The Sun (Son) Of Righteousness

"Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus answered and said, "Elijah is coming, and will restore all things..."

He was speaking from the standpoint of Malachi's prophecy, which said the prophet was coming.

"...But I say to you, that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of man is going to suffer at their hands."

Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist, who had been beheaded. So Jesus identified the ministry of the prophet Elijah with John the Baptist. He was the forerunner. Malachi says, "Remember the law; wait for the prophet who will solve the problem of the law," because this prophet will do a remarkable thing (verse 6),

"And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come, and smite the land with a curse."

Notice that he does not say, "Keep the law or I'll curse the land." Nor does he say, "The prophet must come, or I'll curse the land." What he says is, "Your hearts must be changed, or I'll curse the land." The hearts of the fathers must be turned to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. That is, the generations gap that must be breached. What greater evidence of a change of heart could there be than, that fathers should understand their sons? I have had a teenager around my house. He is difficult to understand. I can readily understand why some of you, who have had teenagers around for a longer period of time than I, have found them very difficult to understand. Malachi says the time is coming when you will understand your children, when you will accept them and love them. And what is more, your sons will respond to your love. They will not fight your authority; they will love you. You will have their hearts. And nothing but a radical change of heart could explain that.

Zechariah describes the same change of heart that will occur during the time when Jesus is King. He says children will play in the streets. No one will run them down in chariots, or cars, or whatever. I suppose that in Zechariah's day people drove their chariots through school zones at fifty miles per hour, too. Zechariah says hearts have to be changed, and this will be the evidence of that change: children will be able to play in the streets.

Malachi says: the only solution is a change of heart. You can remember the law, but the law will never save you. Await the prophet who will announce the message that will change your heart. John the Baptist announced,

"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

You see, that was his function, to point to Jesus. That is the function of all prophets. Only Jesus can change a heart. It is Jesus in our life that makes the distinction that we talked about earlier. The distinction is not necessarily obvious today. You may know Jesus as Lord, and your circumstances may be just as difficult, or more so, than when you came to know him. And you may not know him, and your life may be very satisfying, very easy and smooth. What God sees now is your attitude. And if you honor him, if you have made him Lord in your life, then God does give you, right now, all of his resources, all of his assets, to help you face those circumstances. But from an outward standpoint, a person may not be able to look at you and say, "That person belongs to God." You will know it, and God will know it, but someone else may not see it.