December 7: Isaiah 40:3-5 / Luke 3:4-6

When I was growing up, the day after Thanksgiving was the day my mom always decorated our house for Christmas. She would spend all day getting containers out of the attic, putting up artificial trees, and preparing the room where the fresh cut tree that we would later go chop down as a family would be placed. Hours were spent just on decorations, and even more time during the season was devoted to her baking Christmas cookies, wrapping gifts, and discussing how she wanted my dad to hang the outdoor lights on the bushes. It made for a festive environment and some great Christmas memories but there was a lot of preparation that went into our Christmas celebration long before the day arrived.

Over 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the book of Isaiah was written. In the first 39 chapters of that book a message of intense judgment is delivered and then Isaiah 40 fundamentally shifts the tone of the message to one of hope, comfort, and restoration. In Isaiah 40:3-5, Isaiah prophesied about one who would prepare the way for the Lord. 700 years later in Luke 3:4-6, we are told John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy. His message was one of repentance and forgiveness and he was tasked with preparing the way for Jesus. That through the birth of Jesus, his completed sacrifice on the cross, and his victorious resurrection, we could all experience hope, comfort, and restoration.

Pastor Brian Pursley
Lakeside Community Church – Algoma  





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