Make the Way of the Lord Straight

“During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

    make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,

    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall become straight,

    and the rough places shall become level ways,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (Luke 3:2-6 ESV)

John, the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ who was called of God and sent by God even before he was born to prepare the way of the Lord for the people. And this word “baptism” means (immersion, submersion). But this word “immersion” carries with it a much deeper meaning than just being dunked in water. It means “involvement, engagement, and participation” in something.

[Matt 3:13-17; Matt 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mk 10:37-39; Ac 9:15-18; Ac 10:44-48; Ac 18:7-8; Ac 22:12-16; Rom 6:1-7]

So, a “baptism of repentance” is not outward only. It is not just about being dunked in physical water. And “repentance” is not just a change of mind, but it is a change of mind resulting in a change in the inner man (person), i.e. resulting in a change of heart, thinking, believing, attitude and behavior. The Scriptures speak of repentance often in terms of us forsaking our lives of sin in order to follow Jesus Christ now in obedience and in holy living.

[Matt 3:8; Matt 4:17; Matt 11:20-21; Matt 12:41; Matt 21:28-31; Mk 1:15; Mk 6:12; Lu 5:32; Lu 13:3; Lu 15:2-8; Lu 24:47; Acts 3:19-20; Acts 5:30-31; Acts 8:22; Acts 11:17-18; Acts 17:29-31; Acts 19:18-20; Acts 20:21; Acts 26:18-20; Rom 2:4; 2 Co 7:8-10; 2 Co 12:21; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Thess 1:9-10; 2 Tim 2:24-26; 2 Pet 3:9; 1 Jn 1:5-10; Rev 2:5,16; Rev 3:3,19]

And repentance is required of us, as well as are obedience to our Lord and walks of holiness and righteousness, if we want to be saved from our sins and to have the hope of eternal life with God. And this is not a one-time forsaking of sin, either. We must die daily to sin and daily follow our Lord in obedience to his commands and in holy living if we want to have eternal life with God and have salvation (deliverance) from our bondage to sin.

[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] 

For John’s calling was not to just invoke people’s confessions of sin and to dunk them in water. His calling was to prepare people’s hearts for the coming of the Lord Jesus in ministry, and it was to make his paths straight (law-abiding, honest, above-board, upright, and trustworthy), i.e. to lead them to walk in the ways of righteousness and holiness and in obedience to the Lord in moral purity, honesty, uprightness, integrity, and faithfulness.

And it was to lead them to humbling themselves before the Lord in true repentance (the forsaking of their sins to follow Jesus in obedience), and for those who had been walking in sin (crookedness) to now walk in honesty, uprightness, moral purity, and faithfulness to God/Christ. And it was to show them the way of salvation from sin through God-given faith in Jesus Christ which is evidenced by the forsaking of sin and following Jesus in obedience.

And in this way they would see the salvation of the Lord, but not as a one-time decision one makes, and not as a status to wear, but as a consistent change in lifestyle and in mind, heart, speaking, and actions. For Jesus said we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him if we are to have salvation from sin and eternal life in him. So don’t let your “faith” be lip service only, but let it change your behaviors.

What a Savior

By Marvin P. Dalton

Once I was straying in sin's dark valley

No hope within could I see

God sent from heaven a loving Savior

To save a poor lost soul like me

He left the Father with all His riches

With calmness sweet and serene

Came down from heaven and gave His lifeblood

To make the vilest sinner clean

Death's chilly waters I'll soon be crossing

His hand will lead me safe o'er

I'll join the chorus in that great city

And sing up there forevermore

O what a Savior O hallelujah

His heart was broken on Calvary

His hands were nail-scarred

His side was riven

He gave His lifeblood for even me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRWCM-PFO8Y

Caution: This link may contain ads