The Real Deal Jesus

Malachi 3:1
......And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His Temple......

I have probably broken every rule concerning hermeneutics by taking only a portion of a verse and writing about it.
It is not my intention to try and wrangle this verse or make it say something to fit my view. I simply want to convey a truth that I believe is found in this verse, yet is relevant to us today.
When Malachi was written, the Jews were looking for the coming of Messiah. They viewed the Messiah as the one who would restore their kingdom. In many ways, they got wrapped around the axle and turned the Scriptures into a political answer to their problems. They had been years of turmoil and upheaval in their land and the idea of a Messiah coming to restore the glory of King David's rule was very much popular with the people.
The Messiah would be the deliverer.....
The Anointed one sent by God to be King......
The Christ who would sit on the throne and make their enemies his footstool.
But to have a belief and the reality of that belief are two different things.
Jesus showed up.....
But he didn't fit their idea of what Messiah would look like.
Jesus showed up.....
And he didn't sound like what they thought Messiah would sound like.
Jesus showed up......
But he was not cultured or did not fit the description of what Messiah would be like.
Now who was at fault?
Jesus?
or the people?

Malachi wrote that when they least expected it, that the one the people were looking for would show up.
Where would he show up?
At the Temple.
The Jews had the Old Testament which they studied like no body's business.
They knew it backwards and forwards.....
They were not ignorant of the Scripture.
But they missed it.
Jesus shows up...just like Malachi said.
He's at the Temple. He's teaching. He's healing and doing miracles right there in the midst of the people.
And everyone who encounters this Jesus must make a decision.
Is he the Messiah?
Or is he a fake....some kind of Messiah-want-to-be?
So what is all of this about and how does it apply to me today?

I need to be aware that Jesus is more than my concept or theory or belief.
Mixed into my understanding is probably a lot of stuff that I have used to fill in the blanks of who I think Jesus is. If you are sincere in your desire to see Jesus, then he will come to you. Suddenly and in ways that you never considered.
It may happen at a Celebrate Recovery meeting....
It might happen at an A.A. meeting..
It might happen at a Sunday morning service....
But suddenly He will be in your midst.
It's funny when Jesus shows up. All our arguments seem to disappear.
All our nailed-down-beliefs seem to melt in his presence.
Sin becomes a reality and like Peter in Luke Chapter 5....we fall at Jesus knees and cry out..."Depart from me, for I am a sinful man O' only Lord.'

Truth is, we tend to create a Safe-Jesus. One that we can accept that will not expect much from us.
In reality, we simply want just enough Jesus to get us out of hell.
Jesus becomes our get-out-hell-free-card that we can use when our time is up here on good ol' planet earth.
But that isn't the real Jesus.

 My Jesus desires to have relationship with you and break the spiritual chains that sin has used to hold you in this life of death and addiction. The change from one life (Addiction) to another (Being saved and set free for His rule and reign in your life) Is suddenly and completely.
There among all your excuses....and destruction that sin has brought to you....my Jesus will offer an invitation.  "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." He is saying make a decision right now. Are you tired? Are you weary from the weight of life crushing you down? Then come to Him. Jesus has the ability to transfer the weight of this world off of you and replace it with the weight of His glory. You'll find that the glory of God is light and easy to carry. Why? Because He gives strength to the weary. strength to walk out the day to day struggles of life here on this fallen world.

Why not let this day be the day that Jesus shows up "suddenly"?
Why not let this be the day that your search ends and you find the life you have been yearning for.
God on you.......

mb
I don't know if I truly wrote what I wanted to say or if I only muddled the entire thought.
My intention was to convey the idea that Jesus is more than our own concepts. The Jews took the Scripture of the Old Testament and wove it into the fabric of the politics of the day. This was never the intention of God. The truth is that when hearts are changed, then because of the truth of God, the politics change. A person's character is changed through this surrender of will and life to Jesus.
Even in our time, when we have the complete word of God, we still inject human views and understanding, trying to make it fit what we want. Well, just like in Malachi's day, we need to understand that the Spirit of God will manifest in our midst and all we claim to know will pale in the presence of the truth.  It is then and only then that our understanding of God can be corrected and brought in line with his Kingdom will.
thanks....
mb