Prepare the Way! November 27, 2015

Read Matthew 3:1-6

Matthew 3:3      This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Isaiah 40:3     A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Mark 1:3     "a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

Luke 1:17     And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Luke 1:76     And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

John 1:23     John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"

Spiders like to build webs outside our front door. They string their sticky strands from the roof on one side to the large rhododendron on the other, so there’s no way around them. Since I’m often the first to leave our home, I’m usually the one to clear away the spider webs. This prepares the way for my wife, who comes out after me.

This simple act reminds me of John the Baptist, who came before Jesus and prepared the way for him. But John’s preparing the way was spiritual rather than physical. He was commissioned to announce Jesus’ coming.

I’m no John the Baptist, so I won’t go around preaching “prepare the way for the Lord.” But I still want my life to honor Jesus and draw others to him. Whether we’re with family, neighbors or co-workers, we can reflect the image of Christ by our actions. Our love, kindness, and integrity may give us a chance to share the reason for our hope. (See 1 Pet. 3:15.) We may even reflect our faith with strangers we meet as we shop or travel. For example, when we hold open a door for someone and that person thanks us, we can smile and say, “You’re welcome. God bless you.”

Jesus has already come to the earth, but he promised to come again. (See John 14:3.) By reflecting him in everything we do, we can prepare the way for his second coming.