“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.

Malachi 4:5-6 (ESV)

 

The last verse of the Old Testament spoke of humanity’s estrangement from God, and how God will raise a prophet like Elijah to bring reconciliation and restoration. This was fulfilled by the birth of John, whose purpose was to be the forerunner in preparing a people for God.

The Angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah about his son, John:

He will go ahead of the Lord. He will have the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. And he will bring back the people who do not obey, so that they will want to do what good people do. He will make people ready for the Lord.

Luke 1:17 (WE)

 

How wonderful that our Father God chose to turn His heart towards us first, allowing us to turn ours to Him. God fully overturned the curse mentioned by Malachi through Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, and being reconciled to Him frees our orphan spirit. We now have the honour of being His sons and daughter (John 1:12). God strengthens this assurance by pouring His Spirit into our hearts, enabling us to cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:6).

This blessing is for everyone, everywhere. God in Christ has embraced all in His perfect love, and they are welcomed, loved, and accepted in the Beloved. Let us therefore spread this good news so that God can show and demonstrate His immeasurable mercy to all.