MAKE READY THE WAY

Introduction

-{Matthew 3}

-This morning I want you to imagine a story where a man finds an ancient treasure map. He doesn’t just jump in his car and head to where he thinks it is, diving head first into these uncharted territories. The man would first do some work of preparation so that his mission would be successful. He researches the authenticity of the map. He researches the land that the map is purportedly showing. He learns about how to navigate to where he is going. He researches and gathers supplies in order to ensure his journey is successful. Then and only then does he embark on the journey to riches.

-Preparation, making yourself ready, is important if we want to have success in whatever it is that we are seeking. Most students don’t just take tests without first studying and using some of the tools that are available to prepare them so they know what they are getting into.

-What is true of life in general is true of our spiritual walk as well. There are things that we can do to spiritually prepare ourselves so that we can recognize Jesus for who He is, accept Jesus for who He is, and obey Jesus because of who He is. If we want to have a life-changing encounter with the Lord, we can make ourselves ready. We can prepare. But not just for ourselves—maybe we have friends or family members who do not know Jesus. There may be things we can guide them toward making their hearts more ready to hear the truths of the gospel and believe in Jesus.

-In the passage that we are looking at today, we see John the Baptist (Baptizer) preparing the way for the people to recognize their Messiah, accept their Messiah, and follow their Messiah. We want to answer the question: how can we prepare our own hearts and the hearts of others to recognize and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord? Even though we might be Christians, we might not come to Jesus with the right heart to truly hear from him, learn from him, and obey him. And non-Christians have many walls up that prevent them from seeing Jesus for who He is. What can we do to make ready our hearts?

-My prayer is that today we will examine our hearts, whether we have been coming to Jesus halfheartedly or very apatheticly, and see what we can do to prepare to receive, accept, and obey Him...

Matthew 3:1–10 LSB

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’” 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

-{pray}

-John the Baptist (Baptizer) is an interesting person who is the bridge from the Old Testament into the New Testament. We know from the gospel of Luke that his birth was announced in a very special way to his father while attending the priestly duties in the temple. It was said that this child would be used of God to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

-This child was full of the Holy Spirit from even before his birth as we know that he leapt in his mother’s womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, drew near. The angel had told his dad Zechariah that the child would go before God in the spirit and power of Elijah. Although he obviously would not be Elijah reincarnated, John would have a prophetic ministry of which Elijah was a picture, a type, of what was to come in the ministry of John.

-We look in our passage today and we see that Matthew highlights that John had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey. We read that and we think that John was pretty weird. Camel hair had to be itchy. And who would eat a locust? But for the people in first century Israel they would look at John and connect him with prophetic ministry--the Old Testament often connects that type of clothing and food with prophets, including Elijah himself.

-But John had a specific prophetic ministry. Matthew says that John fulfilled what was prophesied by Isaiah:

Matthew 3:3 LSB

3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”

-This verse has a lot of imagery attached to it. Often, in ancient times, when it would be known that a king or queen would travel a certain route, someone would go before them to repair the roads and make a smooth path for the royal. Within the context of Isaiah, Isaiah was telling the people that preparations are being made for God to lead and restore His people after captivity. And now it is being used of John who would be the herald to prepare the people for the Messiah to come. Prepare for the King. Prepare for the God who restores. Prepare for the Messiah. John was making ready a people for the One who embodied them all.

-But how were the people to prepare? No, they didn’t need to fix the roads and pathways that weaved their way through the Judean wilderness. This time they were to prepare their hearts. We might could say that John was calling the people to rebuild the highways of holiness, as Isaiah said elsewhere:

Isaiah 35:8 LSB

8 And a roadway will be there, a highway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not pass by on it, But it will be for him who walks in that way, And ignorant fools will not wander on it.

-Prepare for your King. Made ready for the God who will restore. The Messiah has come. But how were they to prepare their hearts, and how can our hearts and the hearts of others be made ready for Our King, Our God, Our Savior? There are three quick lessons we find in this passage:

1) Accept the message of repentance (v. 2)

-In one sentence the message that John preached as a prophet was summarized:

Matthew 3:2 LSB

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

-The first part of that message is to repent. The term literally means to change one’s mind. It means that you change the way you think about yourself, the world around you, and God. You change your mind about your sin--instead of reveling in it you are ashamed of it and turn from it. It doesn’t mean complete perfection, but you no longer make excuses for the direction that you were headed. You do a 180 and instead of pursuing sin and pursuing the world and pursuing the things that are fleshly, you pursue Christ, you pursue holiness, you pursue the things of God.

-But it was not just a matter of changing your intellectual attitude about things--merely agreeing in your brain about what God says is right and wrong. There is also a change of action that accompanies it. Because I know I am headed in the wrong direction, I don’t just admit in my brain that I’m heading in the wrong direction, but I actually do something about it. John put it this way:

Matthew 3:8 LSB

8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

-True repentance leads to it demonstrating itself in our choices, our words, our attitudes and our actions.

-Imagine that there is a young boy who had been playing outside with friends and runs back inside the house to play some video games before dinner. His mom had told him earlier not to eat anything and spoil his dinner. As he runs through the kitchen, the cookie jar is sitting on the counter seemingly calling him to have a cookie. So, he swipes a cookie from the jar. But as he is about to run upstairs and devour his ill-gotten gains, it hits him that he disobeyed his mom. Instead of excusing his actions, saying something like maybe mom wouldn’t notice anyway, he turns around, goes back down the stairs, hands the cookie to his mom, tells her what he did, and apologizes.

-That is repentance. John says to be prepared, you repent, you turn around, and it is demonstrated in your life. People were responding to his message, getting things right with God. It says in v. 6 that they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they were confessing their sins. They made public their change of heart by acknowledging that they fell short of God’s standards--they had drifted from God’s laws and morals. John’s baptism was different from Christian baptism. Christian baptism is our identification with Jesus Christ, His death, His resurrection, and the covenant that they have with Christ. John’s baptism was the outward sign of their confession of sin and their repentance, and their preparedness for the One who was to come. It was all part of the fruit of repentance.

-But John also tells us the reason and motivation that we need to make ourselves ready. It is because the kingdom of heaven is at hand, or is near. That doesn’t mean that God was (at this time) going to establish an earthly reign. But it does mean that through Jesus Christ the heavenly rule of God penetrated into the earthly sphere of man. Through Jesus Christ God was establishing and manifesting His divine sovereignty over humanity. Repentance, and the fruits that are born from it, are a recognition of that sovereignty and a willingness to place oneself under that sovereign rule.

-So, John was preparing the people spiritually to see Jesus as the One through whom God’s kingdom rule has invaded earth, and they are to change their minds, turn their direction, and be ready to personally place themselves under that rule.

-This is why repentance is an important part of the gospel message--it is the other side of the salvation coin along with faith. You will not place your faith in Jesus unless you first change your mind about yourself, your sin, and Jesus—until you first repent, knowing you must willingly recognize His rule and place yourself under His authority.

-But repentance is not just for unbelievers. Christians need to constantly repent as well because we stray; we head in wrong directions. And while we may not lose our relationship with Christ, that doesn’t mean we won’t fall under His discipline. So, we need to change our minds and change directions and bear fruit of repentance. We think of what Jesus said to the churches in the book of Revelation. He pointed out what they were doing wrong and He said REPENT! So, if we want to be prepared and ready for a strong walk with Christ, we start with accepting the message of repentance. But then there is a second lesson to help us prepare, and that is to:

2) Examine who has your reliance (vv. 7-9)

-Who or what are you relying upon for your spiritual health and preparedness? While there were many sincere people who came to John, desiring to return to God and be ready for what was to come, there were others who were not sincere, but wanted to put on a religious show.

-V. 7 tells us that there were many Pharisees and Sadducees who came to see what was going on. They did not come to be baptized by John, but they came to see what he was teaching and why he was baptizing. They were very protective of the religious monopoly that they had carved for themselves in Israel, and to have some unknown outsider come and instruct people about God and have this spiritual movement didn’t sit well with them. I believe the bottom line is that John was drawing a crowd—and maybe their crowds were dwindling a little.

-The Gospel of John gives us a little insight into their mindset. They ask him who he was and to give an account about what right he had to do the things that he did. He made sure they knew that he wasn’t the Christ. But they knew he was acting as a prophet. And so he talked to them like a prophet. They weren’t there to repent. They weren’t there to confess their sins. They weren’t there to spiritually prepare themselves to meet God. They were there to judge. They were there to disrupt. So, John confronts them as only prophets can.

-He first addresses them as YOU BROOD OF VIPERS. There’s an opening line for you. For the mamby pamby preachers who don’t like to touch on hard truths, that comes across very rough and gruff. But John was not there to win friends and influence people. He was there to make ready the way of the Lord. And the hearts of the religious leaders were so hard, it would take some shock and awe to wake them up to their need for spiritual preparedness. He is in essence calling them the offspring of Satan.

-YOU BROOD OF VIPERS, WHO WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? As I’ll talk about in just a little bit, there is the aspect of judgment when it comes to spiritual readiness. You are running to receive God’s mercies. And you cannot do that if you are spiritually arrogant and blind like these religious leaders were. So, he tells them directly: BEAR FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE.

-But then in v. 9 he strikes them at the foundation of who or what it was that they were relying upon for their spirituality. It wasn’t a humble heart seeking God’s forgiveness. It was a self-righteous heart that relied upon their lineage. These religious leaders thought that because they were religious leaders descended from Abraham that they were always in a positive spiritual position. They thought they were always safe despite the hardness of their heart or the wickedness of their actions because they were religious leaders from the lineage of Abraham. But John says they are Satan’s spawn.

-John warns them that being descended from Abraham means nothing. God could raise up descendants of Abraham from stones. I believe he is alluding to the fact that Gentiles would be brought into God’s kingdom, and that in a spiritual sense Gentile believers are spiritually descended from Abraham. It was no longer the time to rely on your genealogy, but you needed to take spiritual responsibility for yourself, and check the status of your heart with God. And when you see the darkness of sin, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

-These Pharisees and Sadducees were relying on themselves, their lineage, and their supposed good works. But John called them out on it. None of that prepares you to walk with God. And it begs the question, what are you relying on for your spiritual preparedness? Well, I go to church every once in a while. I read my Bible every once in a while. My dad was a deacon and my grandpa was a preacher. I volunteer and do good things. I, I, I, me, me, me.

-Some people rely on their own talent, some rely on the number of likes they get on a social media post, some rely on riding the coattails of other people. Where is your reliance on Christ? John says repent and bear the fruits that keep with repentance. And then there is one final quick lesson, and that is to:

3) Know the reality of God’s retribution (v. 10)

-John had warned the religious leaders that there was a wrath to come. And then John gives us a harsh reality in:

Matthew 3:10 LSB

10 “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

-John is warning all the people that if they do not repent, there is judgment waiting. If they do not bear the good fruits of repentance, the axe is ready to cut the tree down at its roots and throw it into the fire of God’s wrath. God will judge the sinner whose sin is not forgiven. Repent and believe and be saved.

-But everyone moans: you can’t talk about judgment and condemnation and hell because God is a God of love and Jesus is a Jesus of love, so let’s all join hands and sing Kumbaya. Yes, God and Jesus are full of love. But the Bible says that God’s love is demonstrated in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God so loved the world that He gave His Son so that whoever believes will not perish but have everlasting life. God’s love is centered on saving sinners who will repent and believe in Jesus. And if you don’t, you will be judged.

-You have to wrestle with the fact that Jesus talked about hell, that Jesus talked about judgment. That Jesus said things like are found:

Luke 13:1–5 LSB

1 Now at that same time there were some present who were reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered these things? 3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

-Everyone needs to listen to Jesus’ call here—for the unrepentant there is judgment. Christian, don’t think that just because you’re saved that you escape the judgment of God. No, you will not face the second death. No, you will not be cast into the lake of fire. But unless you repent, you might suffer God’s discipline in the here and now, and lose rewards for eternity. Churches need to repent or face judgment. Jesus told them if they don’t repent their candle will be snuffed out—they will cease to exist.

Imagine a teacher who assigns a project with clear guidelines. Some students work diligently, while others neglect the task, thinking their efforts don't matter. On the due date, the teacher hands out grades. Those who prepared receive praise and reward; those who procrastinated face consequences. God’s judgment is much like this.

-We are prepared spiritually when we live in light of the reality of God’s retribution through judgment.

Conclusion

-But we can also be at peace when we receive His forgiveness through Jesus Christ. But are we ready to receive Him for who He is and for what He has done?

-Maybe you’re a Christian and Jesus has been your ticket out of hell, but your life has not aligned with Him and His Word. I call you to repent. Maybe there is a sin in your life that you don’t think is that big of a deal and nobody knows about it anyway. I call you to repent. Maybe you have broken fellowship with someone for something you did and haven’t made it right yet. I call you to repent. Maybe you are super-holy Christian man or woman on Sunday, and somebody completely different all the other days. I call you to repent. You will not be prepared to have a fruitful spiritual life with Jesus if you aren’t prepared, if you haven’t made yourself ready.

-But if you have never trusted Jesus for your eternal soul, you are separated from God. And I call you to repent and believe in Jesus and walk with Him all your days. You don’t know how many days you have, and you don’t know when the judgment of God will come. The axe is already at the roots. Find mercy and forgiveness today...