Rev Gav

Ready

Luke 3:4-6

⁴ Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!
⁵ The valleys will be filled,
    and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
    and the rough places made smooth.
⁶ And then all people will see
    the salvation sent from God.’”

Reflect

Zechariah’s son John was in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus, and part of that preparation (as well as a sign that people had turned back to God) were baptisms performed by John in the River Jordan.

The prophets of old had prophesied that one day God would send his ‘anointed one’, Messiah, or Christ, and that this person would deliver Israel from her enemies. One of the major prophets who said this was a guy called Isaiah, and he wrote a whole book of prophecy which is included in the Hebrew scriptures — what we call the Old Testament.

John, speaking from the wilderness, took Isaiah’s words and made them applicable in the present. He took Isaiah’s words about the future and said they were relevant today. John’s listeners would have been familiar with the book of Isaiah, and they would have been shocked and excited that this prophesy was being fulfilled in the here and now.

Note how Isaiah says that a person in the wilderness will say these words — just as John did! John was yelling at the top of his voice, to anyone that would listen, that the time had arrived; that it was happening now! The Messiah was on his way! Get ready!

Christians are followers of Jesus and they expect Christ to be involved in every part of their lives today; in their work, study, play, and in their relationships, conversations, communications, and interactions.

Do

Today, commit to allowing Jesus Christ to be involved in every part of your life.

Pray

Holy God
Come into every part of my life.
Remind me that you are with me,
at home, study, work, rest and play.
I invite you into my relationship
with myself, others and the world.
This day and for ever.
Amen.

Think

If a king, queen or president was to visit your house, what would you do to prepare?

How do we prepare to be in the presence of God?