Prepare the Way from Matthew 3:1-12

Today I am commenting on Matthew 3:1-12, which says, 

3:1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming,

3:2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

3:3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"

3:4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

3:5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan,

3:6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

3:8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance.

3:9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

3:10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

3:11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. His ministry did not have an end in itself, but it was focused on laying the groundwork for the saving ministry of Jesus the Messiah. Historically this was a vital role, but his message of preparing the way resonates and reverberates even today in a number of ways:

Prepare the Way Prophetically

In his proclamation, John quoted a prophecy from Isaiah 40, a portion of which says,

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together." Isa 401-5

The best estimates I can find are that the Old Testament includes about 150 prophecies concerning Jesus. These begin in Genesis 3:15 and continue through the Psalms and both the Major and Minor Prophets. Amazingly, all of these prophecies were realized in the life of Jesus, and this is important for several reasons.

First, it convinced people in Jesus' day and during the era of the early church that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He was more than just a charismatic teacher and faith healer. He was the uniquely begotten Son of the Living God; the Messiah, Savior of the world. People in the First Century followed Jesus at the risk of losing their lives, liberty, and fortunes because they were convinced by, among other evidence, the prophecies He fulfilled.

Second, people today are convinced that Jesus is who he said he was by the way He fulfilled prophecy. Writers like C.S. Lewis and Josh McDowell have demonstrated how impossible it would be for one man to fulfill all of these prophecies by accident. Many people have prepared the way for the salvation of others by sharing these remarkable truths about Jesus, and this still happens today.

Finally, it is reassuring and comforting to note that If the prophecies about the first coming were true, then the prophecies about then the prophecies about the second coming are as equally reliable. Jesus will come back for His church! We prepare the way for that as we continue, like John, to proclaim the truth about Jesus!

Prepare the Way Personally

We know today that, as Peter said in Acts 10,  "God is no respecter of persons," but this was not the case for Israel in the Bible. They believed that simply being physically born as a Jew meant that they had a special spiritual relationship with God. John's message of rebuke to the Jews for this prejudiced mishandling of the Abrahamic Covenant prepared the way for Jesus to confront people like Nicodemus with a complete understanding of how to have a relationship with God.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that it was not enough to be physically born to have a relationship with God. It  did not matter what race, tribe, or tongue into which a person was born, none of that was sufficient to overcome the sin which afflicts human existence. Nicodemus had  come to God through Jesus to be a part of God's household.

The same continues to be true today. We must personally prepare the way for God's presence in our love by the coming of the Messiah personally to us. God has no grandchildren! Each of must come to Him individually as a child and this fact continues today and throughout the ages to come.

Prepare the Way Evangelistically

Note in our focal passage that John was drawing people to God's Word. He did this by his preaching but also by his way of life. He was different, and people seemed to be intrigued by the difference.

We too should draw people to God's Word by our words and by our way of life. We need to walk the walk and talk the talk. We don't need to wear funny clothes and eat insects, but God's Word must make a difference in our lives, a different that people can see. Once they see the difference, we must then explain why and how the difference came about.

In his own life, John prepared the way for people to come to God through Jesus. Our task, centuries later, remains the same. The Great Commission tells us as we go out into the world we must make disciples for Jesus. We prepare the way for this in the way we live our own personal lives. 

Prepare the Way Ethically

John observed the evil and unethical lifestyle of the religious leaders of his day, and he called them out. He said that they were like a pit of rattlesnakes and like a rotten tree that should be cut down and burned in a fire. As he said this he could have been thinking of another passage, Isaiah 64:6, which reads, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

Everyone who met Jesus in the Gospels came away changed. The same is true for people today. Those who truly meet Jesus are changed by Him. As I mentioned above, those in Christ  should walk in a new way of life and they should talk differently also. We should be like the moon, reflecting the light of the Son to those around us. 

Jesus, himself insisted that His children have a positive witness, saying in  John 15:5-11, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

James 3:10 admonished us, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." 

John prepared the way for Jesus by proclaiming our walk must match our talk. The same is equally true today!

Conclusion

God's people need to continue preparing the way for Christ to enter people's hearts until the day He returns. Since we don't know when that will be, we have a lot of work to do in an indeterminate amount of time. One thing's for certain, however. As each day passes the day of Christ's return is growing closer! Let us determine in our heart to prepare the way for that glorious day!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt