Here is Isaiah’s prophecy of a “voice [that] cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!” The first few verses help us understand that God punished Judah for repeated covenant infidelity by sending the people into Exile. Isaiah 40:3-4 Verse 3 mentions “preparing the way,” one that God will be traveling: “make . 10 Bible Verses about God Showing Us The Way Jeremiah 42:3, NIV Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do. Notice that according to the quotes above, John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jehovah. . 11:9-11) and the privileged messenger who was sent to prepare the way of the Messiah according to the Word of God. Isaiah 40:3, "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord [YHWH], Mal. Do not be deceived by the Jehovah's Witness organization that would have you deny the true nature of Christ. This is he that was spoken of (οῦτος γὰρ ἐστιν ὁ ῤηθείς).In John 1:23 the following quotation is uttered by the Baptist himself, and some commentators have supposed this to be the case also here. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." Keep Alive A Passion for Holiness This Advent. Only God can save us, and only God can fulfill the prophecy given in Isaiah 40:3 and Mal. If everyone knew what time He was co He assured them that any “delay” had only one purpose—more repentance and more conversions! ... from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible). If you're in need of some guidance on why preparation is so crucial and how you can do it in a spiritual sense, let these five Bible verses steer you in … John the Baptist Prepares the Way 3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: Possible response: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me another year in which to be ready for You. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. - Weymouth Bible The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way … The verse here simply says that the wicked will be ashes under the feet of the righteous. John told the people about this Someone Else: “One mightier than I is coming after me. We must also note that in the four citations the Old Testament is quoted from two sources: Isaiah and Malachi. Tools. Righteousness will go before the LORD and prepare the path for him. Even if we simply use the four words mentioned in this reading—kindness, truth, justice, peace—to examine ourselves, to see if they are alive in us, we will certainly not miss the meaning of Advent this year! They would be ready for Jesus. 3:1. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at info@carm.org. She is the author of three bible studies, Galatians: A New Kind of Freedom Defended (Basilica Press), Genesis: God and His Creation and Genesis: God and His Family (Emmaus Road Publishing). Perhaps the battle is already over, and the symbolism of treading on the ashes indicates sharing in the conquest. 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. ``prepare the way before the people of the Lord, cast up ways before the congregation of our God;'' whereas it is before the Lord himself. That punishment was to come to an end (“she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins”). Someone Else would have to do that. Possible Response: Lord Jesus, I do want to make the rough places in me plain, an open walk for You into my life. Gayle and her husband Gary reside in Phoenix and have three grown children. 3:3, Prepare the way of the Lord. Holman Christian Standard Bible Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps. "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. . Bible Verses Like Malachi 3:1 - cross references and similar Bible verses related to Baruch 3:18 - Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. Possible response: Lord Jesus, please help me to examine myself during this season of Advent; I want to prepare for You. Isaiah 43:16, ESV Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, Isaiah 41:10, ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. They're perfect for sunday school lessons, youth group presentations, lectures, or … Yet he had to encourage them not to be impatient. We have been waiting a long time for the Second Coming of Jesus, much longer than the people of St. Peter’s day. Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of [the] Lord, make his paths straight. 11:9-11) and the privileged messenger who was sent to prepare the way of the Messiah according to the Word of God. Why couldn’t He just come and get the work of salvation under way? John’s baptism was simply a preparation for the next thing that had to happen. Jesus is simply giving people more time to be ready when He appears. “People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him.” Apparently, his preaching hit a nerve. (Matt. The prophet looked ahead to a time of comfort, which would include God’s own coming: “Here comes with power the LORD God.” His appearing would be “like a shepherd” who feeds … click, Contact | Facebook | Twitter | Store | Radio | Copying and Linking | Statement of Faith | The Warning TractCARM, PO BOX 1353, Nampa ID 83653 | 385-246-1048 | info@carm.orgHosting by EverythingsA.com Powered by the Connectivity.Engineer Network, Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, CARM, PO BOX 1353, Nampa ID 83653 | 385-246-1048. - Darby Bible The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. That punishment was to come to an end (“she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins”). - For.The reason for John's appearance and proclamation lies in prophecy. 3:1; Matt. Verse 3. Bible Verses Like Isaiah 40:3 - cross references and similar Bible verses related to Baruch 3:18 - The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. MATT SLICK LIVE RADIOCall in with your questions at 877-207-22763-4pm PST; 4-5pm MST; 6-7pm ESTWatch on FacebookPast Shows Radio PodcastRadio Show SurveySubscribe to CARM Radio, CARM wishlistWant to help CARM in a different way? Isaiah 40:3; Mal. Isaiah 40:3; Mal. 3:3). If the people had become dulled and indifferent to their sins, if they were smug in the self-righteousness of religious observance, would they ever understand the need of a Messiah who would deliver them from their sin, not from Rome? 'This is the one about whom it is written, 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' What about the stumbling stones of temptation that trip us up and hinder our way? No signup or install needed. American King James Version. 23:20 and Mal 3:1) has finally been fulfilled. The Gospel’s emphasis on repentance as proper preparation for the arrival of Jesus helps us understand why purple is the liturgical color of Advent. The prophet looked ahead to a time of comfort, which would include God’s own coming: “Here comes with power the LORD God.” His appearing would be “like a shepherd” who feeds His flock and cares tenderly for them. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. If we don’t spend any time in self-examination in Advent, we are not letting it do its full work in us. When it is thorough, then we will be ready on Christmas Eve to “cry out,” as Isaiah says, “at the top of [our] voice…and say…Here is [our] God!”. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. John’s work of preparation would be done. Prepare ye the way of the Lord Make a straight path for Him here Into the heart of the world Exiled in bondage and fear Release those held captive in chains That once had bound you before Let justice and mercy flow through you Prepare ye the way of the Lord-----November 16, 2008 (inspired by Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell) All rights reserved. Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasture and rest],The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.So You led Your people [O Lord]To make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [preparing the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations]. Why would the Messiah need someone to “prepare the way of the LORD”? John the Baptist was the “messenger” God sent to prepare His people for this great event. Everybody must be ready for Jesus because He will come like a thief in the night. Isaiah 40:3 says that John is to clear the way for YHWH (Jehovah). The image is a simple one, and in the East one well knows, where the roads are comparatively few, and where they do exist are often in a bad state, when a sovereign is about to visit any part of his dominions, or still more if the march of an army has to be arranged for, the roads require considerable preparation. Bible verses about being prepared In life, you must always be ready for anything. 3:1, "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. As we can see, Advent is to be a busy time for Catholics, but not in the way our culture is busy at this time of year. There are four main texts used to verify this: Clearly, John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus as all four quotes above demonstrate. (Matt. Clearly, the Bible prophecies that John the Baptist will prepare the way of YHWH (Jehovah); yet it is Jesus who arrives on the scene. But (1) this is against the parallel passages in Mark and Luke. . Psalm 37:5-6, ESV Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. The Bible is essentially our handbook on how to ready ourselves for when temptation strikes and for when Jesus comes again. A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! St. Mark tells us that “John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” His somewhat eccentric mission (clothed in camel’s hair and eating locusts) was meant to get the people of Judah thinking about their relationships with God and, in particular, their sins. However, He will appear one day, so it is wise to give thought to “what sort of persons ought [we] to be while waiting for and hastening the coming day of God.” St. Peter suggests we should be people of “holiness and devotion…eager to be found without spot or blemish before Him, at peace.” Here again we see emphasis on preparation by self-examination and a commitment to live the life Jesus has won for us. What about the mountains or hills, the obstacles of pride or self-righteousness that puff us up? “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Bible verses related to Mark 1:3 (similar cross-references) Isaiah 62:10 Context. In Advent, if we ask how we can be prepare for the coming of Jesus in this new liturgical year, today’s readings are loaded with answers. This site helps to prepare the way for the Lord by showing you how. There was true contrition “as they acknowledged their sins” and were baptized in the Jordan. God will make a way: 12 Encouraging Bible Verses & Scripture Quotes. His baptism represented a sinner’s repentance—a recognition that he had not loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, nor his neighbor as himself. © Copyright 2020 Catholic Exchange. Matt Slick is the President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Those need to be flattened. Happily, our other readings will give us the help we might need to avoid missing the meaning of Advent. AM. It is one thing to be sorry for our sins and desire to put them away; it is another to have the sins forgiven and to get a new heart for God. Without a heartfelt comprehension of how needy and helpless they were to obey God’s commandments, John the Baptist’s description of Jesus as “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) would fall on deaf ears. Many people responded to the Baptist’s message. ... from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible). I believe that by confessing and turning from our sins, we can prepare the way for the Lord to move and operate in our lives as well. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own. The simple answer is that Jesus is divine; that is, He is the fullness of deity in bodily form (Col. 2:9). BRG ¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord , make straight in the desert a highway for our God. C. The LORD will prepare them for that day (4:4-6). A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. | R. Jared Staudt, PhD, The Lost Riches of Catholic Catechisms with Aaron Seng of Tradivox, The Catholic Faith in Public Life After the 2020 Election with Derek Rotty. Liturgy Live - 2nd Sunday in Advent - Prepare the Way of the Lord. - Webster's Bible The voice of one crying aloud: `In the Desert prepare a road for the Lord: Make His highways straight.' Why would this be important preparation for the coming of Jesus? The Bible doesn’t necessarily have a lot to say about John, but we do know this, he was sent fourth to prepare the way, and he did that by preaching the repentance and remission of the people’s sins. I have baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Once people had gotten as far as repenting of their sins and desiring something better in their lives with God, they would be eager for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. (John 1:23). Also, John 1:1,14 tell us "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . Isa 63:14. as Isaiah the prophet said.'" a highway for our God.” This refers to the common practice of monarchs, who, before traveling into a new place, would send a party ahead of them to make sure that the road—the way—was easily passable. In addition to repentance, the sinner had to undergo re-birth, too. The Lord Jesus also revealed the mystery of the kingdom of heaven and the conditions for entering the kingdom of heaven, such as, “Not every one that said to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). “Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” If we think about this exhortation as a landscaping metaphor for our own soul work in Advent, we might look for where there are valleys in us, a kind of deficiency or dip or sinking in the virtues of our lives. Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. The fulfillment of John the Baptist as the messenger and Jesus as YHWH make these scriptures clear for us to understand. Proverbs 24:27 - Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. The stumbling stones of temptation that trip us up, and the privileged messenger who was to. 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