“The voice of him who cries in the wilderness: Prepare the way of Jehovah; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3 (Read v. 1-11)
Who is it that is coming to judge the living and the dead? Who was it that came to redeem God’s people by paying the debt of their sins?
Was it just a man? A great teacher? A prophet? The Word of God tells us: “Prepare the way of Jehovah; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
As the Scriptures teach, the Babe born of the virgin Mary in Bethlehem was not just a man, not just the seed of Abraham and the son of David; He was also the Son of God, Jehovah God Himself come into this world a true man to take our place under God’s law and fulfill all righteousness for us and to bear in His own body on the tree of the cross the sins of the entire world (cf. Gal. 3:13; 4:4-5; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; Rom. 1:3-4).
And He is coming again! Messiah Jesus, Jehovah God Himself and true man, is coming to judge the living and the dead on the Last Day!
How can we be ready for that Day? How can we “Prepare the way of Jehovah” and “make straight in the desert a highway for our God”?
Since there is only one way to stand in that Day – to be holy and free of all sin – we sinners need God’s pardon and forgiveness. We need to have all our sins and all our guilt washed away in the shed blood of Jesus, God’s Son and our Savior, “The Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
As John preached a “baptism of repentance for remission of sins” (Mark 1:4), so we are made ready for that Day when we are baptized into Christ, acknowledging our sins and lost condition and looking to Jesus and His atoning sacrifice for forgiveness. We continue in our baptisms of repentance as we continue to confess our sins and failings to keep God’s commandments and place our faith and confidence in Messiah Jesus for full and complete forgiveness (1 John 1:7 – 2:2).
Then, when Jehovah our Savior appears, we are ready in Him and will not be condemned but receive everlasting life (cf. John 5:24).
Come, O Jesus, Son of God and son of man, receive us into Your eternal kingdom for the sake of Your blood shed for us upon the cross. Amen.