The Desired of Nations (Haggai 2.6-9)

Introduction

Who would have predicted this time last year, that an impulsive businessman would be President-Elect of the United States, or that the United Kingdom would be on its way out of the EU, or that Britain would have its second woman Prime Minister? It’s been a year of political surprises.

Or who would have predicted that perenñial also-rans Leicester City would become Premier League champions, that Team GB would finish second, above China, in the Rio Olympics Medal Table and that Portugal would win the Euro Football Tournament? It’s been a year of sporting surprises too, the only constant being the England team’s pitiful early exit and customary managerial sacking.

Pollsters and pundits alike have all but invited ever more generous servings of egg on their faces. Tomorrow seems harder to foresee than ever.

Prophecy

But the Encyclopaedia of Biblical Prophecy, lists 127 separate predictions about the Messiah referencing over 3,000 verses from the Bible. The prophecies say exactly which ancestral line he will spring from, where he will be born, what he will be like, how he will die, why will die, where he will be buried, and even that he will rise from death.

It is little wonder that the earliest church in the first century commanded a huge following amongst Jews. They knew exactly what to look for in a Messiah and Jesus unerringly met all their expectations.

Of course, most Jews today still await their Messiah. They look for a military leader who will come not twice but only once.

Some years ago, the evangelist Billy Graham discussed this very matter on television with a Jewish New Testament scholar. The rabbi explained the modern mainstream Jewish view. He said, “Christians believe the Messiah has two comings: one at Christmas and one at His second coming. We Jews believe He will only come once, at a time of peace on earth just as the prophet Zechariah declared in Zechariah 12-14. Since we still experience wars, the Messiah has not yet come.”

In reply, Graham took that very passage of Scripture and answered, “It says in Zechariah 12.10 ‘They will look on me.’ Who is the one speaking here?” The rabbi replied: “The Almighty himself is speaking.”

Graham said “Thank you rabbi. It says, ‘They will look on me, the one they have pierced.’ How was the Almighty pierced?” The rabbi admitted that he didn’t know. So Graham said, “I believe he was pierced at the cross for the sins of the world.” The rabbi made no further argument.

Desired by the Nations

There were many titles given in the Old Testament to the coming Messiah. Some of them you will have heard of; the Rod of Jesse, Immanuel, wonderful Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace and Sun of Righteousness have all found their way into our Christmas carols.

But few of us, I suspect, are quite as familiar with the title ‘Desired of Nations’, which comes in our reading from the prophet Haggai, about 520 years before Christ.

It comes in a prophecy about the temple in Jerusalem that was being rebuilt at that time and which was a bit of a disappointment. Work had begun, but then stopped - for a whole decade. People looked back nostalgically at Solomon’s original temple which had been destroyed. But God says, no. “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, and in this place I will grant peace.”

And here’s the important part about the Desired of Nations; “This is what the Lord Almighty says: In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.”

It’s a three-for-the-price-of-one prophecy; one prediction with three meanings.

Firstly, it means that riches would come from afar, and be offered in worship. That actually did happen in a small way and the temple was finished four years later.

But secondly there was a deeper fulfilment 520 years later when the Magi came from the east with treasures and presented them to the infant Christ – the new temple, the perfect bridge between heaven and earth.

The third meaning is that the Messiah, Jesus who would one day walk about in that very temple, satisfies the deepest longings of every nation on earth.

He is desired by the simple, gentle Ethiopian young adults I met at the beginning of this month, who were born into the poorest of poor neighbourhoods, championed by a Christian child sponsorship programme, given education, healthcare, nutrition and a caring friend from overseas who wrote to them and prayed for them, and are now university graduates with a passion to change their nation for Christ.

He is desired by a large crowd of Coptic believers in Cairo who in November defiantly and joyously roared in unison the Apostles’ Creed just hours after dozens of their number were slain by a suicide bomber as they gathered for Sunday worship.

He is desired by the world’s fastest growing church; in Iran – where there are over a million new believers in Jesus since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

He is desired by the Fijian Rugby Sevens team who won their country’s first ever gold medal this year at the Rio Olympic Games. On the final whistle, having thrashed Great Britain, they gathered in a circle, dropped to their knees, pointed to the skies and sang to the glory of Christ with tears running down their cheeks.

He is desired by a woman called Ruth who was brought up in Manchester. Her parents split up when she was very young, she was physically abused by her alcoholic mother.

When she reached her early teens she became addicted to ecstasy and alcohol. Years later her addiction led to the breakdown of her own family. She lost her husband and three children. She ended up in prison for a violent offence. She was in a dark place – angry, confused and lost.

One morning the prison chaplain gave her a New Testament. She opened it Matthew 11.28 where she read the words of Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Ruth thought, “That’s me.”

That very night she asked God to forgive her if he loved her, then she fell asleep. The next morning, she felt calm. She felt new.

She says, “I stopped swearing and smoking. My whole attitude changed. There was still a lot of hurt and fear but I learnt that I could give it all to God. I realised how much he loves me and it completely changed me. I’d been broken and now God was rebuilding me. She now has a steady job, and her family life has been completely rebuilt and restored.

Ending

Jesus is the Desired of Nations. He is the answer to every spiritual longing on every continent and in every land.

If the greatest need among the nations of the world was pleasure God would have sent us an entertainer. If it was education, he would have sent us a professor. If it was money he would have sent us an economist. If it was security, he would have sent us a military general. But our greatest need is actually forgiveness so he sent us a Saviour.

Sermon preached at All Saints' Preston on Tees, 24 December 2016