Mark 1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah
the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”[c]—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”[d]
who will prepare your way”[c]—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”[d]
Ancient letters come alive, tumble through my veins
alongside blood cells and oxygen, pulsing with life and breath and fire. I am transported there, to the banks of the
Jordan River and I don’t want to leave. I feel the heat, the sweat rolling down
my back, a want for breeze, the sun on my face and I wonder, should I respond? Can
I rush to the waters? I hear the lone voice in the desert saying. “Prepare the
way for the Lord” and I take the path straightway to the waters to be made
clean, cool, and wholly ready to see the face of Jesus. This man will somehow change
my life and the world. Come, Lord Jesus, come. I am ready. If you would but let
me untie your sandals and drench your dusty feet with my grateful tears.
Hush. All you voices that whisper, murmur, scream drowning out the voice declaring the way to the Creator of the universe, hush! See
me deafened to any voice but one that echoes the heart of God.
If God has spoken a seemingly impossible vision for my life,
His church, or what his love can do in the world, I find myself rejoicing now
that I have come to a day when the only thing I need do is beg Him to fulfill
it, and then watch. The voice of God descended on his Son after a lingering
silence saying, “Here He is, the One who is mine.” And now, for those
of us who push forward with the crowd to make Jesus their own, His Spirit descends again:
“The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that
we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16)
Children
of awe, standing in front of a jungle now hewn out, a field plowed through, dry
land piercing through water, all hindrances removed. Let us run. Let us leave
this world behind and go to Jesus, with whom we will find ourselves
well pleased.
