Context No. 3546 of 4322 · Matthew

Matthew 3:1-6: in context

1In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” 3For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” 4Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

John the Baptist appears in the wilderness with a stark message: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. He is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And his life matches his message: rough clothes of camel's hair, a leather belt, food of locusts and wild honey, a man stripped of comfort and pretense, wholly given to his mission.

The way John prepares for the Lord is through repentance. People come out to him confessing their sins and are baptized, turning from their old ways to be ready for the One who is coming. There is a pattern here for how we receive Christ. The way is prepared by repentance, by honest confession of sin and a turning away from it. Before we can welcome the King, the road of the heart must be made straight; its crooked ways must be acknowledged and abandoned. There is no receiving the Lord while clinging to what we refuse to confess.

Am I preparing the way for the Lord in my own heart through honest repentance, confessing and turning from my sins to make his path straight?

Sources

Matthew 3:2: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
Matthew 3:3: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!"
Matthew 3:6: "They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."