Preparing the Way for the Lord

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”” — Matthew 3:16-17 (BSB) The opening chapters of Jesus' public ministry are filled with a sense of new beginnings. In Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3, we meet John the Baptist, a man whose entire purpose was to announce a transition. He was preparing the way for the Lord Jesus. His ministry marked the end of one era and the beginning of the most important one in history. John is a powerful example for any person or church in a season of transition. He was humble and clear about his role. He told the crowds, “after me will come One more powerful than I” (Matthew 3:11). He knew his mission was to point people to Jesus, not to himself. He understood that he had to decrease so that Christ could increase (John 3:30). In…