A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 40:3-5
Prepare the Way – Isaiah 40:3-5 (December 10)
Now we are going to mix the Old Testament prophecies with the New Testament Christmas story! Zechariah and Elizabeth would give birth to the messenger that would prepare the way before the coming Messiah.
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. Luke 1:57-80
This is the John that would become known as John the Baptist. He baptized Jesus. He lived out in the desert, dressed in animal skin, and ate locusts and wild honey.
A voice crying in the wilderness…
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
Several prophets spoke about a messenger who would prepare the way right before the Messiah. The hand of the Lord was with John the Baptist from before he was even born. He would whet the spiritual appetites of many people. They flocked to the desert to hear from the crazy man who was basically running a revival and baptizing people in a river.
Action Step:
This Advent Season, are we following John the Baptist’s example and preparing the way for Christ in the hearts of those around us. Plowing up the ground of hardened hearts. Planting seeds of the gospel. Watering and tending the growing spiritual hunger and then providing the answer – JESUS!
What can you do today to prepare the way for Jesus with those around you today?
Prayer:
Dear God, show us how to prepare the way with the people in our lives for the gospel, whether it is our family members, friends, colleagues, or even strangers we meet along the way. Give us direction today in how we are to relate to others to be a voice crying in a wilderness of sin. Work through us to bring Your Son to those around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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