Good Monday morning! The humidity is a slick 93% this morning; slick being what your skin feels like after a few minutes walk that is. The daylight is one minute shorter than yesterday though. We are on the way to Christmas! Actually, there is much more to celebrate before we get to the big holiday at the end of the year.
John 1:23 - John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the Lord's coming!' "
Just as Jesus told the people plainly who he was, so John did also. Notice that John didn't reply with the words of the prophet, but in the words of the prophet. John the Baptist put himself in the prophecy when he stated that "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness..." John had been foretold too!
What do the words mean about clearing the way though? Jesus had no trouble walking into Jerusalem or the temple, so that wouldn't be it. Jesus moved about much of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee without any problems so the prophecy must not speak of physical limitations. Jesus did however run into many roadblocks when it came to belief. Clear the way to your heart might be what is meant in the prophecy. To accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we must clear the way to our heart. Learn that we are not strong and that we are often way too busy to have a way clear for the Lord to come in.
A Monday is a good day to remind ourselves that the busyness of our business can come between us and our time with the Lord. Our minds are filled with tasks, to-do's, trivia, things we must remember, and probably a few worries that we should forget. Each morning we should get up and clear the way for the Lord's coming. We too have a part to play in fulfilling the prophecy. Jesus is ready to enter into our hearts, clear the way for him! The Holy Spirit is ready to work out our salvation, clear the way for him!
Easier to say than to do I realize, but Jesus is also ready to help us by giving us his peace. John didn't let the priests upset him, and then he replied with words they would have known. Words that should have set them leaping for joy; the prophet announcing the Messiah had arrived! Should have... but we'll see their reaction tomorrow.
Have a wonderful new week!
Bucky
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