Prepare Ye the Way

Mark 1:1-3 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The prophet John went before the Lord, commanding men to repent and to be baptized for the remission of their sins. This was preparation for the Lord to draw near. For only humbled men can abide Jesus Christ. This was both a grace and a warning to them. When Jesus comes to those who are hard of heart and unwilling to repent, He comes on that terrible day. But when He comes to those who have been softened by the Word of God’s prophets to recognize their sinfulness and abhor every way that separates them from their Holy God, He comes on that great and notable day.

So, you too, have been prepared. You have been called to worship the One true God. You have confessed your sins. You have had the Word of God read and declared to You. All of this is wonderful but also humbling for we realize that these things are too high for us, we cannot attain to them. We fall short of the glory of our God. So, we lay ourselves down upon His mercy and in this humiliation, our gracious God is glad to lift us up.

The paths are straight. The Lord Jesus comes and He bids you come to Him. His mercies are new. His face is towards those who long to see Him. Though your eyes be downcast in humility, Jesus will look upon you and take away that shame. He now bids You to look to Him in the joy of forgiveness and sweet communion. We were in the wilderness, but no longer. The king is here. The banquet is set. The guests have arrived. So, let us eat.