AdventSample

A messenger will prepare the way

In Matthew 11:10, Jesus tells us that John the Baptist is the messenger the scriptures referred to; the voice crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way. In a voice filled with the power of the Spirit, John called on those who heard him to repent and turn back to God. John’s voice didn’t resound from the temple, nor from the synagogue, but from the wilderness, calling to the hearts of those who were lost and wandering. And yet, the wilderness was more spiritual than physical, and John’s message was clear to those who heard it: turn away from your sins, the king is coming.

John’s message was: Come, be baptised, confess your sins, prepare your hearts for the one who will come after me, whose sandals I’m not fit to carry; one who will know whose hearts are prepared and who show by the way they live that they have repented of their sins and turned to God (see Matthew 3:8–11). As we look toward Christmas, once again we should listen to the echoes of John’s call from that long ago wilderness, and prepare our hearts for the advent, the arrival of Jesus the Son of God who came to live among us to be our Saviour. Because He became flesh, we have been redeemed.

Lord, help us focus on You as the silly season approaches, help us draw near to You by reading Your Word and, through prayer, focusing our hearts on the baby in the manger who became the Saviour of the world. Amen.

Written by CHRIS PARFOOT