Make Straight the Way of the Lord

John 1:29-36 ESV

 

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.” I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.’ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’”

 

This is speaking of John the Baptist. He is the one who saw Jesus coming toward him. He is the one who was sent from God who came to bear witness about the light (Jesus Christ), that all might believe through him. For John bore witness about Jesus when he cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” And when John was asked who he (John) was, he said he was not the Christ, but he was “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (see vs 6-8,15,19-23)

 

So, John the Baptist was called of God from before he was born to be that voice in the wilderness making straight (upright, godly, holy) the way of the Lord, and calling out to the people to make straight the way of the Lord, in order to prepare the way for the people to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And that is why his ministry was to call people to repentance, to lead them to turn from their sins, ultimately so that they would follow Jesus Christ with their lives, and so that they would walk in that “straight” way of the Lord.

 

And I believe Jesus Christ is still sending his messengers today out into the world, and into the worldly gatherings of “the church,” to call out to them to “make straight the way of the Lord,” for so many today are making the “way of the Lord” crooked, instead. For so many are teaching a diluted and altered gospel that is of man and not of God, which is intended to tickle itching ears and to appease human flesh and to pacify sin in sinful human beings rather than to lead them to genuine repentance and to walks of obedience to our Lord and to do his will for their lives.

 

For Jesus Christ did not give himself up for us on that cross as a sacrifice for our sins just to forgive us our sins so that we could go on living in sin while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny. For when Jesus died on that cross, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that when he died, our sins died with him, so that, by God-persuaded faith in him, we would die to sin and live to righteousness. For he died that we would now live for him and no longer for ourselves, and so that we would die with him to sin and be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

 

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14]

 

For if all that Jesus does is just to forgive us our sins, all that is taken away from us is the penalty of sin which, in reality, is not how that works. For when we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, our old self is crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin. So we are not to let sin continue to reign in our bodies to make us obey its passions. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life (Romans 6:1-23).

 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

 

Lamb of God

 

By Twila Paris / Michael Paul Bethany / Kevin Turner

 

… Your only Son no sin to hide

But You have sent Him from Your side

To walk upon this guilty sod

And to become the Lamb of God

 

… Your gift of love they crucified

They laughed and scorned Him as he died

The humble King they named a fraud

And sacrificed the Lamb of God

 

… Oh Lamb of God, Sweet lamb of God

I love the Holy Lamb of God

Oh wash me in His precious Blood

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God…

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFtvbrjvjY

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