PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD
Mark 1:2-11 (vs. 3)
INTRO. In the days of knights and nobles, when the king went out into the country side or the city, a crier went before him to cry, "Make way, make way for the King." Even today when the President or some important dignitary of government goes to a state function, a motorcycle is sent before them with it’s siren serving the same purpose as the crier.
Jesus is the King of the Jews, the Son of God, the Hope of the earth, the Saviour of men. He is the True and Just One, the bright and morning Star. He is the Great Physician, the Rose of Sharon, the fairest of ten thousand, the Prince of Peace.
Of all the kings that have ever lived and ruled, Christ is the most royal; of all the nobles in history Christ is the most noble. He is, by far, the most deserving of the cry, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."
I. His way from heaven to earth was prepared by God.
A. God began preparing for the greatest miracle of all time in the solitude of the Garden of Eden.
1. On that awful day in the long ago past, when the old serpent, the Devil, bewitched the companion of man and she sinned. Then Adam himself sinned in the eating of the forbidden fruit.
2. And so sin entered into all the generations of mankind throughout all the ages.
3. And there on that black day, God began to make preparations for the coming King.
4. (Gen. 3:15) -- "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
5. As quickly as sin had appeared in the world, God was just as quick in preparing a remedy.
B. Then through the mouths of the prophets the way was made ready through 4000 years of time.
1. Through the prophet Micah, the city of David was named as the birth place of the coming King. (Micah 5:2) -- "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
2. To the prophet Isaiah was given the matter of further announcing the coming King. (Isa. 7:14) -- "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
C. But the Scriptures go on to tell us that God prepared the King Himself.
1. Way back in the lost ages before the creation of the earth; before the stars, the sun, and the moon, God was preparing a King to come.
a. John 1:1-3
b. (Rev. 13:8) -- "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
2. God Himself prepared a King to rule with his own hand. (See Heb. 1:8-9)
a. Some kings are born. Rehoboam born to Solomon.
b. Some kings are made. As Samuel found David and anointed him king of Israel over Saul. As Elisha anointed Jehu king over Jezebel.
c. Some kings are both born and made.
1. Jesus was born to Mary of the lineage of David.
2. He was anointed by God with the oil of gladness above His fellows.
3. Jesus was king by birth and king by appointment but the kingdom would not be won without a conflict.
II. His was on earth was prepared by John the Baptist.
A. God left nothing to chance in preparing for the arrival of the King.
1. (Mal. 3:1) -- "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me;"
2. The arrival of the King was announced by John the Baptist. (text)
B. He was a special man for a special job.
1. His own birth was a miraculous event. He possessed a kindred spirit to the great Old Testament prophet, Elijah.
2. John knew what his job was and he did it well. (Jn. 1:6-8, 19-23, 29-30)
III. His way to death was prepared by Satan.
A. From Eden to Calvary we see the shadow of the wicked rebel Lucifer lurking in the background.
1. Like a fog of darkness hanging over man’s life.....like a cloud of gloom blanketing the hopes of the future.....like a black sack thrown over men’s heads to blind them to the terrors of hell and the love of God.
2. Satan and the web of sin he weaves is forever in the back pages of history and the fore pages of the Holy Bible.
3. But King Jesus said, "For this cause came I into the world."
B. It was Satan who rebelled against the authority of God. It was Satan who inquired of the woman, "Yea, hath God said?" and thereby implied that God might lie. Then, made bolder by the woman’s innocent ignorance, Satan went on to actually say that God was a liar. "And the serpent said unto her ye shall not surely die."
1. But the Scripture clearly proclaims that, "Satan is a liar and the father of it."
2. He lied in the garden and he has been lying ever since. He lies when he says: There is no God.....There is no hell.....One religion is as good as another.....You have plenty of time to be saved.
C. It was the lies of Satan that necessitated the birth and death of Jesus. The birth and death was foretold by God in the garden of Eden (the animal slain to clothe Adam and Eve)
1. Jesus came to be King of a Kingdom that refused to have him as their King. Because the world prefers sin to sanctification, darkness to light, chaos to order and Satan to Christ.
2. When the world had to choose, "they cried crucify him, crucify him."
IV. The church must prepare his way until he comes again.
A. This war is not over. For in his death Jesus secured a kingdom that will one day rule all of God’s creation.
1. The foundation was laid before creation, the promise was made in Eden and the kingdom was secured with his cry on Calvary, "It is finished." A cry of victory. The blood stained banner and the promise of the King, (Jn. 14:1-2)
2. The true church was bought on that terrible day 2,000 years ago. Salvation was made sure on that wonderful day 2,000 years ago. Satan was dealt a defeat on that victorious day 2,000 years ago.
B. The church is charged to wage a guerilla war, a holding action until the King comes back to lead us to the ultimate victory!
C. Our weapons are our lives, to be lived to His honor and glory....The Gospel, to be spread throughout the world....The Bible, to be read in earnest...and....prayer, to supply our courage.
V. And finally, Prepare ye the way of the Lord in your heart.
A. King Jesus is the only King who has the power to forgive sin. For this is the authority of the King alone.
1. (Matt. 12:28) -- "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give.."
2. (Isa. 1:18) -- "Though your sins be scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
3. (I Jn. 1:7) -- "..the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
4. (Isa. 45:22) -- "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."
B. One day Jesus will come again, riding a white horse and leading a host of angels and saints, with a name on His thigh, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Then will be victory over the devil and sin.
C. Will you be ready for that day?
All hail the power of Jesus name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all
O with that yonder sacred throng
We at his feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all.
