The Gospel of Luke
“”Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”
-Malachi 3:1
To our surprise, the Gospel of Luke does not begin with Jesus, His birth, or Mary, but with another child altogether.
The one whom God promised long ago as the one who would come before, the one who would forerun the promised Messiah and reveal to all that the time of the Lord has come.
The one who would prepare the way and lead many back to the Lord before the great coming of the King.
His name is John.
Read Luke 1:5-17.
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.1.5-17.ESV
In John, God was beginning something new.
In John, he was preparing the people of Israel for their King.
Just as the angel said, through John, God was making ready for the Lord a people prepared.
Today, we are not anticipating the first coming of our Lord, but rather the second. Just like Israel then, we have been waiting and waiting, and the time is upon us, even just around the corner, but like Israel then, are we ready?
Today, like John, is there a way that you could prepare the world for the coming of its King?
In anticipation of our Lord, how can we precede Him and prepare the hearts and minds around us for the great and glorious day that Jesus arrives?
As we begin our time in the Gospel of Luke, let this question sit at the forefront of your mind. Pray on it, and let the Spirit move you in this.
Like John, in what way can we make ready a people prepared for the Lord?
Reflection Questions:
In what ways does the story of John surprise you?
Do you think God could be doing the same thing in the world today as He did in Israel back then?
What did you gain from this devotional today or has the Holy Spirit brought anything up that you’d like to share? Join the community in the comments section below!
