Luke 3:4b (NIV)
…” Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.”
The general content of Luke 3 focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist, who was probably a second cousin of Jesus. John was out in the wilderness preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit, evidence that “God was no longer confining Himself to the religious system of the Jews.” The baptism of repentance (3:3) was “a symbol of a change of mind and the consequent reformation of life.” The Jewish religion had become one based on their forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) rather than on a personal relationship with God. John called for “fruits of repentance” (3:7-14)—practical righteousness accompanying a professed change. John’s baptism could not bring salvation, but it awakened a sense of need and a desire for righteousness in the hearts of the people who followed him. It prepared them for the coming of the Savior who would bring new life and victory over sin. In some ways, we are like John. We point people to Jesus. We “prepare the way for the Lord and make straight paths for Him.” How are you doing that in your everyday living? How did you do it today, or yesterday?