Point The Way To Jesus

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:1-4).

John appeared on the scene in the first century A.D. as the promised forerunner of the Messiah. With his distinctive dress and diet, he called to mind the stories the people had heard of the great prophet Elijah. His words were bold and uncompromising: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). He challenged his listeners to make the needed changes in the lives. With humility, he unselfishly pointed others to Jesus. Hearts needed to be prepared to receive the Coming One, the Son of God Himself.

There is a sense in which every Christian shares in the ministry of John. Part of our calling is to help prepare hearts to receive Jesus. Make no mistake -- God is the only One who can change hearts. But we have the privilege of participating in the preparatory work! Notice how Paul reminds us of our place when it comes to saving souls: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Planting and watering is preparatory work. We do it when we speak an encouraging word to others. We do it when we share the burdens of those who are hurting. We do it when we stand up for those who are oppressed or defenseless. Anything we can do to soften hearts helps to pave the way for God’s miraculous work. As we interact with our world this week, let’s look for opportunities to point the way to Jesus!

God loves you!
Mike