One Greater Than the Prophets

MEMORY VERSE: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” —Malachi 4:2

MALACHI 3:1-4; 4:2; MICAH 5:2-4

FOR three months our lessons have pertained to various Old Testament prophets, and to their messages. Today’s lesson refers to One who is greater than all the holy prophets of old—even to Jesus, the Messiah, of whom so many of the prophets wrote. Malachi foretold the coming of the Messiah; referring to him as “the messenger of the covenant” and, as in our memory verse, “the Sun of Righteousness.”

Malachi also wrote of another messenger, one who would come to prepare the way for “the messenger of the covenant.” Jesus quoted Malachi’s prophecy concerning the forerunner of “the messenger of the covenant,” and applied it to John the Baptist. (Matt. 11:11) John’s ministry of repentance was indeed in preparation for Jesus. Those who at heart were properly influenced by this ministry were prepared to become disciples of Jesus. While John the Baptist was the last of the prophets, as Jesus explained, John’s special ministry constituted him to be more than a prophet.

Malachi wrote that “the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.” This follows his reference to the preparatory messenger, and the Messiah did indeed come “suddenly” following John’s ministry; in fact, John was still preaching when Jesus appeared and began his ministry.

The expressions “whom ye seek” and “whom ye delight in” were both true of the devout of Israel. The coming of the Messiah was one of the main themes of the prophets, and the promises concerning him gave the faithful Israelites reason to believe that his coming would result in the glory of Israel and the blessing of all the families of the

Jesus was to be “the messenger of the covenant.” The reference here seems to be to the covenant which God made with Abraham, a covenant in which he assured Abraham that through his “seed” all families of the earth would be blessed. (Gen. 22:15-18) That covenant was without a messenger to implement it until Jesus came. Jesus primarily is the “Seed” of Abraham; and he provided the blessing of life by his own death on Calvary’s cross. Associated with Jesus will be his faithful followers. While being prepared to join with Jesus in the future work of blessing promised in the covenant, these have been served by Jesus as their Advocate with the Father.

It will be during that future age of blessing that Jesus will shine forth as “The Sun of Righteousness” to heal the people, and his church will shine forth with him. (Mal. 4:2; Matt. 13:43) And what a time of refreshing and blessing that will be for all mankind! The blessings promised in the covenant with Abraham include peace, health, and life, and all these will reach the people during the thousand-year reign of Christ.

The peace that will be brought to the people through the Prince of Peace will be universal and everlasting. It will be peace among the nations; peace within the nations; community peace; and an individual peace with God made possible by the redeeming blood of Christ. Without this peace, lasting peace among the peoples of the earth would not be possible. This individual peace with God will be rooted in the law of God, and in a heart knowledge and appreciation of that law.—Jer. 31:31-34

Health and life will also be guaranteed to the people through Jesus. This will not be temporary health and life, but permanent. No one will then become sick and die at all if he obeys from the heart the laws of Messiah’s kingdom. Life will be extended to those who have died, for all are to be awakened from the sleep of death. Truly, with all the promises of these blessings to reach the people through the Messiah, those who had faith in the promises must have delighted in their expectation of his coming!

Micah 5:2 contains a revealing prophecy concerning the birthplace of the Promised One: it was to be Bethlehem. “Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,” wrote Micah, “yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel.” Not only was the Messiah to be “Ruler in Israel,’ but it was promised that “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”—Ps. 72:8

Micah wrote concerning Jesus that his “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” or, as the margin states, “the days of eternity.” The Hebrew words here translated “goings forth” mean, according to Prof. Strong, “a family descent.” The prophecy could well have reference to “the family descent” of Jesus as given in Luke 3:23-38. This record of descent takes us all the way back to Adam, and informs us that Adam “was the son of God.”

Truly Jesus’ descent was “from of old,” for he was the Son of God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus was the Son of God as “the Logos.” He was the Son of God while in the flesh and in association with the human race. He is now the Son of God on the divine plane of life.

QUESTIONS

In what two roles is Jesus presented to us in this lesson?

Describe these in detail.

Explain the Bible’s teaching concerning Jesus as the Son of God.

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