Day 11 - Prepare The Way...
- Pastor b.Side
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” - Isaiah 40:3
In John 4:24, we learn that God is Spirit in nature. However, the foundation for all of God’s promises rests on one principle: He came into this world as a man to do what no human being could ever do themselves. God promised to address the sin and depravity of every person who has ever lived, providing a way to escape the flames of hell that we all deserve. This requires the fulfillment of His righteous standards. This requires sacrifice. This requires a quality of wisdom, power, and integrity that only God possesses.
Still, it’s hard to grasp the concept of God as a man. How does the One who holds the universe in His hand enter a woman’s womb to be born? How does the Spirit of God exist in a human body? How was God in heaven as the Father and on earth as the Son at the same time, fulfilling pre-determined purposes all at once? As difficult as this may be to comprehend, it’s foundational to all the other promises God made.
“Prepare the way of the LORD…”
This is why the Bible is filled with numerous prophecies. God knows that we struggle to understand what He says He’ll do. So, He made these predictions of supernatural events and circumstances to help us comprehend God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His Word, even when we might not grasp the method of His work. In Isaiah 40:3, God prophesied that a forerunner would precede His arrival as a human. There would be “a voice crying in the wilderness.” Someone would speak to the people in Israel to prepare them for the arrival of their Messiah – God in the flesh. His preparation message would be specific. The command to “make straight” the highway for God is a call to repentance. In other words, God would send someone ahead of Him to tell the people to turn from their sin, so they could receive the good things He was going to give when He got here – salvation from sin, death, and hell.
“Make straight in the desert a highway for our God…”
The forerunner came. John the Baptist arrived, preaching this exact message and pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. The birth and ministry of John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 40:3. This means John the Baptist's ministry helps validate and explain the ministry of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. John urged the people to repent because Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. This was difficult for people to understand at the time, as they hoped their savior would bring different benefits centered on politics and personal circumstances. However, because Jesus is God, His vision and purpose were eternal and spiritually centered. John recognized this because he was appointed by the Father’s calling and equipped by the Holy Spirit to point to Jesus as the ONLY ONE who can save anyone from sin, death, and hell.
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the complete counsel of Your Word that helps us understand Your nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We appreciate the scriptures that reveal Your mind and purposes, Your works, and the ways You connect and equip us. We ask that You equip us as You did John the Baptist so that we may live according to Your calling, filled by Your Spirit, living in repentance and pointing to Your Son. Amen.
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