"preparing The Way"

“Preparing the Way”

Luke 1:5-17

Adam Hamilton’s book: “Prepare the Way for the Lord” was used as a template for this sermon.

This is the first Sunday of Advent.

The word “Advent” means coming, arrival, or presence, and Advent starts four Sundays before Christmas.

If we could summarize the aim of Advent, it might best be found in the words of Isaiah, words that foretold the life and mission of John the Baptist: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

We often think of Advent as a season to celebrate the birth of Jesus—His first Advent—but it’s more than that.

Advent is also about preparing for Christ’s return—His second coming.

And it’s even more than that—it is also about preparing for Christ to enter into our hearts or preparing the way for Christ to enter into the hearts of others.

And that is what John the Baptist did.

John was the messenger sent by God to prepare the people for the arrival of Jesus Christ—God made flesh.

In Malachi 3:1 God says, “I am sending my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.”

(pause)

Our story for this morning begins in 5 BC when Herod the Great, with support of the Romans, ruled as the king over Judea.

Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father was a priest and his mother Elizabeth was the daughter of a priest.

They lived in the hill country surrounding Jerusalem, sort of like living on Lookout Mountain or Signal Mountain if we were to think of Chattanooga as Jerusalem.

Their home was about 4 miles from the Temple.

We are told that both Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless and were now getting on in years.

They lived lives of faithfulness to God, but had also endured a long journey of sorrow and disappointment because in the ancient world, everyone was expected to have children.

We are told that “once when Zachariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen…to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense…”

While in there an angel of the Lord appeared and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call him John.”

“Your prayer has been heard…”

For years he must have prayed, again and again, that Elizabeth would become pregnant, but most likely, he had stopped praying and had given up hope now that they were both getting older.

I wonder if there are things you have prayed for a long time, for years perhaps but have seen no answer?

My mother, several years ago, told me about the answer to a prayer she had prayed almost daily for about 30 years.

At times, she had been tempted to stop praying about it, wondering if her prayers for it really mattered.

At first, she would tell the person that she was praying for her, but eventually, she stopped telling.

Then, one day, the woman said to her, “That prayer you have been praying for me—I didn’t think what you’d prayed for was even possible.

But now, I feel like the exact thing you asked for is what I’m experiencing.”

Our prayers are always heard, even if we don’t see the results we are hoping for or if they don’t come in the time frame we had hoped.

Prayer is mainly about communion with God, giving thanks, offering praise, putting our lives in God’s hands, asking God to lead us and guide us, forgive us and use us.

Just like our conversation with friends, prayer isn’t just about asking for things.

It’s not our place to advise God on how to run the universe.

Just the same, there is nothing wrong with praying for “grand-slam, out of the park” miracles.

I do it all the time, how about you?

But more often, I pray things like:

“God, I can’t face this mountain without you.

Please give me the strength to help me through, no matter what happens.”

And that’s not to say God can’t bring about out-of-the-park-home-run miracles.

I’ve seen them.

I’ve experienced them.

And I’d imagine you have as well.

And the story of John the Baptist’s conception is an example of one of those miracles.

But notice the miracle occurs not when Zechariah and Elizabeth are in their early 20’s and praying so fervently for a child.

It happens later than they expected, later than they had prayed for.

It happened according to God’s will, when God’s unfolding plan needed a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus.

Garth Brookes has a song called, “Unanswered Prayers.”

In it, he sings about going to a hometown football game with his wife, only to run into his old flame.

And he remembers how, every night back in high school, he prayed that “God would...” in his words… “make her mine.”