Prepare the way for the Lord

"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"

"a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'

Mark 1:1-3

What exactly does this scripture mean... Prepare the way for the Lord.

*  Where do I fit in?

*  Is it expected of me, to do anything?

*  What do I need to do, to Prepare the way?

I read this scripture this morning again and suddenly it just hit me.... "Prepare the way for the Lord"

and suddenly I am not sure whether I am doing the right thing or not. Am I doing in what I am doing, preparing the way or am I just busy....

Is it to spread the Gospel

Announcing Jesus has risen

Confess your sins

Is it to love thy neighbours

To look after the poor and feed the hungry

or to just spend hours and hours in prayer

live a godly life

loving the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit?

Maybe this will shed some light on these questions

What does it mean to 'prepare the way'? It means to create a favorable environment or to make it easy for one to come to you and operate in your life. Let's take a look at Luke 3:4-5, "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth." Apparently, John the baptist was creating a favorable environment and making it easy for Jesus to enter into and operate in the lives of the people.

How did John 'prepare the way'?

We are clearly told that John was sent to 'prepare the way' for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:2-3), but what exactly did he do in preparing the way? In Luke 3:3-4, we are told, "And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Also in Matthew 3:1-3, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

So how did the people cooperate with John in preparing the way for Jesus? They confessed their sins and were baptized as a sign that they have turned from their sins, as Matthew 3:6 tells us, "And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins."

Is it this easy?

If it is, why do we then make it so complicated?