He is your Healer
Series: What’s the big deal about a little baby?
Text: Malachi 4:1-3
This week, we’re beginning a new Christmas series of OT prophecies about Jesus. We’re calling it “What’s the big deal about a little baby?” Next Sunday we’ll see that “He is your Counselor.” On December 15, “He is Your Light.” On the 22nd, “He is your Shepherd.”
Today’s focus is in Malachi 4. A great British pastor, John Gill, once wrote, “This chapter contains… the happiness of the righteous by the coming of the Messiah.” See if you can see the prophecy about the coming of the Messiah…
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:1-3
Is the Christ of Christmas in Malachi? Yes. Malachi didn’t see all the details we now see about the first coming of Jesus. He didn’t know that the Messiah would come twice; first, as a Lamb to die for our sins and second, as a Lion to rule and reign forever. Prophets like Malachi painted with broad strokes. The details about the two comings were revealed in the NT. We stand in the middle of this prophecy because we live between the first and second coming of Christ.
But Malachi’s prophecy contained truths about both comings. His predictions began to be fulfilled at the first Christmas. Is Christmas in Malachi? Yes! If you fast forward to the NT – to the time around the birth of Jesus, you’ll see a reference to Malachi 4:2 in Luke 1:78.
The Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness… Luke 1:78b-79a
With the coming of Jesus, the sun of righteousness was rising. And Jesus has been rising all over this world ever since. One day the sun will reach high noon and Jesus will appear in glory. And our healing will be full and final.
This morning, let’s think together about how Jesus becomes our Healer. We’ll explore three big ideas today…
My healing will come when I…
1. … grow in my fear of God.
The fear of God. We don’t value that too much today. In fact, if you go to a secular psychologist and they find out that you fear God, they will work hard to rid you of that fear. But everywhere in God’s word, the fear of God is a good thing! Back in Malachi 1 we can see that God likes God-fearing men and women, girls and boys.
For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts and my name is feared among the nations.
Malachi 1:14
It’s in our verse for today. Do you see it?
But for you who fear My name…
Malachi 4:2a
All the blessings of Jesus as Healer start when we fear God. Do you really fear God?
Mariah Carey caused a stir last year after a spontaneous striptease on MTV’s Total Request Live. I don’t know her. I can’t look inside her soul. But listen to what she says and ask yourself, “Do I sense that the fear of God is in her life?” Carey seemed stunned that people would be offended about her striptease act. “I’m like, it’s Total Request Live, I thought you were supposed to feel at home and do stupid stuff. I’m not going to stop being me because people don’t get me. The only thing I wish I had done is had a better camera angle.”
What does it mean to fear His name? You may have heard that expression before and misunderstood it.
There is…
… a “run from” fear.
When we talk about the “fear” of God, we’re not talking cowering in a corner, terrified. No, the word “fear” is a positive thing – not something that makes us cower, but something that makes us courageous.
… a “run to” fear.
The fear of God leads us to honor God rather than hide from God, to respect Him rather than run from Him. The fear of God causes us not to be afraid of Him but to be available to Him. It’s “fear” as in “respect.” It’s “fear” that recognizes the judgment and the justice of God.
An overly strict, uncaring, harsh high school principal might plant a “run from” fear in his students. But a principal who’s strict yet caring, who’s just but merciful, who disciplines yet loves can plant a “run to” fear in his students.
God is looking for a “run to” fear from you and me. Question: Why should we fear His name?
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
Malachi 4:1
Make no mistake about it. The word of God is saying that some people are destined to face a blazing, burning furnace. People will not be able to ignore God forever. They won’t be able to go on making Him second or third or fourth or fifth priority. A day of judgment is coming.
We’ll all stand before God and give an account of our lives. For some, this will be bad news. Jesus said so.
Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
“Fear God!” says Jesus. Do you fear Him – respect Him – so much that it causes you to want to flee to God? You can’t come to God as a sinner, because God is holy. So, you seek His son, Jesus. You say, “Save me, Jesus!” That’s the kind of fear of God you need to have.
When we come to Jesus, He brings a healing to our lives.
Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him.
Psalm 85.9
There are two kinds of people in this world. 1) Those who fear Him and those who don’t. If you don’t fear Him, you’ll face a burning future. If you do fear Him, you’ll face a blessed future.
My healing will come when I grow in my fear of God.
2. … expose myself to the sun.
It’s not a bad time of the year to think about that! Imagine yourself on a nice warm beach right now! What you can imagine physically is what we can experience spiritually.
… the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings…
Malachi 4:2b
Jesus Christ is a rising sun. That means at least four things.
Jesus brings…
… warmth when your heart is cold.
… the sun of righteousness…
Malachi 4:2b
Jesus is like the sun! Has your heart grown cold toward the people you are supposed to love? A spouse? A co-worker? A friend? A family member? You need Jesus! Has you heart grown cold toward the things of God? Toward worship? Toward prayer? Toward the Bible? You need Jesus!
Jesus brings warmth when your heart is cold.
… right when your deeds are wrong.
… the sun of righteousness…
Malachi 4:2b
When it is dark there is danger you’ll walk in the wrong way because you can’t see the path in front of you. You might fall off a cliff or trip over a log or bang your head against a branch. When the sun finally rises, you can move in the right way.
That’s the way it is with Jesus. He points the way to go again and again. He shows up the danger of many choices before we make them. He guards us from many evil forces that only have power in the dark.
Think about the worst thing you did this past week – something that you are ashamed of. Would it have made a difference if you had just been exposed to Jesus – had just been thinking about and talking to Him about something He said or did?
Everyone in this room does wrong. We all do. We need healing from the hurts caused by our wrongdoing. I have found that when I exposed to the light of Jesus Christ, I am helped to do right. And a healing comes.
Jesus brings right when your deeds are wrong.
… hope when your life looks bleak.
… the sun of righteousness will rise…
Malachi 4:2b
Some of us have walked in here today with lives that are filled with despair. You don’t know which way to turn.
Jesus brings hope when your life looks bleak.
… health when your soul is sick.
… the sun of righteousness will rise with healing…
Malachi 4:2b
In the Old Testament, God is called Jehovah-Rapha. His name is found in Exodus.
For I, the LORD, am your healer.
Exodus 15:26b
The root word for healing is rapha. It means “to mend, to repair, to make whole, to invigorate, to give strength.” So when God says that He’s the Healer, He means. “I will impart strength and vitality to you. I will fill you with life-restoring power. I will mend your brokenness.”
Jesus is the sun who rises with healing. He is the incarnation of Jehovah-Rapha!
O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.
Psalm 30:2
Jesus brings health when your soul is sick.
Remember the last sunrise you saw? A thin line of orange and red appears along the horizon. It intensifies, brighter and brighter, until the beauty explodes in the sky.
God told Malachi that the coming of the Messiah will be like that. The result will be healing. And Jesus was a great healer. All I have time to say now is that though Jesus does not heal every disease in this life, He will heal every disease in the resurrection. Jesus meets the need we all feel for hope beyond the grave – that all sickness and pain and sorrow and crying will be gone for ever.
What do you need to do to expose yourself more and more to the influence of Jesus Christ? Be in your place of worship. Join an ABF. Join a small group. Join Alpha. Join the OT in a busy world. Read through the Bible or NT in 2003. Buy a good book to read. Listen to Christian music. Memorize scripture.
My healing will come when I expose myself to the sun.
3. … learn that living is for leaping.
One of the main truths we’ve learned together over the years is that God didn’t design us to just go through the motions in life. He wants us to be passionate about life. A passionless life is really a dishonor to God.
We’ll know that God is truly living in us when we are freely leaping for Him.
… and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:2c-3
Two verbs here make the point:
First verb: Go forth…
This is a verb that points to freedom. He says that we will go forth like calves from a stall.
Here’s the image: Young calves have been cooped up in a dirty, old, smelly, dark stall. They are restless in their captivity. But one warm day, the farmer lets them out into the sun. They feel the warmth. They enjoy their freedom. For these animals it is a day of release.
On Thanksgiving day, we were fortunate to host an international student from CSU in our home. Tom Wright from International Friends introduced us to Mohammed. He is from Palestine – from Hebron, a city about 25 miles from Jerusalem. He’s been here about 11 months and is still awed by our freedom. The trip from CSU to our house in NR awed him. Why? Nobody stopped us. For him to go the 25 miles from Hebron to Jerusalem takes about 4 hours because of all the security checkpoints set up by the Israelis. He wishes he knew the kind of freedom we know here.
We have a deep longing in our hearts for freedom. It is essential to joy. And Jesus promises to give it. Until He comes, we are all trapped in the stall. We might
party all day and all night; but we will never know the freedom for which we were made as long as we are in the stall – until Jesus sets us free. We were made for freedom! But that’s not all…
Look at the second verb…
Second verb: Skip about…
This is a verb that points to passion, to joy, to leaping! God says that we will skip about like calves from a stall. When the sun of righteousness rises with healing in His wings and sets us free, we will not merely walk, or run; we will leap like calves.
As the calves feel the warmth of the sun on their backs, it’s not long before they are running and leaping for joy.
Freedom, then leaping. Are you leaping? Do you have an enthusiasm for life? Are you just going through the motions? Is there passion in you?
Here’s a secret: There is a calf in every follower of Christ in this room. And given the right setting we will leap. And we would do well to give it some room. Otherwise we will look very out of character in heaven when Jesus takes us running through the fields.
My healing will come when I learn that living is for leaping.
John Campbell…
One purpose of Christmas is to bring warmth and righteousness and hope and health to God’s people so we can live. But not just live, also leap!
When you open your eyes to the glory of the name of the mighty God, and set yourself to fear Him above all else, you will leap with the freedom of a newborn calf. Free from selfishness, from faithlessness; free to lift your hands in praise to the newborn King; free to love; free to live and leap!
Has the sun risen in your life?
Is He breaking through?
