Jesse Tree, Day 23 – Preparing the Way

Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!” Luke 3:4, NIV

Read: Matthew 3:1-6

 Our family recently went to the Kingdom Tour Concert. We were pleasantly surprised when,  JJ. Harrison, came up as the opening act. He was preparing the way for the main event– Maverick City and Kirk Franklin.  He was an excellent opening act. He did not hog the stage, but got the audience ready for what was about to happen next.

As the messiah was getting ready to make his entrance into the world, John the Baptist was given the responsibility to begin preparing the way for Him.

How do we choose to work when we are not the one in center stage? Do we begrudge those who will take the spotlight off our efforts? John the Baptist, was not the main event, but he had an important work, and he did it diligently. 

Before Jesus was born and long before the time when he would start his ministry, John was chosen to “prepare the way” for the work that Jesus would do? But what exactly did preparing the way entail? Well, John would tell others that Jesus was coming. He would speak to people who had perhaps stopped believing that the messiah would come, and help rekindle their belief. He would do the work to encourage them to open their hearts once again–to hope again.

So how did John prepare himself ready for this task? We know very little about that except as is recorded in Luke 1:80.

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

This “preparer of the way” for Jesus did not attend the schools of the prophets. He did not sit in the learned academies of the Jews, nor did he sit at the feet of the rabbis. His preparation ground was in the wilderness or desert – a rocky, dry wasteland. He was in relative solitude, alone, and hidden, There he remained, until he appeared publicly to Israel. John used this early period of obscurity and darkness to develop the gifts inside him for the work ahead. 

It is so much fun to be in the limelight, and to be publicly recognized for the work we are doing.  But often the work that is needed to truly prepare us for ministry takes place away from the bright lights. It takes place often in private when no one is looking.

The spiritual transformation that we seek does not take place at the communal level; it must first take place at the individual level. It is here that God does his work within us to prepare us to effectively serve others.

REFLECT: How are we using private moments to prepare ourselves for ministry and/or service? How are we preparing the way to make Jesus known to others?