Matthew 3

“For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’’” (Matthew 3:3, NKJV)

John the Baptist was a prophet and forerunner of Christ who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Both Isaiah and Malachi prophesied about him. His role was to prepare the people’s hearts to receive the Messiah. Their hearts were hard. They were blinded by their own self-righteousness and complacency. They would not have been able to receive the words of Jesus. So, John was sent ahead to prepare the way of the LORD. The imagery is of the entourage sent before a king to prepare the way for his coming. Potholes needed to be filled; bumps needed to be smoothed out; tight curves needed to be widened and straightened. John was sent ahead to prepare the way spiritually. A highway of holiness needed to be formed in people’s hearts so that they would receive Christ when He came.

About 30 years earlier, the angel Gabriel appeared to John’s father Zacharias and told him that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son. He would call his name John, which means “God is gracious.” Then Gabriel said:

“He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17, NKJV)

This is the essence of revival: hearts prepared to receive Jesus, hearts turned to receive one another, and heart changed to obey God.

“Heavenly Father, we are in desperate need of revival. Have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. Prepare our hearts to receive the Spirit of Christ; turn our hearts in compassionate love for one another; change our hearts to hunger and thirst for your righteousness. By your infinite grace, make us a people prepared for the Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”