“Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! Every ditch will be filled in, every bump smoothed out, the detours straightened out, all the rut paved over. Everyone will be there to see the parade of God’s salvation.” (Luke 3:4-6 MSG)
Somewhere along my way I read about the huge amount of preparation that goes into an ancient near-eastern monarchial visitation. When a king traveled to inspect the far-flung reaches of his kingdom, months and months of preparation proceeded his arrival. The roads were inspected, repaired and made smooth as not to jostle sovereign bones. The homes and businesses along the pre-arranged thoroughfare were spruced up; the king’s eyes could not fall on anything unsightly. The subjects were dressed and presented in Sunday best, nothing but the finest would do for the king’s inspection. If you’ve had a chance to see the Downton Abby film, you’ve gotten a glimpse of the fear, excitement and fervor that takes place when the king comes to town.
John the Baptist’s words make so much more sense when we consider them in light of a provincial monarchial visit. Our heavenly King was coming to the farthest outpost of His Kingdom. His earthly ministry was about to commence. John called people to repentance in advance of this royal visitation. He asked the people of God to prepare their hearts to fully receive Him.
“He went through all the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3 MSG)
John preached a pre-Jesus message. He pointed out the sinful nature of people and the crowds responded because they knew they were living far beneath God’s standards. They were tired of living with the weight of it. The people pursuing baptism were looking for a new way to live, a new way to deal with sin. An annual sacrifice in the Temple wasn’t erasing their guilt, they were desperate for a better way to connect with Yahweh.
John’s ministry saturated the landholdings around the Jordan River, which runs off of Galilee. Is it any wonder that this was Jesus most effective area of ministry? John the Baptist pre-soaked the people and as a result, those folks were the most receptive to the message of Jesus.
Repentance readies our heart for what’s next. Every great revival first begins with repentance, with a recognition of our own destitution and deep need for the grace of God. This is important to keep in mind and put into daily practice in a culture that isn’t very good at saying “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong.” Repentance readies the road, and isn’t that the message of Christmas? In the holy season of Advent, we allow the remembrance of His first coming to prepare our hearts for His second coming. Contrition lays the groundwork for Christ’s return.
John spoke of a parade of salvation and we see, in the gospels, the literal translation of his prophecy. Two parades take place; first on Palm Sunday and then on Good Friday. Jesus descended on a donkey into the city with palms and praises over the weekend. Five days later He crawled on hands and knees with a cross down the Via Dolorosa. There is one more parade coming, though. We can’t afford to forget that our Savior will return triumphant and when He does, we won’t be on the sidelines any longer. We’ll be marching alongside Him as siblings, not slaves.
“In Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 MSG)
Lord, may we spend a few moments in the midst of Christmas searching our hearts. Where have we gone amiss? Please, point out the potholes, make known the ruts that will someday break our stride if not attended to now. May we acknowledge, repent and set about the business of making repairs. We want the way of Your return to be smooth and wide and ready to receive You. Amen.