How did John the Baptist ‘prepare the way’ for Jesus?

Matthew 3:1-8, In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Every gospel attests to the fiery character, John the Baptist.  Isaiah 40:3 prophesied that this greatest of prophets would come to “prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”  Obviously, John was the herald who identified Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), but is that all he did?  How exactly did John “prepare the way” for Jesus?  I’ve thought about this and have a few ideas.

THE ROLE OF THE MESSIAH

The Jews who came to hear John the Baptist, were longing for the Messiah.  Because of the prophecies of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” (Daniel 9), the Jews were expecting His arrival in that very generation.  Every radical preacher, including John himself, was seen as a possible candidate for the Messiah.  

They expected the Messiah to break the yoke of Roman tyranny and reestablish the throne of David.  John announced that Jesus had come to be the Lamb, not the Lion they were expecting.  Mark 1:5 says, “And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.” 

Yes, John also warned of judgment, but at the heart of his messages there was always the gospel.  He told them to repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand!

THE SCOPE OF THE MESSIAH

The Jews had thought that the Messiah would overthrow the Romans because they thought He would be the Messiah to the Jews.  The Baptizer made it clear that Christ came for the whole world.  Forgiveness was available to all who believed, not just to the Jews.

In Luke 3:6, John said, “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  He went on to warn the Pharisees, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Luke 3:8).

John 1:6-9 tells us, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

 Salvation is not for the Jews alone but for every one who accepts Christ.  Amen!

THE DIVINITY OF THE MESSIAH

When you read the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, you will notice that “Lord” is spelled with all capital letters - LORD.  In the King James Bible, when the word “Lord” is spelled with all capital letters, it is actually the name of God, given to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).  It is the four letters transliterated, YHWH, (pronounced Jehovah or Yahweh) and means, “I AM.”   

When John said, “Lord,” he didn’t mean it in the sense that Jesus was just a person of nobility or some earthly importance.  Instead, he was welcoming the Word made flesh, the one who is God with us!  John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jehovah!

THE END OF SACRIFICES

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, they were ashamed and tried to hide themselves.  They tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) but the Bible says God killed an animal and covered them with the skin of the animal.  What a sobering realization must have set in for the first couple when they looked upon that dead animal and saw the terrible consequence of their disobedience. 

That act ushered in an era of sacrifices where the shedding of blood was made to cover our sins (Hebrews 9:22).  God’s covenant with Abraham was also sealed with blood, the sign of the circumcision.  

The sacrifices continued until the appearance of Christ.  When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he told his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.  This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me” (John 1:29-30).  His was the final sacrifice and now our sins are covered by His blood and righteousness.  Praise God!!

John the Baptist had to move believers away from the Old Testament system of sacrifices.  Those were only types and shadows of The Sacrifice that was to come.  Also, the Abrahamic covenant of circumcision was passed.  Believers now identify with the death, burial, and resurrection represented by baptism.