Prophecy: Day Four - The Message

Old Testament prophecies told God’s people about Jesus hundreds of years before His birth.

The Message

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ‘” Isaiah 40:3

“John the Baptist came preaching … and saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near, ‘This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, a voice calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. ‘” Matthew 3: l-3

Through Isaiah’s prophecies, Matthew confirms the ministry of John the Baptist. John’s ministry was to lead the people to repentance and to prepare for the coming Messiah. Repent means to tum away and run from sin. The Hebrew word for sin, “hamartia,” means “missing the mark,” or failure, which brings separation from God. One way we prepare for Christmas during Advent is to recognize our sins, confess them to God and allow Him to change us from the inside out. Through repentance, the power of Christ replaces the confusion that sin can bring.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus who frees us from a sinful life.  Please forgive us for the ways we fail you. Restore us and fill our lives with the presence and power of Christ. Amen.