Mark 1:2-3 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
What is the day of the Lord?
For those who lived in Israel 2000 years ago, it was for them a time of great blessing. The Messiah had finally arrived, the promise given many generations before had reached the apex of God’s revealed plan. When Jesus appeared, the three short years of ministry left a legacy that continues strong today. How could a man living in Galilee change the world without lifting as much as a sword?
The preparation for the Messiah had fallen in part on a man named John the Baptist. The baptizer preached a message of repentance, and warned the people of a coming Messiah. Some believed, many did not. Even for those who believed, their struggle with unbelief had to be reinforced on multiple occasions.
The advent of the Messiah has come and today the church thrives in His power. The promised Holy Spirit leads God’s people and they know Him. Proclaiming the good news, practicing charity, showing love and good works.. around the world people are living out their faith by the power of God.
When Jesus came, He came with a purpose in mind…
John 12:47 “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”
Today, the return of the King has long been expected. The suffering servant who came as a Lamb will return as a Lion. Jesus first came not to judge the world but that the world might be saved.
The world was indeed saved….at least those who came out of it. For those who heard the call, they have received grace. The mercy of God lead them to salvation, then Jesus finished the work upon the cross.
Now the King returns….
Revelation 19:11-13 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.”
When Jesus first arrived, the world sat in judgment. He didn’t need to heap on more judgement, the people were already afflicted by sin. But the Messiah changed the course of history, His death and resurrection gave people hope. They couldn’t justify themselves by good works, no matter how hard they tried, so Jesus did the justifying.
The Lord God Almighty came down from heaven and as a suffering servant brought peace into the world.
The love of God could not have been demonstrated in greater fashion.
What happens when people reject so great a love?
The measure of rejecting God’s great love is comparable to the wrath God will pour out upon the wicked. The faithful One has been spurned by the faithless. The brilliance of God’s penetrating gaze peers into the hearts of mankind and searches for the life that is turned towards Him. You cannot escape His gaze, it exposes every inch of your being and reveals the truth.
Will we place our trust in Him or in the world? Only God truly knows.
Knowing God
The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.
Titus 1:15-16 “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”
True faith is revealed by obedience. Many profess to know God or believe in Him, but their actions say otherwise. For those who know God, their love for Him only grows. To get even a taste of His love is better than the sweetest honey. Walking with God is the greatest joy known to mankind, and for those who love Him, they yearn to be with Him.
Spending time with God involves drawing near in Bible study and in prayer. Finding what pleases the Lord and then walking in it is to experience His pleasure. The people of God know the work that lies before them and so they press on until the work draws to a close. With each passing day, preparation for the Messiah is made. The light shines in the darkness, others are encouraged, the gospel goes forth, and the Kingdom of God has come.
God’s people are preparing the world for Jesus to take His rightful place as Lord and King.
Isaiah 62:10-12 “Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.
Behold, the LORD has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.”
The world cannot see, they are blind to the truth. The world cannot know the way unless God’s people tells them. The Gospel is the single greatest message given to the world, and God’s people are given the privilege to carry it forth.
Are you preparing the way?
God brings with Him the reward He has prepared for His people. The reward is great.
Be ready, make the paths straight so the lost might come.
U.T. 