In ancient days, most roads were hardly more than dusty paths. When a king was about to visit a certain place, a runner would run some distance ahead of the king and shout, "Prepare! The king is coming." And the people would immediately begin to clean and level the road for the coming king.
John Mark begins the Gospel of Mark with the good news that Jesus is coming and quotes the prophet Isaiah, who said, "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Mark 1:2-3. The prophet was making reference to John the Baptist. "John was saying, "I am but a voice crying, 'Make ready! Prepare! The King is coming!'" John's purpose was to make the roads (people's hearts) clean and help them prepare for the coming of Christ. He preached a heavy message of turning from sin and returning to God. To the amazement of the religious establishment of the day--the people did. John became the official washer of people (baptism). It was a sign that people had repented, had been forgiven, and had aligned their hearts and lives with God.
The message of Isaiah has not changed, "Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming." Now, the messenger isn't John the Baptist, but people who have received Christ and have chosen to follow Him. We are to be runners with the same purpose as John the Baptist--to help prepare people's hearts to receive Jesus Christ. We do this by loving them, showing them acts of kindness, becoming their friends, speaking truth to them, and allowing our testimonies to become a light in a darkened place. To put it simply, we are to be Christ's disciples. The good news is we don't run by ourselves, but we have a running partner called Holy Spirit. He does what we cannot do on our own. He brings hope, conviction and a clear understanding of Christ. We make an excellent team together. The Holy Spirit's purpose and ours is the same. May we always remember to run with a divine purpose--"Prepare the way!"
John Mark begins the Gospel of Mark with the good news that Jesus is coming and quotes the prophet Isaiah, who said, "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Mark 1:2-3. The prophet was making reference to John the Baptist. "John was saying, "I am but a voice crying, 'Make ready! Prepare! The King is coming!'" John's purpose was to make the roads (people's hearts) clean and help them prepare for the coming of Christ. He preached a heavy message of turning from sin and returning to God. To the amazement of the religious establishment of the day--the people did. John became the official washer of people (baptism). It was a sign that people had repented, had been forgiven, and had aligned their hearts and lives with God.
The message of Isaiah has not changed, "Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming." Now, the messenger isn't John the Baptist, but people who have received Christ and have chosen to follow Him. We are to be runners with the same purpose as John the Baptist--to help prepare people's hearts to receive Jesus Christ. We do this by loving them, showing them acts of kindness, becoming their friends, speaking truth to them, and allowing our testimonies to become a light in a darkened place. To put it simply, we are to be Christ's disciples. The good news is we don't run by ourselves, but we have a running partner called Holy Spirit. He does what we cannot do on our own. He brings hope, conviction and a clear understanding of Christ. We make an excellent team together. The Holy Spirit's purpose and ours is the same. May we always remember to run with a divine purpose--"Prepare the way!"
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