Jesus Comes As a Burning Oven

Jeremiah’s Warning Against Boasting and the Call to Know the Lord

Please stand for the scripture reading. I'll be reading Jeremiah chapter 9 verse 23 to 24. That's found on page 638 of the pew Bible Bibles. Thus says the Lord let not the wise man boast in his wisdom.

Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord. Who? Practice the steadfast love Justice and righteousness in the earth.

For in these things. I delight declares the Lord.

John the Baptist and the Coming Wrath and Fire

New Testament readings in Matthew 3 1 through 12. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this he who is spoken of in the prophet Isaiah when he said the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare the way for of the Lord make his path straight now.

John wore a garment of camel hair and of leather leather belt around his waist and his food was a locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about About the Jordan were going out to him and they were baptizing by by him in the River Jordan confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees he came to his baptism. Coming to his baptism. He said to them you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves We have Abraham as their father for I tell you God is able for these very stones to raise up children from Abraham.

Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees every tree Therefore that does not bear fruit. Good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for Repentance, but he who's coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

I will baptize you with he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing Fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

Malachi 4 and the Coming Day Burning Like an Oven

May be seated. Well, good morning.

Open your Bibles to Malachi chapter 4, please Malachi.

Chapter 4. Let me read the text and we'll go to our Lord in prayer.

Malachi the last book of the Old Testament Malachi chapter 4 Verse 1. For behold the day is coming Burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze says Lord of hosts.

So that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. And you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

And you shall tread down the wicked for they will be ashes Under the soles of your feet on that day when I act says the Lord of hosts. Remember the law of my servant Moses the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

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 let us pray to our God.

Oh father in heaven. What a wonderful thing we have in your word to to see and behold your law and your warnings to see what the outcome of our sin ultimately is and wrath and Destruction, but God what a wonderful contrast it is to see The beautiful promise of the coming Savior who would save us from our sins so that that destruction would not touch us instead.

We can have forgiveness of sins and a joy like a calf Jumping and leaping leaping from the stalls Lord in heaven. We thank you for our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for his coming. We thank you for all that it means for us all that it meant 2 ,000 years ago all that It means now and all that it will mean for the future.

Let our hearts be settled on this this Christmas season and glorify you for all the good things You've done for us and Jesus Christ our Lord. May he be glorified now in these next several minutes on to eternity in Jesus name.

Amen. Well, yes, we're at that point that time already December 1st 2024 we're at that Christmas season where it is legal for you to listen to Christmas music. It wasn't yesterday, but it is today. And of course, we know that with December comes a flurry of activity At net break neck break speed.

We all know that December is a very busy month and I think rightfully. So I think it's a good thing if you think about it this is the the day that we celebrate the coming of the God man and It only makes sense that be filled with activity.

It only makes sense that even the Gentile world around us would be caught up in the excitement that the Son of God Took on flesh and did a work. And so yes indeed it is if anyone deserves a whole month to celebrate their birthday.

It is certainly our Savior who as God took on flesh, but it is so easy for us to get caught up. Of course We talked about this every year to get caught up in the activity to caught up get caught up in the hustle and bustle.

And.

Easily lose the point of it all. We can get excited with the world for the different things that they make it exciting for and we forget The essence of the excitement and so we lose it all. And so of course as we began begin this Great month of December as we celebrate the first coming of the Lord.

Why not look at the text? Why not look at the Bible and remind us exactly why? Jesus came. What did he come to do and what does that mean for the contemporaries of when Jesus came 2 ,000 years ago. What does that mean for us today?

And what does that mean for the future? Yes, let us look at the essence of why Jesus came so that we can celebrate this time To its fullest to its truest form. And I think in Malachi 4 we get the closing.

Of.

The Old Testament Word of God and it's this closing chapter is with a prophecy. A declaration that there is one coming soon who's going to do something. And so here we have this Christmas season. We get to see this prophecy and see how it has come out.

How of its essence has happened and it can keep us centered on the the true meaning the essence of what we're celebrating with the first coming of Jesus. And so what did Jesus come to do? What was that first coming?

Well, we get the essence of it in chapter 4 verse 1 when the prophet Malachi says for behold the day is coming burning like an oven the prophet says Jesus primarily came to be a furnace. I I know we can talk about the different things when we see The coming of Jesus as a baby and his ministry as a 30 year old up into his mid 30s.

We could see him as a prophet who came to teach. We see him as a priest who came to heal the sick to help the poor. But I think what we're getting at in chapter 4 of Malachi verse 1 is the essence of why Jesus came and that is to be a burning furnace or burning like an oven.

The prophet says that is the essence of the primary reason why Jesus came of course when you think of a furnace when you think Of an oven you ought to think of something that burns hotly. That burns very hot and anything you put in there.

It almost just evaporates in a moment. We were gone for thanksgiving and we all know that right after thanksgiving. There was that big we're in the middle of it now a cold snap. And so my house was freezing and so we had to turn both our wood pellets on full blast.

And I was just looking at it the the furnace that the power of heat. And as soon as the pellets went in there, it was so hot. It would just burn up very quickly. And so when you think of furnace you think of of something that burns hot right and and the and the fuel that's put in there.

It burns it quickly. And so when we think of Jesus being a furnace He primarily has come to us right in his first coming that we're celebrating with christmas. We must understand that his primary reason for coming was to burn hot like a furnace.

Now what is the fuel that he burns. If Jesus came to be a furnace, what does he burn? Well, Jesus burns sin. We see sin is taught in scripture as something like dry wood that is fit only.

For burning.

Again, we must understand that god does not waste anything in creation. There's not one ounce of his creation that will ever be wasted ever even sin in which it is a Departure from his law. He will not waste that either but rather will even use that as fuel for something.

In fact, we if you were listening in matthew 3 with john the baptist Remember what he says with the coming of the the coming messiah his ministry is about to begin. And he says in chapter 3 of matthew verse 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.

Every tree Therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And and you got to understand the imagery there, right? Whenever you're reading imagery you you should ask yourself What does this mean.

Because I always think he's not talking about literally a tree that bears fruit. Concerned about that. It's an image that's supposed to be painted in your head. That the whole purpose of creation is to bear fruit for its creator and obeying and glorifying him.

And when that doesn't happen The only good that it's used for then is to be thrown into the fire as fuel. And so god is not going to waste anything. Even those who refuse to obey him will be used as fuel to be burned in the furnace.

And we see this is the coming of jesus right here john the baptist says this is what's happening now, in fact, jesus.

Repeats.

What john the baptist says in matthew 7 19 in the sermon on the mount. He says every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. The whole purpose of creation is to produce the fruit for its maker through obedience.

A lack of obedience and fruit bearing is like a tree that is dead and serves no purpose but to be thrown into the furnace. God has ensured he would be glorified. And he will be glorified in his wrath as well.

Therefore this day that is coming when messiah comes. Is connected to this purpose to be that fire that burns hot against all sin to lick it up and to burn it hot. When a fire burns hotly it leaves very little evidence of what was once.

In existence it burns hot. And sin is the perfect wood for a hot fire that messiah came to burn to leave no evidence of it anymore. And there was plenty of sin in israel to be burned with judgment. If there's one thing you read through the old testament.

That are in family worship, we're working our way through the old testament. We're reading a little bit and there is no lack of sin from israel. And that israel denotes man, adam, us. There's no lack of sin that needs to be looked up by the wrath of the furnace.

And just to get a taste of that. Let's look at malachi. Look at the sin that's that's dominant in this book. And just like all the prophets right in which it highlights the sin of israel. Which denotes the sin of the world right and it denotes the need for this this one to come With wrath and the burning furnace look what he says in malachi 1 6 and 8 through 8.

He says a son honors his father. Malachi chapter 1 6. And a servant his master. If then i'm a father god says where is my honor? And if i'm a master, where's my fear says the lord of hosts to you. Oh priest who despise my name, but you say how have we despised your name?

Well by offering polluted food upon my altar, but you say how have we polluted you? By saying that the lord's table may be despised when you offer blind animals to sacrifice. Is that not evil and when you offer those that are lame or sick?

Is that not evil? We know that's evil because the word of god directly said it was evil to not do it. And he says present that to your governor will he accept or show you favor says the lord of hosts moving on.

Look at matthew chapter 2 verse 11 through 12. There was plenty of sin to be judged. Look at what he says in 11 and 12 and malachi 2 judah has been faithless. An abomination has been committed in israel and in jerusalem for judah has profaned the sanctuary of the lord.

Which he loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the lord cut off from the tents of jacob any descendants of the man. Who does this who brings an offering to the lord of hosts? And it continues on in verses 13 through 16.

And this second thing you do you cover the lord's altar with tears with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or Accepts it with favor from your hand, but you say why does he not?

Because the lord has witnessed between you and the wife of your you to whom you have been faithless. Though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one with a portion of the spirit in their union and what was the one god seeking godly offspring?

So guard yourselves in your spirit and let none of you faithless to your wife or your youth. For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her says The lord the god of israel covers his garment with violence says the lord of hosts.

So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not be faithless. There is plenty of sin to be had in israel. And again, it denotes the plenty of sin in this world that needs to be mopped up by this furnace.

And even look at verse 17. You have wearied the lord with your words. But you say how have we worried him by saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the lord and he delights In them or by asking where is the god of justice wickedness?

So someone would come. The promise then culminates in chapter 4 malachi. With this promise that behold the day of the lord is coming burning like an oven. The burning of wickedness the lawlessness Will be burnt up in this furnace.

The fuel that will then be added in this furnace is our wickedness our sin our lawlessness. Namely israel, but do not lose the meaning that it is speaking of the world as well. But then there's something beautiful.

About what then goes on in the book of malachi in chapter 3 verses 1 through 5. We have the judgment motif continuing, but then we have something else that's going to be burnt as well. And this is what makes christmas happy.

Is that jesus didn't come to burn up the wickedness and sin and that was it if that was the case. We would all be done and dead and there would be no rejoicing, but we see like a furnace that burns.

Sin.

Through judgment and something else. Look at malachi chapter 3 verse 1 behold I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. And the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold.

He is coming says the lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming who can stand when he appears for he is like a refiner's fire. And like fuller's soap he will sit as a refiner And purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the lord.

Then the offering of judah and jerusalem will be pleasing to the lord as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I'll be swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely.

Against those who oppress the hired worker and his wages the widow and the fatherless against those who trust thrust Aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the lord of hosts. So you see that contrast there that beautiful contrast?

It's quite the contrast is that the coming messiah would be a burning furnace with sin as its fuel. And this furnace would deal with sin both by wrath and then this thing that we see in there by grace.

This coming messiah would burn up sin both by his wrath and by His beautiful wonderful gracious wonderful awesome not enough. You could say about it grace and the wrath aspect of his coming. And we ought to behold as we approach this christmas season.

Is located in the rest of verse 1 of malachi 4. The wrath aspect of the coming messiah look at malachi chapter 4 verse 1 the rest of it when he says again. For behold the day is coming burning like an oven.

And look what he says when all the arrogant and all the evildoers will be stubble. Burnt all the way down to a stub right? The day that is coming shall set them ablaze says lord of hosts that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

See, there's that furnace that burning the wickedness the the the fire of coming messiah will burn it down. To its very to a stub and notice how the sinner is described in that verse. He is arrogant. And thus an evildoer.

Arrogance that leads to evildoing which is perfect fuel for fire of judgment from messiah. You know you think of arrogance you think of of pride of insolence. You think of the king james version uses pride.

The one who is prideful will then lead to evildoing who will then lead to Wrath and judgment from messiah and you see the arrogant person. The one who is arrogant is the one who does not care about god's law at all.

And we'll see the contrast with the one who fears the lord. This arrogant person does not fear the lord does not care about the lord rather He cares about what he desires what he wants. He is a lawless person.

And so malachi says the one who is arrogant prideful not mindful the law of god at all. He will receive this judgment from the coming messiah the burning in the oven so the coming of messiah. At the end of the old testament was described as a time when judgment like a burning furnace would come to all the prideful.

Evil doers.

Again Anytime you're going to truly enjoy jesus in the christmas season You have to be inundated with the bad news of wrath. If you don't get inundated with that, you won't truly appreciate The fact that.

That's not the whole story. And so bear with me as we consider the fact that god hates sin. And he will not let it go on for long. And the promised messiah came to deal with sin through wrath. But that's not it.

Look at then the contrast in verse 2. That's a beautiful contrast that word. But again anytime you see that word it's typically a beautiful thing in verse 2. But for you who fear my.

Name.

You see the contrast there the arrogant the evildoer the judgment, but then there's that Hard contrast with but for you who fear my name To fear the name of yahweh to fear the name of lord Is to not throw away his law and his commandments and what he has said is true and right.

To not just throw it away without a thought. To fear the lord is everything in your life becomes what has god said in this instance. He says the one who fears my name the opposite of prideful arrogance.

We see the one who fears god goes through the same event of coming messiah. But it looks beautifully different, doesn't it? You see what he says and in verse 2 but for you who fear my name and I remember that burning furnace, right?

The the judgment the wrath set in an ablaze nothing left. That same event verse 2 but for you who fear my name the son of righteousness shall Rise with healing in its wings. What a beautiful sentence in light of god's judgment to see the anger of god against sin to deal with it.

Messiah is coming to burn you up. But yet that same event for those who fear yahweh he is coming to heal you. To heal you it's the the idea is the son of righteousness. The sun coming forth and the wings of the sun or the the the rays of the sun coming and hitting your skin.

It reminds me of you know, like a springtime or like a fall time feel when it's just kind of nippy. You know, you're outside you have a jacket on but it's just it's cold. But when that sun is out and you stand in the sun it is perfect, right?

That's what it reminds me of here, right? This this one who comes the messiah that is coming, right? He he is like a son of righteousness whose rays will hit you and it will be healing to your soul. So the imagery goes from a burning furnace to a burning sun equally burning sin.

See where the burning furnace for the arrogant is for destruction as he deals and conquers and ends.

Sin.

The burning sun for the one who fears the lord is to refine and to heal them. Same messiah same coming same entrance. One for destruction to end the sin the other for healing and ending the sin. You remember what john the baptist says going back to matthew 3 10 just a couple pages over.

You remember what he says? Uh again, we already read about him. Uh that dead things are only good for being thrown into the fire, right? Lack of obedience to god. Matthew 3 10 even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees every tree.

Therefore that does not bear good fruit. It's cut down and thrown into the fire. But then there's another kind of fire same kind of fire of ending sin. Ending disobedience, but it's done in a way. That's quite differently.

Look at verses 11 and 12 of the same chapter. Matthew 3 11 and 12. John says the baptist I baptize you with water for repentance, but he Who is coming? He me who's coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals i'm not worthy to carry he will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire.

His winning winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and gathers wheat into the barn. But the chap he will burn with unquenchable fire. So it's fascinating isn't it that the same kind of motif of fire burning?

The the sins and and and wrath is the same motif that's used for. The people who he's going to heal a fire that burns sin nevertheless, but it's not for destruction. It's for healing. Have you ever noticed how fire is interwoven with the work of the holy spirit.

You ever notice in acts 2 when the holy spirit came down. He came down as a tongue of what? Fire upon his people. There is a work that the holy spirit brings because of what jesus christ has done in his first coming in which he ends.

Sin.

And you like fire? Jesus came as a furnace to end sin either through wrath Or grace. And when he gives you his spirit he goes to work in you to end sin. So when we say the main purpose why jesus came Is to end sin.

It is true.

Either via wrath In which it will be an eternal ending of sin or it's via grace in which he ends sin and you now. See he ends sin initially by justifying and declaring you perfect in the name of jesus.

He ends sinning you the spirit comes within you As a fire to end that sin in which he declares you to be perfect before him. No sin in the way anymore. Then in practice as you walk progressively more righteous as you walk this cursed world.

But with a righteous walk. And this is what malachi goes on to say about those people who are healed. By the coming burning of the messiah. Look what he says. It's a beautiful image and malachi 4 -2 You who fear my name the son of righteousness will rise with healing on its wings.

And you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. What an imagery that is. You think of a a baby cow. Right who who just gets use of its legs? And he's able to go about go out of the stall and to the pasture and eat and enjoy.

And you can imagine the freedom that he feels as he leaps and bounds to greener pastures and eats right. It's a great imagery of of before he was caught up in a stall. But now he has the freedom to go and enjoy the pasture that is before him and it's a beautiful imagery for those who were Once caught in sin, but now is freed from it and can go and enjoy the freedom of righteousness.

Because the law has been put on our heart. We are like calves that go out and enjoy the pasture that God has for us no longer bound by satan. No longer bound by sin. But rather we have the freedom to leap and enjoy the good things God has for us because he has taken care of our sin.

He has burnt it up via grace. It is a great slavery to be in sin, but a great freedom to be brought out like a calf bounding through the pasture. And with that victory malachi points out it's the freedom.

They have the victory they have over their enemy. Look at verse 3. In malachi 4 verse 3. He says and you shall tread down the wicked. Why. Because the wicked is burned to a stub. There is no wickedness stopping you from enjoying the good things.

God has for you. They've been taken care of and you shall tread down the wicked for they will be ashes. Remember, they have been burnt to a stub ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act as the lord of hosts.

What a hope there is is that the enjoyment of our sins being licked up within the furnace of our God. Will be enjoyed Totally perfectly and no one can stop it from being enjoyed by the righteous. No one will be able to stop the godly from enjoying the refining work of messiah.

So you have the coming of jesus described as a burning furnace with sin as its fuel. He came to put an end to sin through wrath for his enemies. But grace for his people so his people can enjoy the salvation without anyone or anything.

Stopping it you will be like the calf.

Leaping.

In the pasture. So, how does this play out right this is what we're getting here from The prophet malachi. How does this play out at the actual coming of jesus? And how is it playing out today for you?

And what should we expect for the future? Well historically 2 000 years ago. Jesus came 400 years after this was written malachi 4, right? Jesus came 400 years after this at the close of the old testament.

Jesus came 400 years after born of a virgin. It became the burning furnace that burned up the sins of his people on the cross and his resurrection. That's what our lord has done in his first coming. For those who feared god they recognized what they saw when he was a baby to when he was on the cross to after his resurrection.

To those who feared the name of yahweh they knew in some degree what was going on here. They knew something wonderful was coming with the babe of jesus with his death on the cross with his resurrection.

They knew that this is the one who would bring redemption and salvation to israel. Finally as was promised from malachi. We see you remember In simeon or from simeon in luke 2 25 through 32. You remember simeon and the temple holding the baby jesus.

There's a man Again in luke 2 25. There's a man in jerusalem whose name was simeon. And this man was righteous and devout Waiting for the consolation of israel and the holy spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the holy spirit that he would not see death before he saw The lord's christ his coming messiah and he came in the spirit into the temple.

And when he the parents brought in the child jesus to do for him according to all the cost custom of the law simeon took him up in his arms and blessed god and said lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to Your word for my eyes have seen Your salvation that you're prepared in the presence of all the peoples a light.

For revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people israel. There are people who feared the lord who recognized what was happening as they held as they saw the baby Jesus, we think of anna right after who says coming up in the temple who says.

Um.

Praising god and was who was waiting for the redemption of jerusalem. Of course, there's people at the cross. Who knew that this was the coming messiah the one who was promised that would take care of our sins.

You remember the criminal that was at? Jesus's side in luke 23 39. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying are you not the christ save yourself and save us? But remember what the other one said he rebuked him he said what do you not fear god?

Since you are under the same sentence of condemnation, can't you see what's happening here? We indeed suffer justly for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this coming messiah. This man has done nothing wrong.

And he said jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom and the lord said I Today you will be with me in paradise. And people saw this coming messiah. They knew they. They they they had um again if you notice there's a commonality there a fear of the lord.

I recognize and this is the one that was promised that would take care of our sins when you think of the resurrection. People recognize that afterwards as well even doubting thomas who calls them my lord and my god.

And when he finished the work needed to be done for the healing of sinners. He returned to be with the father and sent his spirit to do this work of refining of healing this fire within us. That takes care of our sin but.

One thing that we don't usually consider is that jesus in his first coming even Even in his first coming came to be a burning furnace to rid the world of sin through judgment, too. I know you're surprised by that, but jesus came and took care of sin through his judgment as well the church began.

After the holy spirit came down like a tongue of fire on the disciples, right? Beginning of the church the beginning of the Calf going out and leaping for freedom that they have in salvation, right? And there's always the non-believing world that wants to stop it.

Always. Where was the first? Stronghold of unbelieving. The non-believing world that wanted to stop the joyous leaping of the stall of the church. Receiving the forgiveness of sins. Well, it came from israel itself.

Sadly. It came from the jews themselves. In fact paul describes it this way in first thessalonians 2 14 through 16. He says for you brothers became imitators of the churches of god and christ jesus that are in judea.

For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the jews. And then he's talking about the jews here. He says who killed both the lord jesus and the prophets and drove us out and displeased god and opposed all mankind.

Right. They are the wickedness that wants to stop the joyous march of the church. By hindering us from speaking to the gentiles that they might be saved. So as always to fill up the measure of their sins, but what does he say here?

But wrath has come upon them at last. The wrath of the furnace of jesus did come when he destroyed the jewish nation in 70 a .d for their ultimate denial of the messiah. You got to imagine the church was first persecuted by the jewish nation and jesus comes and finishes the jewish nation.

And paves the way for celebration for the calf to enjoy the forgiveness of sins. The church was vindicated by the judgment of jesus and malachi 4 3 in some part came to pass. When malachi 4 3 says you shall tread down the wicked for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day.

When I act as the lord of hosts now I say in some ways that was fulfilled because it is a continual fulfilling prophecy. That some part was fulfilled here because it happened at first. But it has happened throughout the all of church history and will happen in total when jesus returns again.

Jesus has been taking care of sins through his furnace of grace and taking care of their enemies with the furnace of judgment since then. Where the church has gone. Her enemies have been burned up in judgment to the prosperity of the church.

Have you noticed that? I know it can be easy for us in our american. We don't like history too much. And so we just think that everything has always happened is right now. But if you notice and it will make you celebrate that wherever the church has gone.

The church has been given victory over her enemies. We see it starts with israel it went to rome no different. Because the biggest persecutor of the church at that time became rome. Rome ended up being burnt to a stub.