John the Baptist - Preparing the Way

In our lives, I believe we all have a person that paved a way for us to enter into a relationship with Christ.
Maybe it was our parents, a family member, a good friend, or a complete stranger. No matter who it was,
Our relationship with Christ started with a seed that someone planted. That seed, Christ in turn, reaped a Harvest in us. And isn't it amazing that as we all know that one person in our lives. It starts with a word, a smile, kindness, or a person, but it always leads to Christ.

The Promised Birth

• Luke 1: 11-25
  • (Luke 1:13) The name John means "the LORD is gracious" and Jesus means "the LORD saves". Both names were prescribed by God, not chosen by human parents.
  • John is often compared to the great prophet Elijah, who was known for standing up to evil rules.
  • Luke 1: 35-36
    • Even before John's birth, he was used to pave the way.

John the Baptist is Born

• Luke 1: 57 - 66
  • The first words from Zechariah's mouth was a song of praise.

John Prepares the Way for Jesus

• Luke reminds us of the words from Isaiah the prophet.
  • Luke 3: 3-6
• John's message of repentance of sin
  • He speaks out against religious leaders (Brood of vipers)
    • Luke 3: 7-9
  • His message is in alignment with Christ's message.
    • Luke 3: 10-14
• John answers people's thoughts about him being Christ.
  • Luke 3: 16-17

John Baptizes Jesus

• Luke 3: 21-22
  • This is one of several places in Scripture where all the members of the Trinity are mentioned.

We all planet seeds throughout our lives. Some of them land on hardened soil, some are blown away by the wind, some grow and are choked out by weeds, but others land in fertile soil. We may not always see the harvest of the seeds we planet, but we all may very well pave the way for someone else to come to know Christ. What kind of seeds are you planting?

Thinking about this reminds me of "The Great Commission" in Matthew 28:16-20.