Fast forward 30 years to John the Baptist, that crazy guy decked out in camel hair while munching on locusts in the countryside. Though his fashion and diet are questionable, his message was not: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." He is the one Isaiah says in chapter 40 is the voice calling in the desert. Calling to "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation." (Verses 3-5) Mind going back and reading that verse one more time? (I know some of ya'll skimmed it, I would have.)
I found out an interesting factoid when studying the book of Matthew recently in Stephen and Jacalyn Eyre's Lifeguide Bible Study: Matthew, Being Discipled By Jesus,
"In ancient times the coming of a king required special preparation. A herald was sent ahead to prepare the road on which the king would be traveling. Holes were filled, rough places made smooth and crooked sections straightened. The same thing happened in recent times when Queen Elizabeth II visited the Bahamas. In preparation for her coming, the roads she would be traveling on were completely restored."
John the Baptist declared to the world that they ought to "Prepare the way for the Lord" describing exactly what was done for ancient kings. But did he mean to literally fill in the holes and smooth out the rough roads because God the King was coming? If that's what it meant, then Mary and Joseph
didn't do their job because Mary was carrying that King. No, not at all. In the hearts of those who heard John's message (Repent!) and in our own hearts, the question needs to be asked: What do we need to repent of to make the roads of our heart smooth so that Jesus can truly be King of our lives?
didn't do their job because Mary was carrying that King. No, not at all. In the hearts of those who heard John's message (Repent!) and in our own hearts, the question needs to be asked: What do we need to repent of to make the roads of our heart smooth so that Jesus can truly be King of our lives?
In his unrelenting love for us, God sent Jesus to have done to him what should have been done to us.
If you do not have a relationship with God, Jesus has already walked the rocky paths for you to get to your heart. But the message is the same as John's: repent. The reason Jesus came to this earth was
because of us. We broke our relationship with him by disobeying the loving boundaries he gave us in his law. We neglect to give honor and respect to the one who created us. We give our hearts and attention to anything but God, looking for satisfaction in wealth, relationships, and the desires of hearts when he is the only one that can provide that satisfaction. We come up short in our relationship with Him. But in his unrelenting love for us, God sent Jesus to have done to him what should have been done to us.
because of us. We broke our relationship with him by disobeying the loving boundaries he gave us in his law. We neglect to give honor and respect to the one who created us. We give our hearts and attention to anything but God, looking for satisfaction in wealth, relationships, and the desires of hearts when he is the only one that can provide that satisfaction. We come up short in our relationship with Him. But in his unrelenting love for us, God sent Jesus to have done to him what should have been done to us.
He died.
He showed the greatest act of love in relationship by taking a bullet in the form of a cross for us that cost him his life. And what he asks in return is for us to murmur the most difficult words in the human language: "I'm sorry." And then with his powerful help seek to live the life he intended for us in the first place as citizens of his Kingdom.
Many of us are living too safe. Too comfortable to lose our life for the sake the Gospel. Repent.
Which brings me to you believer. John's message is the same. Are you living like citizens of the King? What is distracting you from Him? There are things in our lives that are rocks (some massive boulders) that are keeping you from even learning who this King really is and how you ought to be behaving. Throw off all that hinders. Repent. What kind of path are you preparing for others to receive OUR King? Compare how much time you spend preparing the path for our nation's next "king" with how much you do about our Savior. Repent. Are you making the road more treacherous, increasing its elevation for others to get to the King? Church is not a social club for the healthy and wealthy folks (which by the way, we are all sick and poor in comparison to the glory of God.) Rather the community of God is intended for the purpose of furthering God's Kingdom preaching the news of his coming to some of those you might deem unsightly for your church service. Repent. Are we filling the holes by the sweat of our brow and the sacrifice of our time and backs? Many of us are living too safe. Too comfortable to lose our life for the sake the Gospel. Repent.
Here's the caveat: this is not you getting to Jesus by the things you do, but it is about "Producing fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8) A repentance that is daily in these fleshly vessels we dwell in. Nevertheless, do it and do as Colossians 3 tells it: Put to death the deeds of the flesh. Get rid of evil desires and greed. Rid yourselves of anger, slander, filthy language, lying to each other. Put on love, and forgiveness, and the bond of unity in all things. In a terrifying passage of Matthew, Jesus talks about false prophets. He says, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." (Matthew 7: 17) And that we will know who the genuine followers of Jesus are by their fruit. We are not citizens of this earth friends. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and as such we are inheritors of the mission of God. Decide once and for all who is your King and produce fruit in keeping with true repentance. And prepare ye the way.
