposing Israel’s spiritual weariness and by pointing forward to the one who would prepare the way of the Lord 

    There are two elements that control the book of Malachi. First, Malachi records his prophecy by creating a contrast. In the 55 verses of the book of Malachi, there is 15 occurrences of direct contrast. 27% of the book is controlled by contrasting the way the Israelites are living and the way the Lord has called them to live. Second, there is a recurrence of the phrase “says the Lord,” “declares the Lord,” or “says the Lord Almighty.” 26 times, Malachi uses one of these to mark the words of the Lord, 21 times it is “says the Lord Almighty.” This means that Malachi wants his readers to pay attention to what the Lord has said and how it is in contrast with the way the Israelites are living.

    In chapter 1 verses 1-5, we see that the Lord speaks to the people. God tells Israel, “I love you.” This “love” is the Hebrew word “ahab (aw-hab)” meaning dearly loved. This usage implies a covenant love that begins with God and is returned by His people.

    But Israel responses by questioning God’s saying, “How have you loved us?” They try to justify their f spiritual apathy by blaming God. They believe that if God loved them, then He would do things for them. And since they didn’t see God doing anything for them, then – they reason – He doesn’t love them and has broken His end of the Covenant. The Jewish people – Israel – take that to mean that they can do whatever they wanted.

    This sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Why would anyone question the love of God? The problem is that we are not as far away from the heart of the Israelites as we might think. How many times do we think “God if you love me, you will give me heath or wealth or my life will be easy.” or “If God loves me, then I won’t suffer or be hurt by others.” Or it may sound like “God is good. All the time (that I get what I want).” 

    Friends, I dare say that we, too, can find ourselves in seasons of spiritual apathy—quietly blaming God. Often, those who give up on God do so because they feel God has first given up on them. And when we stop believing that God loves us, our hearts begin to drift. Israel’s question, then, is not as strange as it sounds. “How have you loved us?” is the honest cry of a weary people who have confused God’s love with comfort and blessing.

    God responds to Israel’s question not with sentiment, but with truth: “By not destroying you.”The fact that Israel is not turned into a wasteland and destroyed by Gods wrath, is the evidence of God’s love. God’s reveals His love in His grace and mercy. Love is not merely an act of God. It is not limited His actions or interactions. God is love – it is the essence of God – necessary to His being. 

    The love of God is not expressed in the good things He does. The love of God is His presence. The absence of God is the expression of His wrath – bringing destruction, devastation, and ruin. The brute fact that things still exist is evidence of God’s loving patience.

    The love of the Lord is not proven by what He gives but by His faithful presence and mercy. Israel questioned His love because they equated love with comfort, blessing, and favorable circumstances. God answers by showing that the very fact they still exist – despite their rebellion – is proof of His covenant love. This exposes Israel’s spiritual apathy and mirrors our own tendency to judge God’s love by our circumstances instead of His character.

    Israel questioned God’s love, and the result was spiritual apathy. When the heart drifts, worship loses sincerity, passion, and gratitude. When God’s people abandon His love, their worship becomes hollow.

    In the rest of chapter 1, verses 6-14, the Lord speaks to the priests, saying, “It is you priests who show contempt for my name.” But Israel asks for evidence, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ God tells them they have shown disrespect and hatred of His Name by offering corrupted and defiled food on His altar. But the Israelites push back again by asking, ‘How have we defiled you?’ I am not sure that they were ready for the Lord’s response. 

    God tells the priests that they have offered blind, lame, diseased animals for sacrifice. Now I am not sure if they did this because the priests were ignorant – forgetting the Law of God – or because they were arrogant – thinking it did not matter. Either way, it seems they hope that the Lord would overlook the defiled sacrifice. But the fact remains that the priest corrupted the alter of the Lord.

              The priests even call offering the sacrifice a burden, and they turn their nose up in disapproval and disrespect. The Lord goes so far as to say “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! Don’t miss this. The Lord would rather them shut the doors – close the temple – so that they do not carelessly, cheaply, causelessly even light the fire to begin the ritual sacrifice. 

    But why does this matter to the Lord? Isn’t He graceful? Doesn’t he understand that we are still sacrificing something? Why does He not appreciate that? Is He not grateful for what we do offer, even if it’s not our best? 

    He is where we encounter the root of the problem. Too often, we view our sacrifices and offerings as a reflective of us. We say, “We are doing our best” and hope that the Lord Almighty will understand. But we should view our sacrifices and offerings as reflective of the Lord who is a great King and Hid “name will be great among the nations.” Are we worshipping as people of a great King? Or are we just doing our best?

    The reality is that God rejects worship that is careless, cheap, or convenient. It misrepresents His greatness and reveals hearts that no longer honored God. He would rather close the temple than receive half-hearted worship. Worship should reflect who He is, not merely what we can manage to give. True worship must match the worth of a great King.

    The Israelite priests treated God as common, careless, and even burdensome. Leadership that loses reverence leads people away from true worship – abandoning God. And when we abandon God, the worship becomes corrupt. And Corrupted worship always produces corrupted relationships. The way we approach worship always shapes the way we treat others.

    And so, after speaking to the people and the Priests of Israel, rebuking them for their partial renewal and lingering spiritual apathy, the Lord then turns His attention to how they treat each other.  

    The role of the Priests was to preserve knowledge, be the messenger of the Lord, and to give instruction to the people. But the Priests of Israel have turned from the way of the Lord, causing many to stumble, and violated the covenant of God. The Israelite priests – forgetting how mighty and powerful the Lord is – no longer resolved to honor the Name of the Lord. Their ministry became corrupt and their influence led many astray. The priests failed to honor God, to teach truth, and to lead with integrity. And when spiritual leaders abandon God’s covenant, God’s people are led astray.

    Because the honor of His Name and the faithfulness of His people are at stake, God warns that He will judge unfaithful leadership severely. This is more than an expression of anger. It is the pronouncement of divine judgment. It invokes the authority of God to exclude the person and deliver them to eventual destruction.

    But how they will know? I am sure the Priests were expecting fire from heaven, to hear the voice of God, of even a gentle breeze that might remind them to honor the Lord. But no, the Lord responds a little stronger. He says they will know because He “will smear on their faces the dung from their festival sacrifices, and they will be carried off with it.” (Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that would make sure that I continued to honor the Name of the Lord.)

    Not only has the nation of Israel and the Israelite priests been unfaithful, so has the tribe of Judah. They have desecrated the sanctuary by marrying women who worship a foreign god. Don’t miss this. We are told in verse 12 that even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty, those marrying women who worship a foreign god, will be removed from the community. It’s important to know that the Hebrew word translated as foreign, could is also translated as strange or different.

    Now, this particular unfaithfulness – marrying women who worship a different god – falls under the general question in verse 10 – “Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another?” This is not about anything other than faithfulness to the Lord. The men who marry women who worship a god different than the Lord have become unfaithful to Him. 

    Those man who married women who worshipped the Lord were probably feeling pretty good at this point, but the Lord turns His attention to them. He reprimands them too, reminding them that He no longer approves or accepts their offerings. 

    But why would the Lord not accept they offerings of men who are faithful to Him? Because they have been unfaithful to their wives. But let’s dig a little deeper. It’s not just because that have been unfaithful that the Lord no longer accepts their offerings. It’s bigger than that. The Lord is the witness of their marriage covenant. By being unfaithful to their wives, these men have broken the marriage convents becoming unfaithful the Lord. 

    The Lord is weary; the original language means to gasp or become faint. The Lord becomes exhausted, fatigued, and worn-out by Israel. The weariness of the Lord does not come when the Israelites abandoned the love of God, ruined the alter, or broken the covenant. 

    The Lord is worn out because Israel felt that evil people prospered. Seeing themselves as “the righteous who are suffering” they ask, “Where is the God of justice?” They saw the Lord as not punishing the wicked, meaning He absent or that was no longer the Lord of justice.

    How quickly has Israel forgotten that they have become the wicked. Israel is in a desperate place. They have forgotten the Love of the Lord, ruined the alter of the Lord, and broken the covenant of the Lord. Israel has become unfaithful and yet they are wondering why God is delaying justice for the unfaithful.

    Israel’s spiritual apathy has reached its peak. Rather than being mindful to God and faithful to His covenant, they made the grave mistake of thinking God was on their side. And now they even question God’s justice – forgetting – that they have become the very wickedness they want God to punish. They have wandered from the Lord and when God’s people drift from His love, everything breaks—worship breaks, leadership breaks, relationships break.

    Malachi is not merely exposing lingering spiritual apathy and sin – He is preparing Israel for the Messiah, the One who restores what unfaithfulness has ruined. Because God’s covenant love is steadfast, He exposes our spiritual apathy too – not to condemn us, but to call us back to faithful worship, faithful leadership, and faithful relationships. 

    So, here’s the invitation for us today: examine your heart. Where have you grown indifferent? Where have you treated worship as a burden rather than a privilege? Where have you allowed your hearts, your leadership, or your relationships to drift from God?

    Hear the good news. God is not silent. Even in our apathy, He speaks, calling us back to faithfulness, and preparing us for what is to come—our Messiah. 

    Advent is a season of wondering and wandering, reminding us of our need for the Messiah. And the Ark of Advent begins here, with a wake-up call: return to Him, honor His Name, love His covenant, and live faithfully.