Preparing the Way

by Diana Durrill 

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." - Luke 3:4-6

This is one of my favorite New Testament passages.  I love the image it brings to mind.

Picture with me a king being transported by carriage.  His men travel before him to prepare the way through the villages, forests, across rivers, etc.  They are not only on the lookout for danger and busy clearing the path of debris, but they also proclaim the coming of the king.  The village people would watch with anticipation and expectation.  I am reminded of Lady Guinevere in the movie First Knight as she and her maidens are traveling through the forest.  They are surrounded by soldiers who are there to protect her, the soon-to-be bride of King Arthur.  The wicked Malagant has set up an ambush on the road in an attempt to kidnap Guinevere, but Lancelot is nearby and he saves the day!

Actually, we find these verses in the Old Testament, too. (See Isaiah 40:3-5.)  Isaiah prophesies the coming Messiah and urges Israel to repent of their sins in preparation for His coming.

In the New Testament (today's passages), John the Baptist has the task of reminding Israel that there is a coming Messiah and they need to be on the lookout.  They need to be watching and waiting for His arrival.  He prepares the way for Him by urging the repentance of sins and announcing His coming.

We are no different from Israel in our need to prepare for the Lord's second coming.  We have much to repent of, much to be watching and waiting for, and many to lead to the Truth.  We should all be about the business of preparing the way for the Lord!  How do we do that today?  We can sum it up in four words:

Worship.    Grow.    Serve.    Proclaim.