In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

If you could invite a famous person to visit your home, whom would you invite? Some might invite the President. Some might invite a movie star or a sports star. Now, imagine if that person accepted your invitation and this famous person is going to visit your home this Sunday. What would you do to get ready for this visit? Would you clean and vacuum? Would you put up holiday lights? Would you clear a nice clean path to your door? Well, the Old Testament people of God knew that the Savior of the nations was coming. But somebody needed to:

These words speak of {3} "A voice of one calling." Here Isaiah writes 700 years in advance about the mission of John the Baptizer. John fulfilled this promise as the forerunner of the Savior. His job was to prepare people for the coming of the Savior by preaching God's Word. Most people were not ready for the Savior's arrival. Too many had forgotten how desperately they needed a Savior from sin. The prevailing opinion was that the Messiah would be a political leader who would throw off the oppression of the Romans. Too few were looking for a Savior from sin who would throw off the oppression of sin and eternal death. John had a very difficult task, but he went after it with passion. Fearlessly, he proclaimed the law. He didn't care whose sin it was, whether king or slave, religious leader or prostitute, sin was sin. He boldly and persistently called for repentance. He prepared the way for the Savior. Isaiah foretells this work of preparing the way for the Lord in these verses. May these words guide us in our preparation for Christmas.

(v.3b) "Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." The Savior was coming, so a highway needed to be prepared. A straight and level road should be made for his approach. And yet, notice two key words in this phrase. The first one is "wilderness." The highway would be in the "wilderness," both literally and figuratively. John did preach in the wilderness, and people came out to see him. And yet, the spiritual landscape at that time was likewise a wilderness. People had lost their way. Many did not have faith. There was much work to do. The second key word in this phrase is the last one, "God." Notice the identity of the coming Savior! He is "God"! Truly, John had an important task in preparing the way for the coming of God in the flesh! And yet, we are preparing for Christmas too. Do not forget who was born on Christmas Eve! That baby is true God! So, let us prepare the way, with God's Word, and read on...

(4a) "Every valley shall be raised up." From time to time, people fall into the valley of despair. They begin to think that this life is just a waste, and that there is no purpose or meaning to it. But believers are lifted up when they hear the good news that Jesus came to bring eternal life. Jesus came to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and rise from death. And so, whoever believes in Jesus will enjoy eternal life in heaven. Just think: Jesus came so that you can live forever in heaven! This life might be a disappointment, but this life is not all there is. We believers have a bright future with Jesus in heaven! That too is the message coming at Christmas, that we have hope in Jesus, the hope of eternal happiness in heaven.

(v.4b) "Every mountain and hill [will be] made low." Some people have the opposite problem. They live on mountains and hills of pride. They think they are good enough without Jesus. They look down their noses at others, are always correcting others, thinking they are always right. They need to be cut down by God's law. God's law says to one and all, "You too are a sinner." That's why we all need Jesus. He came to take our sins away. When you hear the Christmas lessons, do not fail to notice how many times God hand selects humble people in particular: Mary, Joseph, humble shepherds are mentioned more than the world's VIP's. The Lord cuts down the arrogant, and lifts up the humble.

(v.4c) "The rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain." Preaching law and gospel is the way to do this. It is like a bulldozer that levels the terrain. The proud are humbled, and the repentant are uplifted. Really, the basic message of Advent is this: Prepare the Way of the Lord. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.

(v.5a) After all this preparation, we read, "And the glory of the LORD will be revealed." This is talking about the coming of the Savior. He will come and reveal God's glory! The Savior of the nations is coming. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed at Christmas!

Remember what happened on that first Christmas Eve? God's Son was born of the virgin Mary. And then we read that the shepherds saw the glory of the Lord. "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" (Lk 2:9-11). The birth of Jesus revealed the glory of the LORD. John 1:14 says that God's Son "became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only-begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John wrote, "We have seen his glory." The disciples saw the glory of the Lord. Mary saw the glory of the Lord. The shepherds saw the glory of the Lord. God revealed his glory that first Christmas, and humble people saw it.

But it says here, (5b) "all mankind together will see it." All people will see the glory of the Lord in the person of Jesus Christ. As the gospel is preached, we see the glory of the Lord in Jesus Christ. As mission work is done, more and more people are invited to see the glory of the Lord in the person of Jesus Christ. But, finally, on the last day, all people will see Jesus returning with great glory. And then, finally, everyone will see the glory of the LORD in the person of Jesus Christ.

But, we want everyone to see it now, before it's too late. That's why we are passing out flyers and putting messages on the radio, and putting large notices in the newspaper, and inviting our friends to these special services. We want everyone to know Jesus as Savior. Jesus came for all. We want everyone to learn about his birth, life, death and resurrection. We want to reach out to everyone with the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We reach out with certainty, not doubt, because we are sure about how we get to heaven.

It says here, (5c) "For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." All of this happened, just as predicted. John the Baptist came and prepared the way. Jesus arrived right on time, and revealed the glory of the LORD. God always keeps his Word, so we can be absolutely certain about it. When God says something is going to happen, it happens. We have the greatest assurance, "For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Christmas is coming! As you put up trees and lights and shop for gifts and send Christmas cards, don't miss the whole point of this season. Be sure to: "Prepare the Way for the Lord!" Get ready to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. Don't get so wrapped up in the external trappings of a Christmas celebration that you miss the internal joy of Christmas. "Prepare the Way for the Lord!" That's what these Advent services are all about. As you hear God's Word faithfully on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings, God will work through his Word to prepare your heart for Christmas. Many years ago, people had to go out to the wilderness to hear John preach, as he prepared the way for the Lord. You don't have to go out to the wilderness to John preach. You can hear his message from God right here. This Sunday, you will have a blessed opportunity to listen to John the Baptizer, who was the real Advent preacher. From now until Christmas, may this be a constant emphasis in our minds, hearts, and lives: "Prepare the Way for the Lord." Get ready for the birth of Christ Jesus. Amen.