Preparing for Guests

Preparing for Guests

Matthew 3:1-12

            The story of John the Baptist is often the Lectionary gospel reading for one of the first Sundays in Advent.  John is an important figure in the life of Christ.  He was Jesus’ cousin through the blood relationship between Mary and Elizabeth.  Luke records that part of the story at length, and I invite you to read it leisurely and thoroughly.  For now, we’ll concern ourselves with the shorter version as recorded in Matthew’s gospel.

            John was an unusual character to say the least.  Today we might refer to him as a hippie or a bohemian—someone who turns his back on convention to “do his own thing.”  Of course, he didn’t do his own thing at all, but rather fulfilled the role God had given him. 

            John was Jesus’ “announcer”—sort of like Ed McMahon to Johnny Carson.  As McMahon set the stage for Carson, John the Baptist prepared Judea for Jesus.  Those of us who are old enough will remember McMahon’s famous introductory line: “Heeere’s Johnny!”

            I mean no disrespect when I compare John the Baptist to a TV announcer.  I only want to demonstrate his role (at least in part) in the story of Jesus’ ministry.  Of course, Jesus could have gotten along quite well without someone to introduce him, but John’s presence and ministry let Judea know things were about to change.  Someone important was about to take the stage.  This Someone would shake things up in ways that no one—perhaps not even John—could imagine.

            John’s message came from the prophet Isaiah.  Having been born into a priestly family, we can imagine that John knew Scripture (that is, the Hebrew Scriptures) well.  He would have been trained in both the law and the prophets, and known them well enough to quote them when they helped him present his message. 

Perhaps John chose the location of his ministry so that he could fulfill one of Isaiah’s prophecies:  “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.”  John set up his revival far away from town.  Instead of finding him at a corner in downtown Jerusalem, people had to go all the way to a deserted area near the Jordan River to hear him.  You couldn’t stumble across John by accident; you had to go looking for him.  He needed to be near the waters of the Jordan so he could baptize those who responded to his call to repentance.

What was John’s message?  “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”  John used Isaiah’s words to introduce Jesus as God’s Messiah.

Isaiah was referring to King Cyrus, the Persian ruler who allowed the Jewish people to end their exile in Babylon and return to their homeland, Judea.  What a blessing his decision was to those who had been away from home so long!  How the exiles must have praised Cyrus for allowing them to go home and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple that was its centerpiece!  Isaiah used these words to promise that Israel would have a joyous and easy return to Judea.

How much more John hoped the people would praise God for the gift of the One who would provide a means of reconciliation between them and God!  How much more important it was for him to prepare the way for the Lord of all creation.

My father used to say that, if we were expecting an important guest, we would outdo ourselves in preparation.  We would clean the house thoroughly, get out the best table settings, and put our finest linen out for the guest’s use.  Just as John prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry, and we would prepare for the visit of an honored guest, so we must prepare ourselves for Jesus’ coming to us.  How much more important it is that we prepare the way of the Lord by preparing our hearts and minds for his arrival.