Luke 3:4, commentary and pictures

The verse marks John the Baptist as the promised forerunner, the voice crying in the wilderness about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins to get the Lord's way ready. His cry in the lonely wilderness drew people away from the bustle of city life to hear God's warning and mercy and prepare for the coming Messiah. To prepare the way and make the paths straight is to be personally reformed, with heart, mind, and soul purged, crooked ways straightened, pride brought low, and fruits worthy of repentance borne, so that all may see God's salvation. John's work in the spirit and power of Elijah to expose sin, turn people from false ways to righteousness, and remove hindrances to Christ's work is the pattern for the Lord's messengers now, who must still lift the public preparing voice with earnest, untiring effort.

The Voice in Wilderness

Luke 3:4 identifies John the Baptist as the promised forerunner of Christ, the voice crying in the wilderness who fulfills the words of Isaiah the prophet. He came into the country about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, calling people to prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight. This belongs to the record of Luke 3:1-18 of the forerunner arising to go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. That arising is connected with Zacharias dwelling in the hill country of Judea and going up to Jerusalem to execute the priest's office before God in the order of his course for his required week, where according to the custom of the priest's office his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

The wilderness voice preparing the way of the Lord was God's answer to long prayers for the coming Redeemer. It was first announced to Zacharias while he stood before the golden altar in the holy place of the sanctuary as the cloud of incense with the prayers of Israel ascended before God. The announcement came by an angel standing on the right side of the altar as an indication of favor. The mercy was so great that Zacharias met it with fear and self-condemnation instead of credit.

The wilderness drew people away from the distractions and bustle of city life, where they could attend to the things of God in nature. There God's Spirit gave John a warning message and a message of mercy to proclaim the Messiah and prepare people for His coming. In this John stands as the herald of Christ's first advent, whose voice was heard in the wilderness preparing the way for Christ's ministry. He fearlessly reproved sin, and his life and work were marked by loneliness and self-denial.

Preparing the Lord's Way

Preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight is a call to personal reformation in which heart, mind, and soul are purged and wrong practices are put away. The crooked ways are to be made straight and the rough places smooth, while the mountains and hills of self-esteem and pride are to be brought down. When God's believing people undergo this change and bear fruits worthy of repentance, all people will see God's salvation. John's preparing mission was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah as a lesser light to prepare the way for the world's Redeemer. His message exposed sin and alarmed sinners under Satan's control, called people away from false traditions, brought their sins to mind, and led them to repentance and confession. By turning them from sin to righteousness he removed obstacles standing in the way of the Messiah's work, so that they could receive God's favor, gain moral power to resist temptation, and recognize and value Christ's work.

Preparing the Lord's way means removing what obstructs His work by becoming consecrated, obedient channels for God rather than bringing selfishness and personal plans into sacred service. Those who let divine influence work through them help carry the message and convert souls, while those who put themselves and their methods in the way become hindrances. Clearing the King's highway is making way for God to work, and those who do this preparing work will see God's salvation.

Pattern for Present Work

The message entrusted to John in his day is to be studied with profit by present workers, for his cry in the wilderness to get the Lord's way ready is the pattern for the Lord's messengers now. As he came into the country about Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in fulfillment of the words of Isaiah the prophet, calling the people to prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight, so a public preparing voice must still be heard. That pattern reaches to the great tourist and seaside resorts, where the voice must also be heard through the establishing of health restaurants and treatment rooms. This includes Los Angeles and San Diego and other tourist resorts of Southern California, where such work carries the preparing work forward.

The spirit and work of John was earnest, faithful, untiring effort to make the truth of God's Word widely known in order to prepare the Lord's way. That same spirit and work is still required, to be done while darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people, with the Holy Spirit speaking through those God chooses to the hearts and minds of men. Where there is now one worker there should be hundreds, laboring with a hundredfold more power, zeal, faithfulness, trust in God and obedience to His Word. Lack of faith bars the way and limits God, and if His people do not strive more earnestly God will raise up other instruments taught by Him to do this preparatory work in the spirit of John the Baptist.

Preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight is a testimony God gives a person to bear, using him in His own way. Such preparing work belongs with a wonder-working God who cleanses His people from all defilement. For ministers it means putting away domineering power and clearing the way for the Lord's work, since the believer's security rests not in numbers or bodily strength but in faith in Jesus Christ. The call to clear the King's highway directs those in positions of responsibility to lay aside pride, put away every rival god, fear and honor the one God alone, abolish all plans of worldly policy, and bring in a spiritual order of things. The call to prepare the Lord's way and make His paths straight is active preparation for the soon coming of Jesus, meaning doing one's best to advance the work in expectation of His return.