Prepare the way

Our theme for 2022 is “Begin Again”

We recently completed a series in the Gospel of John entitled “Believe Again.” - It’s online if you want to see it.

This Sunday begins our 2022 Advent Series.

Advent literally means “the coming.”

It is a time of building anticipation for Christmas, which is the celebration of Christ’s coming.

Someone suggested to me, “Why not do an Advent series from the Gospel of John?”

I thought it sounded like a good idea.

It’s especially interesting because John is the only Gospel writer who does not include any details about the birth of Jesus.

Matthew tells us about the Wise Men.

Luke tells the story of the shepherds.

Mark begins at Jesus’ baptism.

John begins with the pre-existence of Jesus.

John 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Each of the gospel writers is telling us something about Jesus to help to prepare us for what they eventually expect us to see.

Jesus is no ordinary person.

One might say, “when you see it, you will believe it.”

But being prepared it vitally important because the opposite is also true.

“When you believe it, you will see it!”

Have you seen any Christmas movies yet? We started a couple weeks ago. The first movie we watched was The Polar Express.

The Polar Express is about an imaginary train ride to the North Pole to visit Santa. The main character is a boy who is not sure if he believes in Christmas or in Santa, but he gets the opportunity to exercise a bit of faith when a bell falls from one of Santa’s reindeer. In order to hear the bell ring, he has to believe. He want’s to believe, so he hears the bell ring.

At the end of the movie, of course you think he is going to wake up and find that it is all just a dream. But there is the bell, nicely wrapped with a note from Santa underneath his Christmas tree. But only the kids can hear it ring. Which calls to mind the biblical principle that we need to have faith like a child.

Believing in Jesus is different from believing in Santa Clause, but it is well illustrated in this movie.

Why? Because we have a bell, but only some people can hear it ring.

We have actual historical scriptures, but some people spent more time trying to disprove them than learning from them.

We have a real Jesus who lived, died and rose again, but some people only worship an imaginary version of Him.

We have a Holy Spirit who is living, active and still working today, but some have Him relegated to the past.

How are we to see what we don’t believe?

And how are we to believe what we don’t see?

That is why we need preparation and expectation.

Hebrews 11:1 LBP

1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Preparing the way means that we see God’s plan unfolding even before it happens, so that we are sure to recognize it when it does.

Our advent journey begins in the Gospel of John, but will draw on a number of Old Testament references which show God’s unfolding plan.

John wants us to believe in Jesus, not just for who He is, but for who He has been all along.

1. The preparer of the way.

John 1:19–23 ESV

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

John the Apostle begins the story of Jesus by introducing John the Baptist.

It’s not polite for important people to introduce themselves.

According to proper etiquette, it is always better to be introduced.

It is only in informal settings or when someone fails their duty to introduce you that you may introduce yourself.

John the Baptist is the introductory speaker for Jesus.

He is Jesus’ front band or his “hype man!”

He’s there to warm up the crowd and get them ready for the main event.

John is luring the people out of the cities and into the wilderness.

He’s getting them out of their comfort zone.

He’s making them aware of their need for repentance and renewing their commitment to God.

He’s doing this so well that some people think He’s the main event.

Are you the Messiah? Are you the One we came to see? No.

Are you Elijah? John says no. Jesus later says, actually, he was - he just didn’t know it.

Are you “the prophet” Well no, he’s A prophet, but not THEE prophet.

By recording all of these questions, John the writer of the Gospel is reminding his audience of a number of Old Testament passages regarding the coming of Messiah and what will precede Him.

He’s warming up the audience for what they are about to hear.

He’s reminding them of God’s promises and preparing them to believe them when they see them.

Who am I? says John the baptist (and John the Apostle using the voice of John the Baptist) Why, I’m the announcer!

John (and John) are the preparers and you are being prepared to hear something that is going to change your life!

Are you ready?!

Are you excited?!

Are you believing that this is going to change your life?!

Then here it is … I am a voice crying out!

Wait! What? Where have I heard that before..?

2. The people being prepared.

Isaiah 40:1–5 ESV

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 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. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The book of Isaiah the prophet was written 800 years before Christ.

It contains 66 chapters, the same as the number of books in the Bible.

The first 39 chapters have a completely different tone than the last 27, so much so, that many scholars believe they were written at a different time and perhaps even by a different person.

But is the 66 chapters represent the 66 books of the Bible, 39 chapters is the same as the number of books in the Old Testament and 27 is the number of books in the New Testament.

Wait? How does God inspire someone to write a book in 800BC that will reflect a book which won’t be finalized until 400AD?

All I can say is, Yeah God!

The point is that these verses represent the turning point.

When John says, “cry out!” it is to mark the turning point in history.

Everything is about to change - that is Advent!

But what else do we see in these verses. Who is God talking to?

“My people” - “Comfort my people!”

Israel became the “people of God” at Sinai when they entered into covenant with their Creator, but now they probably feel like God has forgotten them.

Or more realistically, like God has given up on them, because of how often they have forgotten Him.

So “Cry out” it to remind them of who they are and that the time has come for God’s people to be reconciled to Him.

So what are we supposed to do with that?

Just put it on a shelf for another 800 years?

No, its time to remember and to remind God of His promise.

What is His promise?

3. The promise we are to be prepared for.

Isaiah 62:6–12 ESV

6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, 7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. 8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; 9 but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.” 10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12 And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

God is going to make everything right.

It’s the promise of redemption.

Redemption means to deliver from bondage through a purchase.

Jesus has paid the price for our redemption.

Jesus bore the penalty of our sin in His own body on the cross.

And he rose again to give us new life, a new beginning and a restored nature.

But do you get the sense from this passage that this is all happening around us and we are to do nothing?

Absolutely not! Everything has changed and we are changed!

We now become watchmen, watching and waiting for the new life to break forth.

We are constantly reminding God- and ourselves - of his promise of redemption.

We are refusing to allow ourselves to be in bondage, because we know who we are and that our time has come.

We are active participants in the building of a new Kingdom of God’s rule and reign on this earth.

This is not just John the Baptist crying out - this is all of God’s people joining in that cry.

The church is portrayed in Revelation 12 as a woman giving birth and crying out in the pain of childbirth.

The dragon tries to stop it but he can only delay it.

it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?

It feels like God is about to do something wonderful, but there is so much pain and struggle that your not sure which will happen first - giving birth or giving up?

That’s when you have to PUSH -Pray Until Something Happens.

You have a promise and you are not leaving without it!

But then there are those who have done all of that, and you have been at it for a very long time and you are wondering if the day will ever come...

4. The purpose behind the promise.

Malachi 2:17–3:4 ESV

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” 1 “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. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Does it ever feel like that? - Like the bad guys are winning?

Does it feel like God is allowing far too much evil in the world and evil people are prospering?

Do you realize that this kind of thinking is a trap to lure you into complacency?

The day of judgement is going to come and it is going to happen so quickly that it is going to catch some people off guard.

The prophet Malachi had a word to God’s People - You think that you are the good guys and everyone else is a bad guy - well you may be surprised?

When God begins his redemptive process - it can hurt!

Redemption means restoration - returning things to their original state.

Restoration means cleansing - some things are going to have to go to make way for the new.

And cleansing is going to start with God’s own people.

Yes it’s easy to point our finger at everything that’s wrong with the world, but how many fingers are pointing back at you?

Being the people of God means that we go first.

We are to demonstrate the change that we expect to see.

When we see the world getting so mean and corrupt, the first thing we should ask ourselves is, are we different?

When you see someone’s snarky comment and you feel like you have the perfect reply that will shut them up - aren’t you becoming just like them?

When you see people so filled with evil and hate that you begin to wonder if there might be a way to get rid of them, isn’t what you hate affecting you?

Maybe you just want to live your life and be happy, but its the greedy people in the world that are making it bad for everyone else. How is your wanting to insulate yourself from the world different from theirs, except that they are able to do what you are not?

Preparing the way means beginning to do what needs to be done.

And we don’t begin with other people, we begin with ourselves.

John invited the people to repent and be restored to God’s original purpose.

That is to see yourself as a participant with God in His work of redemption.

St. Francis of Assisi was the son of a wealthy merchant who left a life of comfort to identify with the lowly and the down trodden. He wrote the following prayer which became very popular when it was published just before WW1.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is discord, let me bring union. Where there is error, let me bring truth. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring your light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy. O Master, let me not seek as much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that one receives, it is in self-forgetting that one finds, it is in pardoning that one is pardoned, it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.

To all those people who want “peace on earth” for Christmas, St Francis would add “…and start with me!”

All of the things that John the Baptist is not:

He is not the Christ.

He is not Elijah.

He is not the prophet.

But what is he … he is a voice crying out prepare the way!

Prepare for what or for whom?

5. The person we are preparing for.

Exodus 23:20–21 ESV

20 “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. 21 Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.

God said He would send an angel before his people to prepare the way for them.

But this was no ordinary angel - an angel is a messenger or, in this case, God himself.

Video: The Angel of the Lord by The Bible Project

The one who goes before us is also the One who come behind us.

Revelation 22:13 ESV

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

We can prepare the way for Christ because he has prepared the way for us.

Just as he went before us, we can know that He is coming behind us.

We can say with John the Baptist, “it doesn’t matter who you think I am. It matters that you know who He is!”

When John was preparing the way, he was preparing a way that had already been laid out over hundreds of years.

You could say that he was just preparing a way that had already been prepared.

We are also preparing a way that has already been prepared.

Jesus has come and is coming again.

Seeing is believing and believing is seeing.

The one who went before us is coming behind us.

Revelation 1:8 ESV

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Questions for reflection:

People questioned John the Baptist as to who he is and his role. What do you say to people who ask who you are or what you are doing here?

What do you most want to see change in the world? Does any of what you despise most have a hold on you? Which needs to change first?

As we prepare for a celebration of Christ’s coming what does it mean to you that Christ has already gone ahead? How can we prepare a way that has already been prepared?