Prepare the Way

Intro

In a research study conducted in 2020 by an organization called OnePoll, it was found that of the thousands of American’s surveyed, 51% waited until Christmas Eve to do their Christmas shopping.

Even more surprising was that of those 51%, 39% have even purchased gifts on Christmas day on the way to see family.

Now for some of you, just the thought of waiting that long gives you anxiety. Interestingly enough, this same study showed that 73% of those surveyed were excited about giving someone a gift on Christmas.

I want us to consider what that means this morning.

That 3/4 of Americans are excited about giving gifts. They look forward to it. It is something that is on their minds and they actively think about it.

Yet, over half do not buy a gift until the last possible moment.

In other words, their preparation, doesn’t match their anticipation.

Last week, you had the privilege of hearing Katelyn speak on Isaiah 9:6-7 as we kicked off Advent season.

And the heart of her message was anticipation.

The anticipation of those faithful Jews who had waited generations for their promised Messiah.

But more than that, the anticipation that each of us now lives in as we wait for Jesus to return, something often referred to as his 2nd coming, or 2nd Advent.

Remember, the prophecies concerning the Messiah were two-fold. Certain aspects of his coming were fulfilled at Jesus’ birth, earthly ministry, eventual death, and resurrection.

But there were other things that the Messiah was prophesied to do that he didn’t. When Jesus died on the cross, there was confusion because there were things prophesied about the Messiah that it seemed as though Jesus did not do.

Let’s look at what you read last week.

Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

This is an interesting prophecy in scripture because it perfectly straddles the first and second coming of Jesus.

Verse 6 tells of his birth as a human being, while at the same time describes his divinity.

Verse 7 then goes on to describe a kingdom that this messiah will rule over that is eternal and marked with unending peace.

Well, when Jesus died his followers didn’t know what to do with verse 7 because an eternal kingdom of peace isn’t possible if its king, no-less its divine king is dead.

It isn’t until later revelation in light of his resurrection and ascension, combined with revelation of the NT that we discover that the messiah, that Jesus isn’t done yet. He will do exactly what he said he would, just not right away.

However, this leads us to a big question, why?

Why wait, why not just set up that kingdom now? Why not wipe out evil now? Why not fulfill the prophecies in their entirety now?

The answer to that is simple, because humanity wasn’t at the time, and is not yet, prepared for this kingdom.

A voice in the wilderness

So we wait in anticipation like those who anticipated Jesus’ first advent or coming, we wait, eagerly anticipating his return.

But anticipation alone isn’t enough.

Like those who anticipate Christmas and giving gifts, that anticipation isn’t going to do them any good if they don’t prepare ahead of time for it.

Jesus’ second coming isn’t being delayed because we aren’t anticipating it enough. The reason for the delay is because we have been given the important task of preparing ahead of time for him to come back.

We first see this call in the NT to be prepared in the Gospels. And this call to get prepared comes from the cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist.

Remember, John the Baptist was himself a miracle child, though not at the level of Jesus’ virgin birth, God had allowed John’s parents to conceive late in life after years of trying with no success.

As John grew older, God had called him to a very important task, one that would be the fulfillment of a prophecy written 600 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah.

John had been called to be the last of his kind. The last of the OT prophets. Remember, historically, there had been no prophets in Israel for 400 years. This is often referred to as the 400 years of silence.

The book of Malachi is the last book in our OT. Then for 400 years God did not speak through a prophet or messenger.

That is until John the Baptist. John was the last prophet under the Old Covenant, and his task was extremely important.

Do you know what it was? To prepare the way for the Lord’s coming.

Look at what Luke says about John the Baptist.

Luke 3:3-6 NLT 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him! 5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. 6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’ ”

In verses 4-6, Luke is quoting Isaiah 40:3-5. Isaiah prophesied about someone who is referred to as a voice shouting in the wilderness.

The term shout can also be translated as crying. It means to cry out with great feeling.

It isn’t shouting like you might think of when a parent is shouting at their children or how an announcer might shout for a crowd to hear them.

Rather, it describes someone who is crying out in an emotional plea or appeal. It is the same word used to describe how Jesus cried out to the Father on the cross when he said “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”.

The text says that this voice is crying out to the people from the wilderness. Isaiah’s use of the word “wilderness” alludes to the wilderness experience of the children of Israel on their exodus from Egypt to Canaan.

The “wilderness” represents the place where God would once again act to rescue his people and bring them back to him.

Luke is saying that John is that voice. He is the fulfillment of this prophecy.

And what is it that this voice is crying out?

Prepare the way of the Lord’s coming!

Here is that word, prepare or preparation. But what does it mean to prepare for the way of the Lord’s coming?

Prepare the way

In John the Baptist’s day, before a king took a trip, messengers would tell those he was planning to visit to prepare the roads for him.

In other words, the king didn’t want to be delayed by travel interruptions such as debris in the road, fallen trees, large rocks, perhaps holes or other obstruction and deterrents.

So the messenger would tell people, listen, the king is coming so get out their and clear the way or the path so he can get to you.

When Luke and Isaiah say that this voice’s job was to tell other to prepare the way of the Lord’s coming, he was saying, The King, the one prophesied about in Isaiah 9:6-7 who is going to establish an eternal kingdom is on his way, but the path needs cleared first.

There is too much in the way. There are things preventing the King from getting to you. But then he says something that wouldn’t have made sense to his listeners.

Clear the road for him! 5 The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth.

It is one thing to ask people to remove debris or fill in a pothole. But Isaiah is telling people that whole valleys need filled in, mountains need to be leveled.

Even with today’s modern technology this would be an almost impossible task. To those who heard this in the day it was written, it was unfathomable.

So then whey does the prophet tell us that this must be done to prepare the path with for the King, for Jesus?

Because God is trying to point out to us that the only way for the King to get to us, is if he does the work that we cannot do for ourselves.

John the Baptist is in the wilderness calling people to be prepared for the arrival of the King, who’s kingdom won’t be an earthly location, rather it will be in the hearts of those who follow him.

John is saying that the path to our heart is damaged. This is why he says what he says in verse 3.

people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

John’s listeners, the people in Israel who came to see him in the wilderness, were faced with a life-changing message.

If they would prepare themselves—clear away the spiritual debris and straighten any “crooked” moral paths in their lives—the way, or path would be ready for their King and Messiah to come.

Those who understood these words as God’s message to them, humbled themselves, repented, received water baptism, and opened the “way” for Jesus to take hold of their lives.

At it wasn’t just for them. Look at at verse 6.

6 And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’ ”

Here we see clear back in Isaiah that God had always planned for John’s call to be prepared to go to all people, not just the jews, but for the gentiles as well.

Notice that John didn’t say that if they repented and were baptized they would be forgiven. That would mean they could do it themselves.

Rather he says that by repenting, and demonstrating that genuine repentance in baptism, they could then turn to God, he would be able to forgive them because he was going to do what they couldn’t.

He was going to level the mountains and fill the valleys created by sin but sending this King to die for them.

But if they did not prepare their hearts for him, they would miss this forgiveness.

Have you cleared the path?

I asked earlier why Jesus didn’t just establish his earthly kingdom the first time he was here?

It was because his kingdom’s subjects were not ready. The path had not yet been cleared for his arrival. There were still too many people who needed to hear John’s message of repentance.

Too many who had not yet got the message that the King is coming so get ready.

It isn’t enough to get excited about the King’s arrival. You have to prepare for it as well. If you and I aren’t willing to do the work of clearing the path, removing the sin that gets in the way of Jesus getting to our hearts, the place his throne should reside, then when he comes we will miss it because he will go around to follow a path that isn’t obstructed by these things.

Jesus will never force himself to be the King over a heart that doesn’t want him. His kingdom is open to all who would received him and enter into it. But to the one who doesn’t want it, he gives them the ability to refuse it.

But understand something, when Jesus does return for his second coming. Only those who are prepared and who cleared the path will have a seat at the table.

Last week you heard that we are to anticipate our King’s return. My question for you this morning, is that in your anticipation, have you prepared? Have you done the work of getting ready for him?

Let this candle be a reminder to prepare. The first time Jesus came, people weren’t prepared. This was evident in his birth.

As the world went about its ways, a child was born in the lowliest of conditions, a child of royal birth, whose subjects didn’t recognize.

Have you taken the time to deal with things between Jesus and your heart that are getting in his way?

When he comes will he be able to get to you, or will his path be blocked by you own rejection, or worse, indecision.