“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”

Chapter 40 of Isaiah begins with a prophecy of the ministry of John the Baptist: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness saying : Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness. Make smooth the desert.” (Isa.40:3-5). This message has an application for us . The Lord is coming back a second time. And just as John the Baptist prepared the people for His first coming, the church must prepare people for His second coming. So our message must essentially be the same as John the Baptist’s:

First of all, “the valleys must be lifted up” (Isa 40:4). There is no place for discouragement and depression under the new covenant. We are never to say, “I am good for nothing, I am useless.” God is a God of encouragement. He has lifted us up in Christ and given us dignity. We don’t have to live in the dumps - in the valleys – any more. We are children of the King and He lifts our heads up. 

Secondly, “the mountains must be brought low”( Isa 40:4). All pride in us must be brought down.

Thirdly, the rough places must become smooth. There is a lot of coarseness, rudeness and roughness in our lives. These have to be smoothened out and we have to become gracious and gentle.

Fourthly, the crooked paths must become straight (This is how this verse is quoted in Luke 3:5). There are many areas in our lives. There could be unrighteousness in money matters. All of that has to be made straight. This is what true repentance involves - the valleys being lifted up, the mountains being brought down, the rough places made smooth, and the crooked paths made straight.

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed in our flesh. In our flesh, others will see the glory of Jesus Christ. That is how we are to prepare people for the coming of the Lord. “The mouth of the Lord has spoken it and all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord”.

—Zac Poonen