Called To Prepare
As I have been out and about for the past month, friends and acquaintances consistently asked one thing when we talked. "Are you ready for Christmas?" It's a question that sought to ascertain whether or not I was prepared for what we all knew was coming. As Christians, we should have the same level of inquiry and excitement around our preparedness for the coming of Christ. Are we ready, or do we need to make some changes to get ourselves ready for the coming of the Lord and His kingdom? In our lesson this week (Matt. 3:1-12), John the Baptist helps the people of God prepare the way for Christ's coming. I pray that you will not let 2020 end without you committing to the Holy Spirit to help you prepare for the coming of our Lord.
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Matt. 3:1-4) John came with the amazing message that God is near and people must repent (turn to God and away from our sin). God created John for the purpose of helping prepare His people for Christ coming and the ushering in of His kingdom. Preparing the way and making the paths straight suggests getting our hearts ready for Christ to come in. We must get rid of the potholes in our lives that derail us from relationship with God, clear out the brush that impedes our journey with God and lay low the hills and mountains that have arisen to separate us from God.
People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Matt. 3:5-6) From all over Jerusalem, Judea and the region of the Jordan, many people came to John to hear his message of repentance. Interestingly, these were Jews who came, even though one would assume they already considered themselves God's people. But not only did they come hear John's message, they acted on it. They confessed their sins, turned away from them, and turned back to God. These were public demonstrations of confession and baptism. Even God's people need to recognize when they need to confess sin and come back to God.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matt. 3:7-10) These Pharisees and Sadducees had come to be seen as part of what John was doing, with no intention of acting on the message of repentance. John admonished them that as leaders in the church, they too needed to repent. He called them a brood of vipers (snakes) probably because what came from their mouths was dishonest, deceitful and deadly to people. They wouldn't be saved by their connection to Abraham. Their true repentance would be judged by whether they produced good fruit. If not, Abraham couldn't save them. They could truly repent and be baptized in water or remain unrepentant and be destroyed in the fire. Neither your family's lineage in the church nor your leadership position in the church exempts you from the need to authentically prepare your heart for the Lord.
The gifts have been opened to squeals of joy or frowns of disappointment. The pretty wrapping paper has now been thrown in the trash. And some of the toys you worked so hard to find have already been broken. All these are signs that sadly, Christmas is over. But there is good news because although Christmas is over, you haven't missed Jesus! He is coming back and there is still time to get ready. What do you need to change in your life in anticipation of His arriving? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you...He will help prepare the way to your heart!
